Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation has decided to withdraw from the polybutylene succinate (PBS) business at PTT MCC Biochem, its jointly owned affiliate with PTT Global Chemical Public Company. The production asset in Rayong Province,Thailand will shut down in December 2025 and sales will end once stock runs out. The GS Pla (Green and Sustainable Plastic) brand of PBS was launched in 2003 with 3,000 tonnes/year of capacity. PBS is a biodegradable plastic that decomposes into wa

German materials manufacturer Covestro and China’s Ninetygo have announced the global launch of the luggage brand’s new R-GO Coffee Journey Series suitcase, made with polycarbonate containing up to 90 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) content from Covestro. “The circular economy must prove its value in markets. The global launch of this new suitcase shows recycled materials can meet expectations for both performance and design,” said Lily Wang, President of Engineering Pla

A breakthrough method for chemically recycling polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA or acrylic) resin has been developed by researchers at the University of Bath. In contrast to conventional mechanical recycling, the new process employd lower temperatures and sustainable solvents without compromising material quality, meaning the plastic can be recycled many times over with minimal environmental impact. Approximately 3 million tonnes of acrylic are used worldwide each year, in a wi

The EU-funded BioSupPack project has demonstrated that brewery waste can be transformed into high-performance bioplastics for sustainable packaging. Over five years, the 18-member consortium developed and validated polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA and PHB) materials and production processes that offer viable alternatives to fossil-based plastics while supporting compliance with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Six innovation results At a demonstrative scale an

Clariant has completed a collaborative pilot-scale project with polyolefins supplier Borealis, and Sintef, one of Europe's largest independent research organizations. that proved Clariant’s upgrading technology was capable of converting pyrolysis oil (pyoil) derived from plastic waste to steam cracker-compatible feedstock that fully meets cracker-grade quality specifications. Using Clariant's proprietary HDMax catalysts, the pilot-scale testing conducted at Sintef’s research

New Zealand e-waste recycler Mint Innovation has successfully produced the industry’s first batch of certified closed loop recycled copper through an industry-first collaboration with HP Inc. The milestone demonstrates Mint’s proprietary biosorption technology, which recovers high-purity copper from HP’s end-of-life printed circuit boards (PCBs) for reuse in HP PC manufacturing starting with the HP EliteBook X G2 Series laptops and HP EliteBoard G1a Next Gen AI PC. The annou

Boretech is set to commission China’s first PET tray-to-tray recycling plant in Pinghu, Zhejiang Province, in the first quarter of 2026, marking a step toward expanding food-grade recycling beyond PET bottles. The facility, named Suplas and now in the final stage of installation, will have a processing capacity of 28,000 tonnes of PET trays per year. According to the company, Suplas will produce hot-washed PET tray flakes suitable for food-contact thermoforming, enabling clos

Chemical Recycling Japan, a subsidiary of oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan, has completed construction of a chemical recycling plant for converting post-consumer and post-industrial recovered plastics into oil; at a site in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The plant has aplastic processing capacity of 20,000 tonnes annual and is scheduled to commence commercial operations in April 2026. The company’s proprietary chemical recycling technology is centered on a catalyst-based c

Every year, the Valencian agricultural sector generates around 800,000 tonnes of plant waste, such as rice straw and citrus pruning waste. Currently, the methods for recovering this biomass are costly, as they require commercial enzymes that can represent up to 40% of the cost of the process, which limits its industrial viability. To solve this problem, AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, is leading the BIOVALSA project, an initiative that seeks to develop innovative pro

In collaboration with Promix Solutions, Borealis has developed recyclable, lightweight packaging using Borcycle M materials with post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) sets ambitious targets: by 2030, all packaging must be 100% recyclable. Additionally, non-PET packaging in contact-sensitive applications must include at least 10% recycled content, while other plastic packaging must contain 35%. Promix's Microcell technol

Bosch has demonstrated how recycled plastics ban be reused in technical applications through the application of plastic from old devices in the housing of its UniversalImpact 800 impact drill. This special Closed-Loop Edition features an impressive 78% recycled housing material. The technical plastics in these devices – special plastics with properties, such as being especially durable or resistant – are currently mostly incinerated rather than recycled. These plastics are

The Solress project officially kicked off in September in Valencia, Spain, marking a major step toward the development of safer, sustainable, and high-performance bio-based solvents for European industries. Funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) with a contribution of €7 million under a total budget of €9.1 million, the project will run for 48 months under the coordination of AIMPLAS, Plastics Technology Centre. Solress aims to develop an integrate

UK start-up Jiva Materials is seeking funding to further commercialization of a circuit board material made from natural fibers and a hot water-soluble, biodegradable resin. Soluboard cuts lifecycle emissions by 68% versus standard FR‑4 glass fiber/epoxy resin PCBs, makes devices lighter and allows efficient recovery of valuable metals. Soluboard combines natural fibers such as flax or jute with a non‑hazardous, water‑soluble biopolymer and a halogen‑free phosphorous flame r

The U.S. Plastics Pact (USPP) today released a new position paper on the role of physical and chemical recycling in a circular economy, offering science-based, consensus-driven guidance to policymakers and industry leaders. Developed with input from the full plastics value chain, the position provides clarity on how these technologies can help address hard-to-recycle plastics, while ensuring that they do not displace reduction, reuse, or mechanical recycling efforts. “Too of

Japan's Toppan and its India-based subsidiary Toppan Speciality Films Private Limited (TSF), have installed a hybrid manufacturing line capable of producing both biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film and biaxially-oriented polyethylene (BOPE) on the same machine. With an extensive track record in the production of BOPP films, TSF is now launching production of BOPE on the new line to cater to diversifying demand. TSF will begin mass production on the new hybrid line f

Incorporating recycled content into foamed products, particularly in the building and construction sector, can compromise product consistency, mechanical strength, and overall performance. Without effective solutions to process and reuse these mixed plastic streams, designing for recyclability remains a formidable challenge. To address the challenge, a collaborative effort across the value chain was initiated, involving key industry players including Erema, Moxietec, Engel,

Owens Corning and Gjenkraft AS have signed a letter of intent (LoI) to advance circular solutions for composite waste. The initiative aims to close the loop for glass fiber materials by integrating recycled glass fibers recovered via Gjenkraft’s thermolysis-based process back into Owens Corning’s production of new glass fibers. In practice, this means composite waste will be converted into high-quality secondary raw materials — and then reintroduced into the value chain as

New technology reduces processing temperatures and energy consumption while improving color value, product quality, and production efficiency through its kinetic boosting effect. Clariant presented its new AddWorks titanium-based catalyst solutions for polyester polymerization at K 2025, the world's premier trade fair for plastics and rubber. Set to launch in 2026, this technology offers a more sustainable and high-performance alternative to traditional antimony-based catal

The world's most technologically innovative event for the global plastics industry will open its doors on October 8 and MLT Analytics...

Amid a spate of shutdowns, project cancelations and delays related to chemical recycling plants in Europe and the U.S., the French...