Kickstart: How will China's new ban hit the industry?

When China launched its National Sword campaign to ban the import of most scrap plastic, the recycling industry took a major shock to its system. Its newest ban, announced Jan. 19, will reach far further.

The National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment have issued a directive that will see non-degradable bags banned in major cities by the end of 2020 and in all cities and towns by 2022.

Fresh produce markets will be exempt from the ban until 2025. Foodservice and hotel disposables also will be phased out under the ban. 

Commenting on the move, Wood Mackenzie senior consultant William Liu said the regulation would impact plastic consumption and consequently the country’s petrochemical industry. China imports 40 percent of its polyethyene, and accounted for 12 percent of exports from the U.S. in 2018, so the ban could have lasting impact on the makers of bags and bottles and straws, but also PE resin makers who rely on China as customer.

Last year, Nike's Vaporfly Next% was all over the winning podiums worldwide, with a next generation prototype used in the first ever sub-two hour marathon. (Run by Eliud Kipchoge and sponsored by chemical giant Ineos.)

Look at any photo from the final stages of almost every marathon last year, and you'll see the Vaporfly, produced in an eye-catching bright pink or green color. The shoes also stood out because the soles were made of Arkema's Pebax foam with a carbon fiber plate, and claimed to improve performance by 4 percent.

How big of a smash has the new technology been? Runners' World mentioned Pebax by name in the second sentence of its recent story.

But that was then. Now the word is that World Athletics is very likely to ban the shoes, citing a rule that shoes can't provide any "unfair assistance or advantage" and have to be "reasonably available" to everyone.

The foam genie may already be out of the bottle, however. Since the Next% first showed up, every competitive running shoe maker is rolling out some version of a show with enhanced foam and a carbon fiber plate. Nike's competitors are already introducing new shoes.

This month marks 20 years since I joined the staff of Plastics News as its Detroit reporter. (I know! It seems like it's been five years, max!)

In that time, I've seen the rise of Industry 4.0, multiple versions of the "next generation" Corvette and five different companies top the North American injection molders ranking, all but one of them auto suppliers. (The Great Recession was tough on automakers and auto suppliers alike.)

My first day at PN took me to the North American International Auto Show, where General Motors was introducing its Chevrolet Avalanche, a cross between an SUV and pickup truck, built with a reaction injection molded box. (And the Pontiac Aztek, which as I like to joke, had a shorter life span in the auto industry than me.)

That January of 2000, GM was not alone in rolling out composite truck beds. Ford's Explorer Sport Trac also came with a thermoset box.

Twenty years into the future, and Chevrolet is now busy offering a carbon fiber truck box, Honda's Ridgeline truck is in its second generation ... and I'm looking forward to seeing what the Detroit auto show will look like in summer after 20 years of January slush.