Welcome to the Plastics Weekly, NEO’s regular news monitoring of the plastics industry.
This week’s highlights:
- The European Commission has proposed measures to curb environmental pollution from microplastics generated by spilled plastic pellets. About 176,000 metric tonnes of microplastics are unintentionally released into the environment each year, according to the European Chemicals Agency. Pellets are the third largest source of microplastics after tires and paint. The law targets another source of small plastic pollutants – pellets – small pieces of plastic used to make plastic products. Proposed measures include preventing plastic pellet spills, as well as containment of spilled pellets and cleaning up after a spill. The 27 EU member states and the European Parliament will now have to negotiate and approve the draft measures. (Reuters)
- Environmental innovation company Mura Technology is opening its first commercial-scale HydroPRS advanced plastic recycling plant in Teesside, UK, to processes ‘unrecyclable’ flexible and rigid mixed plastics into recycled hydrocarbon feedstocks for repeated plastic production. HydroPRS is a process designed to complement mechanical recycling and produce recycled plastic feedstock to manufacture new plastics, in turn facilitating a circular economy. For every tonne of plastic waste produced, HydroPRS is also said to save up to five barrels of oil and create products with an equivalent or lower global warming potential. (Packaging Europe)
- Coca-Cola has announced that all plastic bottles across its soft-drink portfolio in Ireland and Northern Ireland are now made with 100% recycled plastic. The initiative has been rolled out in partnership with its strategic bottling partner, Coca-Cola HBC. The new 100% recycled plastic bottles are also 100% recyclable, and will be used across the full range of Coca-Cola products, such as Coca-Cola Original Taste and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and other beverage brands owned by the company, including Fanta and Sprite. According to the soft-drink giant, over €20 million has been invested in recent years in developing sustainable packaging solutions and in purchasing recycled plastic material. (Checkout)