Welcome to the Plastics Weekly, NEO’s regular news monitoring of the plastics industry.
This week’s highlights:
- Global chemical company LyondellBasell and AFA Nord, a leading recycler of agricultural film, have agreed to create a 50:50 joint venture to recycle post commercial flexible secondary packaging waste. The joint venture company, LMF Nord GmbH, plans to build a mechanical recycling plant in Northern Germany to turn Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) waste into quality recycled plastic materials for use in flexible packaging. Start of production is expected for early 2025. (LyondellBasell)
- Germany-based tire producer Continental AG has introduced a passenger vehicle and small truck tire model that contains up to 65% of what it calls sustainable materials, including recycled-content material. According to the company, the new circular-focused tire model will be available in 19 sizes and available initially in Europe. (Recycling Today)
- The boom in plastic production could soon come to a halt, according to one commentator. The world currently churns out about 430 million tonnes of plastic a year, with plastic consumption due to nearly double by 2050. But this month in Paris, the world’s governments agreed to draft a new treaty to control plastics which the UN says could cut production by 80% by 2040. (The Guardian)