Plastics Blog
Critics today point to plastics' explosive growth since a PR campaign. But they didn't grow because of TV ads; they grew because they offer convenience and value, and because of the combined efforts of thousands to find new applications and to replace metal, glass and paper with plastic.
Don Loepp: It will be tough for the 2022 finalists to match the outstanding results that we saw from this year's Processor of the Year award. But based on what they all said about the opportunities for North American processors, I have high expectations.
In the 1990s, some business leaders gave lip service to being committed to recycling when their commitment was just a marriage of convenience. But even though I see parallels to how industry reacted to public pressure then and today, I am still optimistic that plastics can succeed in this new era of circularity.
Don Loepp: "Hollywood wants to change how we feel about single-use plastics. I'd argue that the initiative, called 'Flip the Script on Plastics,' shows that the Hollywood establishment is trailing public opinion, not leading it."
Is private equity losing interest in plastics? Nope, the plastics M&A market is still cooking.
Here's the new addition to the policy on safety: Plastics businesses need to adopt policies that strongly encourage everyone — workers and visitors alike — to get vaccinated. If safety really is a top priority, and if we're ever going to get past this pandemic, that's the right thing to do.
The results are in, and readers were overwhelmingly interested in one topic in 2021: resin pricing.
In 2021, the public was briefly fascinated by running up stacks of milk crates. And don't get us started on resin pricing.
It turns out Twitter is like Hollywood and Washington, D.C.: You need connections to get things done.