News 2012

The world’s leading plastics associations launched a Progress Report on the Global Declaration of the Plastics Associations for Solutions on Marine Litter.

The Pierre Potier prize has been rewarding chemistry innovations serving sustainable development since 2006. This year the top prize was awarded to Arkema for its new acrylic sheet, Altuglas® ShieldUp.

Finnish fire protection systems specialist Jalo and designer Harri Koskinen have teamed up to create Kupu, a smoke detector that puts conventional alarms in the shade.

The 10th edition of IdentiPlast 2012, held in Warsaw (Poland) on 6-7 November 2012, brought together some 170 European experts on plastics waste management.

Long the preserve of a privileged few, pleasure boating has now been within the ordinary man’s reach for a good half-century. Rising standards of living, the call of the sea and the thirst for adventure are surely all part of the reason, but, so too, are plastics, without which this popularity boom could not have happened.

PlasticsEurope, in association with The Parliament Magazine, organised a meeting at the European Parliament on 10 October 2012 entitled "Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): the future for improved sustainability in Europe?" hosted by the MEP Bas Eickhout of the Dutch Greens Party.

Researchers at The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a new, transparent solar cell that could give windows in homes and other buildings the ability to generate electricity while remaining clear enough to see through.

Siemens has set a new record in the world of wind turbines. The German manufacturer has just built a 75 metre long blade for its B75 Quantum Blade prototype: it is the size of an airbus A380 with a rotor diameter of 154 metres.

A new thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) shows that plastics can also have a memory

Admission to the elite group of high performance polymers...and to win over high-tech sectors like aerospace, transportation and defence...is fiercely competitive but conventional plastics have not had their final say and are facing-off with the category's new top-rankers.

PlasticsEurope is proud to have been the overall sponsor of the 2012 MEP Awards, which rewards Members of the European Parliament for their outstanding efforts and achievements in a given area.

After food and textiles, the organic trend is continuing to spread. Organically-sourced plastics, biodegradable plastics, bioplastics, biopolymers...so many names! But what exactly do they all mean? We try and cut through the maze!

PlasticsEurope has welcomed the publication of a European Commission report ranking EU Member States on the effectiveness of their waste management systems.

Researchers at a Canadian engineering school, Montreal’s École Polytechnique, have been looking at how to develop a specific touch-sensitive textile that could replace a car dashboard.

Research by German scientists has enabled them to create a sort of small plastic straw that can be used as an artificial blood vessel. The three-year project, dubbed "Biorap" and involving five departments at the Fraunhofer-Institute, has delivered results.

EPRO are pleased to declare this years Best Recycled Plastic Product competition to find Europe’s best recycled plastic product open. Since its launch in 2009 the competition has witnessed a growing number of entries and an increased range of applications for recycled plastic.

How about a bicycle made from PET plastic bottles, shampoo packs and old fridge parts? After fleece, cushions and duvet fillings, PET plastic bottles have found a new use: bicycle frames.

As a supremely impervious material, plastic is widely used for containing all kinds of liquids. Bottles, flasks and jugs first spring to mind, but plastics are also used to help protect people and the environment against some natural and man-made disasters.

Chemists at CNRS and the University of Strasbourg have developed electricity-conducting nanoscale fibres that are flexible, super-light and are able to self-assemble when triggered by light. Perfect for integrating into ultra-miniaturized systems in flexible equipment like flat screens, printed nano-circuits, solar cells, etc.

Increasingly prevalent, plastics not only address the basic requirements of sports facilities like athlete, and spectator, safety, meeting sporting standards and letting athletes up their game... they also help to keep them looking good and serving the community for longer.

ISOPA has recently prepared Eco-profiles complying with PlasticsEurope's programme rules.

PlasticsEurope's localised website for Marine Litter Solutions was launched today. The website contains information on projects currently being held by the association.

"Creating history together": The theme of this year's European Football Championship in Poland and Ukraine is also reflected in the architecture of many Euro 2012 stadia. The arenas appear light and easy - while offering maximum comfort.

Bulgarian student Svetoslav Kostov has won the European finale of PlasticsEurope’s Youth Parliament Debate, which took place in Rome on March 16. The young winner was best to provide a well-rounded speech on sustainability and the role of plastics in this regard.

Could plastics be part of the solution to head trauma? This is what recent research suggests, as a team of physicians, researchers and designers have succeeded in developing a special skull prosthesis made ​​of plastics.

In March, Rome's Parlamentino will welcome 50 students for the 2012 edition of the Youth Parliament Debate European finale.

With an unflappable worldwide success over the last 38 years, Playmobil is one of the many business stories our industry can be proud of.

Standardisation plays an increasingly important role in business activities. Well aware of this trend, PlasticsEurope has organized a workshop on standardization for its member companies and the value chain, which took place in Frankfurt on January 24.

The third edition of Swiss Plastics, Switzerland's largest plastics exhibition, took place in Lucerne on January 17-19.