Court TV could have switched to all-plastics programming in 2024, and that's not a good thing.
Some of the year's top plastics stories happened inside courtrooms. We had New York suing Pepsi over plastics recycling failures, and California suing ExxonMobil about chemical recycling. Even tiny Ford County, Kansas, got into the act, filing a class-action lawsuit against nearly a dozen resin companies and the American Chemistry Council, accusing them of "false representations" regarding the recyclability of plastics.
If that's not bad enough, from a financial perspective, the plastics industry muddled through 2024. The economy may have avoided a recession, but plastics did not. Inflation, overcapacity and a weak housing market plagued the industry all year.
With those headwinds, you might be thinking, "How is Plastics News going to manage to write an Plastic Globes this year? Where's the humor?"
Well, give us credit. We always manage to save some amusing snippets throughout every year, and now it's time to share. Welcome to our 36th annual Plastic Globes, the tongue-in-cheek awards where we poke fun at plastics-related headlines of the past year.
As always, our aim is to end the year with a laugh as we look forward to a successful 2025. So without further adieu …
YOU MISSED THE DEADLINE AWARD: To me, since you're reading these in mid-January instead of late December. I fully planned to continue the tradition of publishing the Plastic Globes in the last issue of the year, but then my heart said, "Not so fast, Don."
I'm doing great now, but I had coronary bypass surgery in early December, so I was out most of the month. I confess, I still thought about writing the Plastic Globes, but my doctor didn't think that would be too wise.
What I learned from the experience: Make sure to get an annual physical. And when you go, take your spouse. My wife probably saved my life, because when I went for a routine physical back in September, she came along and made sure I told the doctor about some chest discomfort I was having that I thought wasn't serious. Turns out I was wrong.
REBRANDING THAT MAKES SENSE AWARD: To Informa, which decided to call the MD&M West trade show the name that everyone already uses — MD&M West. No more Advance Manufacturing Expo.
OUR PLASTIC DOESN'T STINK AWARD: To MacNeil Automotive Products Ltd., maker of the WeatherTech line of car mats and accessories. In 2024, the company introduced commercials highlighting that WeatherTech uses pure non-stinky American plastic resin. The dad in the commercials outfits his family with gas masks because he bought cheap, smelly, foreign-made car mats.
FAILED NEGOTIATIONS AWARD: To delegates who tried to hammer out a United Nations plastics treaty in 2024 but failed to meet their self-imposed deadline. The treaty talks aren't completely dead, but it already looks like the political climate in 2025 might be even less friendly to a deal.
CHECK YOUR MATH AWARD: To market research firm USD Analytics, which emailed a news release in November highlighting a new study, Global Plastic Processing Machinery Market. The subject line shouted: "Plastic processing machinery market is booming so rapidly."
DON'T FORGET TO LOCK THE DOOR AWARD: To QC Polymer in Wolverhampton, England, which reported in November that the entire contents of its state-of-the-art recycling plant — valued at 1.3 million pounds sterling — had been stolen. The company was in insolvency and the administrator, who had planned to auction the equipment, asked the industry to "be on the lookout" for anyone selling secondhand recycling equipment well below market value.
SETTLE YOUR DIFFERENCES AWARD: To PN senior reporter Frank Esposito, who had an amazing streak of writing about issues that were then settled within hours.
In August, Frank wrote an in-depth story about the effects of the Canadian railroad strike on the plastics industry. The strike was settled less than 24 hours later.
In October, he wrote an in-depth story about the effects of the U.S. dockworkers strike on the plastics industry. The strike was settled less than 12 hours later.
If you've got an intractable dispute that you need settled right way, then just convince Frank to write about it.
BEST USE OF A RETURN ENVELOPE AWARD: Goes to the staff member at an injection molding facility that took the time to carve up a magazine and use the Plastics News return mail envelope to send it back to us, anonymously! Guaranteeing that we'll keep on sending them mail.
THAT'S A MOUTHFUL REBRANDING AWARD: To the Vinyl Siding Institute, which announced a name change to the Polymeric Exterior Products Association.
Happy new year and thanks for your readership and support of Plastics News!
Don Loepp is editor of Plastics News and author of the Plastics Blog. Follow him on X @donloepp.