AWB and BASF start pilot project with compostable bags for biodegradable waste

(BASF) -- BASF's biodegradable plastic Ecovio FS Film is being used in a pilot project by the waste management service AWB, in the district of Bad Durkheim, Germany. Starting on April 6, 2011, a three-month test will be conducted to determine whether the bags are suitable for collecting organic waste and how these bags behave on a large scale at an organic composting plant in Grunstadt owned by the waste management company GML Abfallwirtschaftsgesellschaft mbH.

At the beginning of the project, each of the approximately 65.000 households in the district of Bad Durkheim will receive 10 bags free of charge by mail along with information material. Additional bags will be available at a number of distribution points throughout the district. Residents are encouraged to use the bags to collect food waste and then dispose of them via the organic waste bin. Garbage bags made of Ecovio make the collection and disposal of biodegradable waste cleaner, more hygienic and easier: They not only prevent unpleasant odors and keep out insects, but also mean that it is no longer necessary to wash and clean the waste pail in the kitchen.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- Japan's ethylene producers have 23% of their capacity shut following the country's March 11 earthquake and tsunami, as per Chemical Market Associates Inc. No ethylene capacity has been restarted since CMAI's last report on March 18.

Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp., Japan's biggest ethylene maker, will take at least two months to resume operations at its Kashima plant because of damage to berths, utility infrastructure and roads. Two naphtha crackers at the Kashima facility are responsible for almost 11% of Japan's ethylene capacity and 2.4% of capacity in northeast Asia.

Other curtailments include 37% of Japan's polyethylene plastic capacity and 46% of its PVC plastic capacity. About 27% propylene capacity and 35% polypropylene capacity remain shut.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- A new transparent, flexible biopolymer has been launched by FKuR, called Bio-Flex F 2201 CL It is in line with the other resins in the Bio-Flex family, can be processed easily on standard LDPE blown film lines and converting equipment. With a renewable resource content of approximately 60 % this grade is a consistent further development of the Bio-Flex family. Its mechanical properties exhibit a high elongation and flexibility along with good puncture resistance. Consequently Bio-Flex F 2201 CL can ideally be used to adjust the properties of all the available Bio-Flex family resins.

MRC

In Infographics you will be able to see the structure of polymers exports from Japan to the external markets, placement of main capacities and zone of tsunami and earthquake. That will help to estimate the situation objectively and make corresponding conclusions. Such volume polymers, as PET and PVC, suffered the worst from nature disasters.

Japan is the biggest Asian exporter of paraxylene, main raw material for TPA production, and, in its turn, PET. Over 2010 Japan produced 3.2 mln t of paraxylene, 700 KT of which were converted within the country and about 2.5 mln were exported to the Asian and European countries.

The second in capacities is PVC, one of main polymers in the structure of Japanese exports. In 2010 PVC exports from Japan made about 680 KT. Suspension of separate PVC producers has already resulted in considerable growth of prices for Asian and North American resin.

MRC

(ICIS) -- US polypropylene (PP) demand has improved in March, but the rebound may be temporary as spot prices rise and buyers build inventory ahead of likely April price hikes, sources said on Thursday.

Buyers and sellers cited forecasts that feedstock propylene costs will rise by 5-10 cents/lb (USD 110-220/tonne, EUR 78-156/tonne) in April, driving PP contract prices up by an equal amount.

Buyers are generally operating with low inventories, and some have been hesitant to purchase spot material at higher prices than contract, a trader said.

Spot prices for prime homopolymer were heard at 80-83 cents/lb FOB (free on board) USG (US Gulf) in railcar. Traders said these prices were not workable to any export markets.

Major North American PP producers include LyondellBasell, ExxonMobil, INEOS, Total, Formosa, Phillips Sumika, Braskem Americas, Pinnacle Polymers, ConocoPhillips, Flint Hills Resources and Dow Chemical.

MRC