Plastics News - Breaking News

Tuesday, Jan. 06, 2009

Breaking News

Americas Styrenics cutting PS capacity
MARIETTA, OHIO (Jan. 6, 12:55 p.m. ET) -- Americas Styrenics LLC is eliminating 60 jobs and removing 350 million pounds of polystyrene capacity at its plant in Marietta. Americas Styrenics is a 50-50 joint venture between Dow Chemical Co. and Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP. Prior to the shutdown, it was North America´s second largest PS maker.

Kleerdex changes name to Kydex
BLOOMSBURG, PA. (Jan. 6, 12:55 p.m. ET) -- Kleerdex Co. LLC is changing its name to Kydex LLC to better reflect that it makes Kydex-brand thermoplastic sheet.

HellermannTyton building fastener plant in Poland
SLUPCA, POLAND (Jan. 6, 12:50 p.m. ET) -- HellermannTyton Sp.zo.o., a maker of fastening and protective products for electrical cables, plans to construct a plant in the town of Slupca. The company is investing more than $22 million in the project.

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ALP Lighting to close Mich. profile plant
CHARLEVOIX, MICH. (Jan. 6, 12:25 p.m. ET) -- ALP Lighting Components Inc. plans by mid-April to close a profile extrusion plant in Charlevoix and move manufacturing of its Genestra-brand products to other locations.

Dow to pursue legal action against Kuwait JV partner

Liveris

MIDLAND, MICH. (Jan. 6, 9:30 a.m. ET) -- Dow Chemical Co. confirmed this morning that it will pursue legal action against Kuwait’s Petrochemicals Industries Co. (PIC) following Kuwait´s withdrawal from the K-Dow joint venture. "Pursuing legal options is not a decision we take lightly, especially because of the long standing partnerships we have established in Kuwait over the last decade, but PIC is in breach of contract and we must take action to protect the interests of our company and our shareholders,” Dow Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Liveris said in a statement.

Machine sales to rise, but at slower rate
CLEVELAND (Jan. 5, 7:45 p.m. ET) -- Global demand for plastics processing machinery should grow nearly 5 percent a year for the next four years, but sales in developing countries will outpace the United States, Western Europe and Japan, according to Freedonia Group Inc.

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Retal buying Uniplast preform plant in Ukraine
Harburg-Freudenberger buys Farrel Corp.
Xten’s rigid PE bins are a hit with bikers
PN reveals 3 finalists for annual award
Fujitsu sticks to green path despite costs
Group helps inland firms compete in China
Ecologists seek to clean up China´s PRD zone
LyondellBasell considers Chapter 11, other options

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Recycled plastic for Motorola mobile phone
Motorola has unveiled a mobile phone made from recycled water bottles. According to the manufacturer, the Moto W233 is the world’s first carbon neutral phone. The device has earned Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree Product Certification after a

Retal buys Uniplast preform plant in Ukraine
Russian PET products group Retal Industries is acquiring the PET preform molding plant of plastics closures and preform company Uniplast in Dnipropetrovsk.

PET sheet extruder invests in laminating system
PET sheet extruder Flight Plastics has installed a polyethylene film laminating system, reflecting growth in its business.

PN news channels

Automotive
• HellermannTyton building fastener plant in Poland • Group helps inland firms compete in China • As Estane turns 50, new TPU uses abound

Packaging
• Retal buying Uniplast preform plant in Ukraine • PN reveals 3 finalists for annual award • PET bottle maker Constar files for Chapter 11

Machinery
• Machine sales to rise, but at slower rate • Harburg-Freudenberger buys Farrel Corp. • Mexican inventor man of a thousand presses

Materials
• Americas Styrenics cutting PS capacity • Kleerdex changes name to Kydex • Dow to pursue legal action against Kuwait JV partner

Design
• Designer fosters global advocacy movement • Calif. green chemistry plan may have big impact • Europe outpaces N. America in PC window use

Medical
• PN reveals 3 finalists for annual award • As Estane turns 50, new TPU uses abound • Elite Mold acquires first all-electric presses

Construction
• PN reveals 3 finalists for annual award • Mexican inventor man of a thousand presses • PolyPipe adding a plant in Midland, Texas

Consumer products
• HellermannTyton building fastener plant in Poland • ALP Lighting to close Mich. profile plant • Xten’s rigid PE bins are a hit with bikers

Molds/tooling
• Ashland acquires SCS monitoring system • Elite Mold acquires first all-electric presses • Hot-runner maker Polyshot expands in N.Y.

Sustainability
• Fujitsu sticks to green path despite costs • Ecologists seek to clean up China´s PRD zone • DuPont to continue investing in solar energy

Injection molding
• Retal buying Uniplast preform plant in Ukraine • Xten’s rigid PE bins are a hit with bikers • PN reveals 3 finalists for annual award

Blow molding
• PET bottle maker Constar files for Chapter 11 • Winemakers mull plastic tanks vs. oak barrels • Chesapeake files for Chapter 11, plans sale

Film/sheet making
• Kleerdex changes name to Kydex • DuPont to continue investing in solar energy • Red Bank, N.J., to offer in-store recycling

Thermoforming
• Kleerdex changes name to Kydex • Packaging firms seek sustainability edge • Myers closing three lawn & garden plants

Pipe/profile/tubing
• HellermannTyton building fastener plant in Poland • ALP Lighting to close Mich. profile plant • PN reveals 3 finalists for annual award

Rotomolding
• Manufacturers, government step up toy inspections • Little Tikes keeping Ohio as its home

Recycling
• Red Bank, N.J., to offer in-store recycling • Recycling firm Shelbyville set to close Feb. 1 • Most bottlers get failing grade for recycling

Public Policy
• Ecologists seek to clean up China´s PRD zone • SPI lays off three, including federal affairs director • Australian group encourages degradability standards