IQPC Plastics Packaging South Africa focuses on sustainability

(ICIS) -- The IQPC Plastics Packaging South Africa conference opened on Tuesday, with the focus on sustainability and an aim to look at Africa as a whole, all the while examining challenges in Africa, said event chairman Patrick Munyembate. ⌠It's time for Africa, said Munyembate. ⌠There is an emerging middle class, not only in South Africa but also Nigeria, Tanzania and Kenya. Africa has 1.2bn people and is growing. Nigeria alone has 185m people. However, independent consultant Munyembate also outlined the concerns over development in South Africa and Africa.

⌠The lack of proper infrastructure is a huge concern, he said. ⌠There is also a lack of local high-grade raw material production. We often have to import from the Middle East, India and China.
Africa's local polyethylene (PE) production, for example, is concentrated in a few countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Libya. Another concern is the lack of technical skills, Munyembate added.

Perspectives of development of polymer markets, pricing issues and other important aspects will be discussed at The Polymers Summit-2011, which will be held in Moscow on November 30, 2011 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The Summit will be organized by MRC with the support of ICIS. The main idea of the Summit is to find a "the golden mean" between producers and converters. When producers receive exactly such margin of production, which helps them to invest in production expansion in order to substitute polymers imports, and the converters receive such price of feedstock that helps them to compete imported finished products. The Summit site gives an access to the live video of the Summit, speakers" presentations, as well as opportunities to ask questions or make appointments to any Summit partcipant.

MRC

(BASF) -- BASF has been honored with the German Diversity Award as ⌠Germany's Most Diverse Employer in the category large-scale enterprise. The prize is awarded by Henkel, the business consultancy McKinsey and the German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche. It honors employers, individuals and innovative projects that are especially committed to establishing a working culture of diversity.


After accepting the award, Saori Dubourg, President BASF East Asia Regional Headquarters said: ⌠Diversity and Inclusion is a strategic tool for BASF to focus our competencies towards future market demands. The award is therefore a big appreciation of our present efforts in this field and at the same time an incentive to become even better at it. Saori Dubourg was instrumental in setting up the global Diversity + Inclusion project back in 2008 and 2009.


Perspectives of development of polymer markets, pricing issues and other important aspects will be discussed at The Polymers Summit-2011, which will be held in Moscow on November 30, 2011 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The Summit will be organized by MRC with the support of ICIS. The main idea of the Summit is to find a "the golden mean" between producers and converters. When producers receive exactly such margin of production, which helps them to invest in production expansion in order to substitute polymers imports, and the converters receive such price of feedstock that helps them to compete imported finished products. The Summit site gives an access to the live video of the Summit, speakers" presentations, as well as opportunities to ask questions or make appointments to any Summit partcipant.

MRC

(Plastics Today) -- ElectriPlast Corp. (Fort Washington, PA), a manufacturer of conductive plastics, has been selected by Tier 1 supplier Lear Corporation (Southfield, MI) to provide ElectriPlast conductive plastics to the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid electric vehicle project currently under way in Valmet, Finland and scheduled to run through 2016. The high-performance Fiska Karma represents a high profile application for conductive plastics.

Lear has designed a new generation of electrical connectors for Fisker utilizing ElectriPlast's patented line of conductive resins. ElectriPlast and Lear are also working jointly to develop future technologies incorporating ElectriPlast composites into next-generation automotive components and devices. Shipments of ElectriPlast for the manufacturing of the new lightweight electrical connectors are scheduled to begin immediately.

The Fisker Karma is the world's first premium plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and the embodiment of Fisker Automotive's commitment to creating environmentally conscious vehicles with passion, style and performance.

Perspectives of development of polymer markets, pricing issues and other important aspects will be discussed at The Polymers Summit-2011, which will be held in Moscow on November 30, 2011 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The Summit will be organized by MRC with the support of ICIS. The main idea of the Summit is to find a "the golden mean" between producers and converters. When producers receive exactly such margin of production, which helps them to invest in production expansion in order to substitute polymers imports, and the converters receive such price of feedstock that helps them to compete imported finished products. The Summit site gives an access to the live video of the Summit, speakers" presentations, as well as opportunities to ask questions or make appointments to any Summit partcipant.

MRC

(MRC) -- The Russian producers cut polypropylene (PP) output to 55,200 tonnes, due to scheduled turnarounds in October. In general, over the ten months, overall volume of polypropylene (PP) production increased by 11%, according to MRC ScanPlast.


In October, due to scheduled turnarounds of Nizhnekamsk and Budyonnovsk facilities, total volume of Russian production of PP decreased by 6% compared to September and made 55,200 tonnes.

In October, Ufaorgsyntez demonstrated a significant increase in production volumes. Following the results of last month, the company produced more than 11,000 tonnes of polypropylene.

There was reduction in production of copolymers of propylene. In September, overall output of propylene copolymers made 10,400 tonnes. In October, this index dropped to 8,600 tonnes.

In general, following the ten months, the total volume of PP production in Russia made 567,300 tonnes, that was by 11% more year on year. The production of block copolymers of propylene increased by 56%, stat-copolymer of polypropylene - by 15%.


Perspectives of development of polymer markets, pricing issues and other important aspects will be discussed at The Polymers Summit-2011, which will be held in Moscow on November 30, 2011 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The Summit will be organized by MRC with the support of ICIS. The main idea of the Summit is to find a "the golden mean" between producers and converters. When producers receive exactly such margin of production, which helps them to invest in production expansion in order to substitute polymers imports, and the converters receive such price of feedstock that helps them to compete imported finished products. The Summit site gives an access to the live video of the Summit, speakers" presentations, as well as opportunities to ask questions or make appointments to any Summit partcipant.

MRC

(ICIS) -- Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) import prices in India are likely to increase this week on the back of an expected restocking activity, with active plastics trades in the key China market providing an upward momentum on prices, industry sources said on Tuesday. Indian converters are low on stocks and are expected to tap the spot market soon for cargoes, they said.

Buying and selling indications for various PE and PP grades heard on Monday are generally higher than discussion levels last week, which marked the end of the price decline, market players said.
⌠Prices have finally bottomed out. This is good news, a trader based in Mumbai said.

Linear low density PE (LLDPE) film cargoes from Saudi Arabia were offered at $1,300-1,310/tonne (┬949-956/tonne) CFR (cost & freight) Mumbai on 14 November, while high density PE (HDPE) film parcels were offered at $1,340/tonne CFR Mumbai for shipment in December, industry sources said.

A Saudi producer announced on 14 November a $20/tonne increase across all PE and PP grades for December parcels. The new offers are at $1,385/tonne CFR Mumbai for LDPE, $1,325/tonne CFR Mumbai for HDPE blow moulding and $1,395/tonne CFR Mumbai for PP raffia/injection, Mumbai-based traders said.


Perspectives of development of polymer markets, pricing issues and other important aspects will be discussed at The Polymers Summit-2011, which will be held in Moscow on November 30, 2011 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The Summit will be organized by MRC with the support of ICIS. The main idea of the Summit is to find a "the golden mean" between producers and converters. When producers receive exactly such margin of production, which helps them to invest in production expansion in order to substitute polymers imports, and the converters receive such price of feedstock that helps them to compete imported finished products. The Summit site gives an access to the live video of the Summit, speakers" presentations, as well as opportunities to ask questions or make appointments to any Summit partcipant.

MRC