Welcome to the Plastics Weekly, NEO’s regular news monitoring of the plastics industry.
Every Monday, we publish a roundup of the top developments in plastics and sustainability – from regulatory changes to company news.
This week’s highlights:
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said recycling plastics “doesn’t work” and “is not the answer” to threats to global oceans and marine wildlife, in a Q&A ahead of the COP26 climate change summit. Johnson said reducing plastics use was more important for preventing plastics pollution. The Recycling Association said the comments seemed to conflict with government policy while others welcome Johnson’s focus on cutting down plastics use. (BBC)
- Oil and gas giant TotalEnergies has partnered with sustainable solution provider Plastic Energy and recycling technology provider Freepoint Eco-Systems to develop an advanced recycling plant in Texas, US. The facility will transform plastic waste into a recycled feedstock which will then be converted into high-quality polymers by TotalEnergies at its production units in Texas. TotalEnergies and Plastic Energy earlier teamed up to develop a plastic waste conversion facility that will process 15,000t per annum after it goes live in 2023. (Packaging Gateway)
- Major consumer goods brands are funding projects to send plastic trash to cement plants where it is burned as cheap energy, according to a Reuters investigation. This is part of a worldwide effort by big multinationals to burn more plastic waste in cement kilns, and comes as the cement industry – the source of 7% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions – faces rising pressure to reduce greenhouse gases. (Reuters)
