Material Insights

North American prices for commodity resins PVC and PS moved in opposite directions in May. Senior Reporter Frank Esposito stops by to share what the changes were and what market factors are changing the prices.

Can we reach President Joe Biden’s ambitious bioplastics goal? The Society of Plastics Engineers’ Conor Carlin and Green Bottom Line’s Kelvin Okamoto weigh in from our Bioplastics Live event. Plus, PET pricing news and a tour of the new Plastics News resin prices page..

Industry groups will be well represented at the United Nations plastics treaty talks in Paris later this month.

Polypropylene resin price's roller coaster ride so far in 2023 has some analysts suggesting the fluctuations are a sign that the market is starting to balance out.

The North American polystyrene resin market is seeing volatility in 2023, the result of fluctuating benzene prices and a slumping economy. Prices were up in March, down in April, and may be up again in May, according to senior reporter Frank Esposito.

North American resin prices have mostly been flat or up slightly in early 2023, but “April’s going to get interesting,” according to Plastics News senior reporter Frank Esposito.

Bioplastics material and products maker NantBioPlastics is investing in an expansion to meet compostable single-use products demand. Teknor Apex acquired PVC recycler Nu-Pro Polymers and Mocom Compounds adds a new extrusion line in South Carolina.

North American prices for polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene resins all saw increases in March as a result of post-COVID adjustments and economic slowdowns. 

Can the United States implement a shift to bioplastics? Julia Marsh, CEO and co-founder of Sway Innovation Co., talked with Steve Toloken at the Plant Based Products Council’s annual conference about President Joe Biden’s plan to replace 90 percent of conventional plastics with bio-based alternatives within 20 years.