http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/ en Copyright 2012 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:55:12 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Today Plastics News senior reporter Bill Bregar wrote about the decision by Morrow County, Ohio, Prosecutor Charles Howland not to file charges against Christopher Filos, the former owner of the now-shuttered HPM machinery company. Because so many readers are interested,... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/02/prosecutor_explains_hpm_decisi.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/02/prosecutor_explains_hpm_decisi.html NPE Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:55:12 -0500 For a lot of manufacturers, finding skilled employees is one of the biggest challenges these days, as the United States recovers from the recession of 2007-2009. William Hoffer, president of injection molder Hoffer Plastics Corp., recently got a chance to... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/02/hoffer_plastics_talks_up_emplo.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/02/hoffer_plastics_talks_up_emplo.html Packaging Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:09:37 -0500 We've seen this story hundreds of times -- which type of bag is better, paper or plastic? Frequently the coverage is not complimentary to plastic. Toronto's The Globe and Mail deserves credit for bringing some balance to its Feb. 1... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/02/a_balanced_story_on_plastic_vs.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/02/a_balanced_story_on_plastic_vs.html Materials NPE Packaging Sustainability Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:56:43 -0500 Top industrial designers are a bit like rock stars -- well known in their fields, and frequently known for their quirky personalities. Last weekend one was featured in The New York Times' Sunday Magazine -- including enough plastics manufacturing references... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/spotlight_on_a_star_designer.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/spotlight_on_a_star_designer.html Design Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:49:49 -0500 Forget about moon colonies. A new thermoset composite, developed in part by Owens Corning through a joint development program with Lockheed Martin under the name Applied NanoStructured Solutions LLC, provides electrical magnetic interference shielding for vital components on the Juno... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/composites_help_protect_jupite.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/composites_help_protect_jupite.html Design Materials Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:28:19 -0500 I'm praising one company today for its sustainability message, so forgive me for going negative on two others. My targets -- Repurpose Compostables Inc. and Bed Bath & Beyond stores, for their misleading messages about line of compostable cups made... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/the_latest_in_the_battle_again.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/the_latest_in_the_battle_again.html Marketing Materials Packaging Sustainability Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:18:44 -0500 I don't expect to see commercial messages that reference plastic resin consumption during an NFL game. But in commercials that ran last weekend during the football playoffs, Glad Products Co. chose to highlight source reduction achieved by its its Tall... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/glad_highlights_source_reducti.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/glad_highlights_source_reducti.html Materials Packaging Sustainability Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:34:41 -0500 Say you work for an injection molder that has closed at least 10 plants in three years. Would you come to work every day thinking it might be your last? That's the perspective of a Fortis Plastics LLC worker who... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/inside_story_from_a_fortis_wor.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/inside_story_from_a_fortis_wor.html Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:18:21 -0500 The industry has been buzzing with the need to do something about the skills gap in manufacturing. For the upcoming Plastics News Executive Forum, this subject is at the forefront. The keynote address will be delivered by Gardner Carrick, senior... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/highlighting_efforts_to_close.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/highlighting_efforts_to_close.html Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:27:13 -0500 The Bank of Canada promotes its new plastic currency as being durable, secure and innovative -- but just how durable are they? CTV News in Winnipeg claims the currency -- specifically the new $100 bills -- are not as durable... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/how_durable_is_canadas_plastic.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/how_durable_is_canadas_plastic.html Design Materials Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:03:27 -0500 Political news junkies in the plastics industry got more than their share of interesting headlines this weekend. The big new is that Jon Huntsman Jr. decided to drop out of the race for the Republican presidential campaign. Huntsman, son of... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/the_latest_on_plastics_and_pol.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/the_latest_on_plastics_and_pol.html Materials Packaging Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:07:41 -0500 Are you curious about who supplies the molded parts, packaging or tooling for products like the iPhone an iPad? Now the names are public: Apple Inc. last week released a list of its suppliers (PDF). Apple released the list as... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/apple_reveals_list_of_its_supp.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/apple_reveals_list_of_its_supp.html Sustainability Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:42:49 -0500 Back when Fortis Plastics LLC ran into trouble a few months ago and start closing plants, we heard from other injection molders who put the blame on the company's private equity ownership. But private equity isn't all bad. We can... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/private_equity_ownership_isnt.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/private_equity_ownership_isnt.html Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:51:17 -0500 The future of bioplastics is a little fuzzier today, following Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s decision to drop out of its alliance polyhydroxyalkanoate resin company Metabolix Inc. I included some insight into the news in the story posted on PlasticsNews.com last... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/what_will_the_adm-metabolix_di.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/what_will_the_adm-metabolix_di.html Materials Packaging Recycling Sustainability Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:09:48 -0500 I don't tend to spend a lot of time trying to correct news reports in other media, but I'll make an exception today. Earlier today, National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" did a report on Shell Oil Co.'s plan to build... http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/despite_what_youve_heard_us_pl.html http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2012/01/despite_what_youve_heard_us_pl.html Materials Packaging Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:15:47 -0500