Esteban Sagel says resin price indexes "can be perplexing even for seasoned industry professionals."
This year's ranking of top rotomolders includes 106 companies with $3.08 billion in combined sales. That's down 1.5 percent over last year's ranking.
When we talk about sustainability and plastics, about 90 percent of the conversation is about packaging. That needs to change.
Who's the best plastics processor in North America? Simple question, but tough to answer. I'm tempted to give you a list of the top 10 — no, let's make that 20.
We've updated our annual pipe, profile and tubing extruders ranking of 189 North America plastic processors for the 2023 fiscal year end with sales totaling $32 billion.
Plastics News has been publishing its Women Breaking the Mold special report since 2015, and the number and quality of nominees has grown over time. When we put out a call for nominations, I think, "There's no way we can top last year. There's no way we could receive more nominations than previous years." (But we do.)
One of the drawbacks of setting ambitious goals is that people think you failed if you come up short. That happens a lot when it comes to plastics sustainability. And that's a problem because critics can argue that the industry only sets ambitious goals to avoid bans and taxes on plastic products.
Branding is important for housewares molders, and some of the leading companies have been around for decades. But it's a tough market for a company to see sustained success.
Don Loepp: "If time travel were possible, how far back would we need to go before the era of single-use plastics? I'm talking about before milk was in high density polyethylene jugs, drinking a Coke meant a 6.5-ounce glass bottle and motor oil came in 1-quart fiber cans."
Thanks to women pursuing careers in STEM, medical and related fields, we have lifesaving technology and solutions for daily life. We use many of their inventions without second thought.
Years from now, NPE2024 just might be remembered as the first trade show where the industry got a taste of how artificial intelligence is going to change plastics manufacturing.
You never know when that random person you meet on an escalator could prove to be an opportunity to grow your business.
On May 5, 17 new members were inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame at a gala event in Orlando, Fla., on the day before the start of NPE2024.
Recycling rates are stagnant and while there have been some steps in the right direction, it's amazing how little progress there's been. So this year's recycling report card is pretty dismal.