Kickstart: Picking up new business from pellet spill cleanups

Resin pellet spills are a big issue for the plastics industry. Obviously, no one wants to waste resin by just letting it spill onto the ground, and no one wants to be blamed for resin pellets that end up as marine waste.

That's why voluntary efforts such as the 30-year-old Operation Clean Sweep are so important to the industry. OCS says that by following its practices, companies can see progress — although critics would prefer a mandatory rather than voluntary program.

With pellet spills in mind, a few companies are at NPE2024 showing equipment that can be used to capture stray pellets.

In the Sustainability Hub housed within the Tangerine Ballroom of the West Hall at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., IADYS SAS, a robotics and artificial intelligence firm, is showing off its Jellyfishbot pollution skimmers to possible buyers. Jellyfishbots began as a robot to help clean beaches, but new versions can be put to use in retention ponds and waterways to capture pellets, Plastics News' Jim Johnson writes in today's print issue of the NPE Show Daily.

Another company also in the hub, Quebec-based Hoola One Technologies, offers pellet collection devices similar to a street sweeper or small enough to maneuver like a backpack vacuum cleaning, PN's Steve Toloken notes in another report from NPE.

"Our goal is to continue to find innovative solutions for this market, because there are a lot of challenges and it's a new market," Hoola co-founder Jean-David Lantagne says.

Consumer products giant S.C. Johnson and environmental group EarthEcho International are providing 22 young people with the ability to implement marine plastics cleaning programs in their hometowns.

The inaugural group of Marine Plastics Ambassadors features young people ages 16 to 22 from the Great Lakes Region in the U.S. and Canada who will "develop and execute plastics pollution reduction campaigns and projects in their local communities," according to a May 7 news release. EarthEcho says on its website the program will provide ambassadors with "skills and resources."

"These passionate young leaders bring diverse perspectives, vision and a sense of urgency to the critical issue of marine plastic pollution," said EarthEcho International Founder Philippe Cousteau.

Most people are familiar with the "Marvelverse," movies with connected stories related to superheroes from Marvel Comics. And of course there's the Star Wars universe, DC Comics universe and dozens of other fictional worlds that share attributes aligning it to one pop culture universe or the other.

At NPE2024, simulation specialists Moldex3D is introducing its own take on integrated products, the "Moldiverse." The platform "bridges the gap between simulation and actual production, allowing for real-time adjustments," Harshal Bhogesra, director of sales, told Plastics News Editor Don Loepp.