Use of organic waste bags made of BASF's compostable plastic Ecovio FS approved in Bad Durkheim

(BASF) -- Effective immediately, the district of Bad Durkheim has approved the permanent use of organic waste bags made of BASF's compostable plastic Ecovio FS. Residents and local waste management companies tested the bags over a period of three months. As shown by a survey, the residents of Bad Durkheim are very satisfied with the new waste bags. And the organic composting plant Grunstadt owned by the waste management company GML Abfallwirtschaftsgesellschaft mbH also rated the results of the pilot project very positively. The bags made of Ecovio FS degrade completely and do not impair the quality of the compost.

Thanks to the Ecovio bags, the disposal of biodegradable garbage is cleaner, more hygienic and less complicated than with paper bags or old newspapers. The bags not only prevent noxious odors and keep out insects, but also mean that it is no longer necessary to wash and clean the container in which the organic waste is collected.


MRC

(Reuters) -- Thailand's top industrial conglomerate, Siam Cement Pcl , confirmed on Tuesday it was interested in buying stakes in two petrochemical companies in Indonesia worth a combined estimated USD 1.1 billion. "We are interested in both petrochemical firms in Indonesia...details of the deals cannot be disclosed at this point because they are quite big deals," Chief Executive Kan Trakulhoon told reporters.

Indonesian chemical producer Sulfindo Adiusaha is up for sale with an estimated price tag of USD 700 million and may draw interest from Siam Cement and South Korea's Hanwha Chemical Corp when first-round bids are due in late August, sources with knowledge of the deal said recently.

Separately, Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings is trying to sell its 23 percent stake in Indonesian petrochemicals maker Chandra Asri in a deal worth an estimated USD 400 million, two sources with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters recently.

MRC

(ICIS) -- US Sunoco executives laid out on Tuesday several options for its Marcus Hook and Philadelphia refineries in Pennsylvania, including the possibility of converting the sites into ethylene plants. The sites would benefit from the rich ethane reserves in the Marcellus Shale natural gas deposit that is largely concentrated in Pennsylvania. Additionally, the two sites could also potentially be used as terminals.

Chief executive Lynn Elsenhans said the Marcus Hook facility would especially be suited for a terminal because of its dock facilities, caverns and adjacent tank farm.

Earlier, Sunoco said it plans to exit its refining business and has begun the process to sell its refineries at Philadelphia and Marcus Hook, Pennyslvania, in the US.

MRC

(ICIS) -- Spot monoethylene glycol (MEG) prices in Asia may strengthen further in the near term, after hitting a 44-month high last week, as supply of the material is expected to tighten, market sources said on Wednesday.

In the week ending 2 September, MEG spot prices were assessed at $1,275-1,285/tonne (┬918-925/tonne) CFR (cost and freight) CMP (China Main Port), close to levels last seen on 11 January 2008, according to ICIS data.

⌠MEG prices are rising to peak point since the global economic crisis. Prices will rise above $1,300/tonne very soon because of speculation on tight supply, a regional trader said.
Scheduled turnarounds at regional plants will shave MEG supply to the Asian market.

MRC

(ICIS) -- Polypropylene (PP) buyers in Europe are pushing producers hard to get a share of the ┬37/tonne ($51/tonne) drop in the September propylene contract price, and several say they have achieved lower prices, sources said on Wednesday. ⌠Discussions are still open for September, said a major PP producer, ⌠but we are facing pressure to drop prices.

PP buyers built up stock in July and August. Many have returned from holiday but have not been faced with the higher prices that producers had predicted for September. Order books are not as healthy as they were, say some buyers.⌠We have an order book of only 15 days, said one.
⌠Demand is limited, said a PP producer. ⌠Our clients are comfortable. They have stock.

Most buyers saw minus ┬20/tonne as the starting point of September PP pricing discussions. However, some already report that they have been conceded the full ┬37/tonne drop that producers gained in the propylene contract price, and not only those whose prices are linked to propylene.
The propylene contract now stands at ┬1,078/tonne FD (free delivered) NWE (northwest Europe), down by ┬37/tonne from its August level. This price is subject to discounts.

MRC