Sunday, 11-Oct-09

Metabolix wins federal grant to develop biodegradable resins
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (October 11, 2009) -- Bioplastics maker Metabolix has received a $350,000 federal grant that will be used to develop new, biodegradable resins for blow-molded bottles. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Co-operative State, Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) is providing the grant to Cambridge, Mass.-based Metabolix.

Friday, 09-Oct-09

Denmark wind turbine blade firm building third plant in China

Wind farm

KOLDING, DENMARK (October 9, 2009) -- Denmark’s LM Glasfiber, the world’s largest maker of wind turbine blades, will open its third manufacturing facility in China in November, to supply blades to Chinese wind turbine maker Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co. Ltd.

Monday, 05-Oct-09

Formosa Plastics agrees to $12.8m pollution settlement
WASHINGTON (October 6, 2009) -- Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics Corp. will pay a civil penalty of $2.8 million and spend more than $10 million on pollution controls to address air, water, and hazardous waste violations at petrochemical plants in Point Comfort, Texas, and Baton Rouge, La., the U.S. Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency announced Sept. 29.

Tuesday, 22-Sep-09

Tesla turns to metal for sedan

Dewhurst Photography photo

TROY, MICH. (September 22, 2009) —- When designers from Tesla Motors Inc. began planning the company’s all electric Roadster, they had to add up the 900-pound weight of its lithium-ion battery pack with the speed performance of a sports car and ultralow production volumes, and came up with a light-weight car-body equation of carbon-fiber panels.

Envion opens plastics-to-oil recycling unit in U.S.
DERWOOD, MD. (September 22, 2009) -- Envion Inc. has launched itself into the plastics recycling world by opening a plastic-to-oil conversion unit in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, 15-Sep-09

China's government pledges support for electric vehicles
SHANGHAI (September 15, 2009) -- The Chinese government will help accelerate the development of electric vehicles while continuing to support the improvement of traditional automotive technologies, said Wan Gang, the Minister of Science and Technology on Sunday at an industry forum.

Tuesday, 08-Sep-09

Biodegradable waste bags 'more damaging' than PE
HEIDELBERG, GERMANY (September 8, 2009) -- A detailed life cycle analysis study of plastics waste bags carried out by Heidelberg's Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU) has shown that traditional PE resins are less damaging in environmental terms than the biodegradable versions currently on the market in Europe.

UK firm researching power-generating plastic trees
LONDON (September 8, 2009) -- UK-based firm SolarBotanic hopes to revolutionise the green energy movement with its new power-generating plastic tree concept, which uses nanotechnology to convert solar energy to electricity.

Tuesday, 25-Aug-09

Plastics decompose at sea with toxic effect say scientists
WASHINGTON (August 25, 2009) -- New research suggests that the prevailing view that ocean-bound plastics are virtually indestructible is wrong – they decompose with unexpected speed, releasing potentially toxic substances into the water, according to the American Chemical Society.

Seattle voters reject 20-cent bag tax
SEATTLE (August 25, 2009) -- The attempt to place a 20-cent fee on all plastic and paper carryout bags in Seattle appears almost certain to be headed for defeat. With more than 60 percent of the expected votes counted, the measure was failing 57 percent to 43 percent.

Tuesday, 18-Aug-09

Biodegradable dinnerware maker to announce U.S. sites
HOUSTON (August 18, 2009) -- A Texas entrepreneur has been touring multiple Midwest cities looking to locate multiple plants in the U.S. for a Chinese manufacturer of biodegradeable plastic dinnerware. The firm will announce its locations within 30 days.

Tuesday, 11-Aug-09

Auto suppliers urged to enter alternative energy markets
TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. (August 11, 2009) -- NextEnergy, a Detroit-based non-profit company focused on accelerating investments in wind, solar, battery and other new markets, sends one message to auto suppliers: Stop making so many auto parts. There are other business opportunities out there that require the same skills as auto parts, but instead call for producing parts for emerging energy markets.

Braskem invests in renewable propylene
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL (August 11, 2009) -- Brazilian petrochemicals company Braskem SA is investing 8.25 million Real (31 million yuan) in research into polypropylene made from 100 percent renewable materials. The research, which will explore ways of manufacturing propylene, is being partly funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), says Braskem director of innovation and technology Antonio Queiroz.

SPI offers guide to bioplastics
WASHINGTON (August 11, 2009) — The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. has created the Bioplastics Industry Overview Guide, a 26-page digital publication that, according to SPI officials, “fills the void for a comprehensive encapsulation of this relatively new but fast-growing market.�

Mill Valley becomes 24th Calif. town to ban PS packaging
MILL VALLEY, CALIF. (August 11, 2009) -- Another California city has banned the use of polystyrene take-out packaging. Mill Valley, a town of nearly 15,000 four miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, approved a ban on Aug. 3 that will go into effect Nov. 2.

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