Markets Processing General

Banishing 5p bags and throwaway mindset / German parent bans standard plastic bags

British Plastics Federation outlines priorities for Brexit talks / Single market access “crucial” / Converters depend on EU for polymer / Some 40% of plastics firms foreign-owned

Company investments drive growth / Plastics processing segment suffers from ageing technology / No access to key growth markets / Focus on new technologies and recycling

Broad decline in plastics industry sales in 2015 / Rise in Swiss franc's value leads to 7.5% fall in revenues / Minimal headcount reduction / Plastics waste exports down / Optimistic outlook for 2016

Plastics industry on growth course / Billions invested in booming automotive and aviation industries / Domestic polymer capacities limited to PVC, PET and PS / Highly dependent on polymer imports

Plastics processing industry sales down 13.5% in H1 / Negative outlook for full-year revenue

Over half of BPF members predict increasing sales despite “Brexit” vote / Caution on effect of referendum result on profitability / Exports expected to increase as value of pound falls / Investment intentions weaken

Poor economic data put a strain on the economy / Fear of recession following "Brexit" vote / EU exit appears to have comparatively little impact on plastics segment / BPF conference on strategic vision

More than 50% of respondents to PIE poll say “Brexit” will not impact their business / More than a third fear negative repercussions / “Not the decision our sector wanted,” says UK chemicals association / Linpac does not expect any change

"Brexit is stupid" / 52% of British population votes to leave the EU / Plastics industry reacts calmly / Important market in Europe / Many corporate headquarters likely to relocate to the continent

Strong dynamic in the first third of 2016 / Riding on the coattails of the upswing from autumn and winter 2015 / 4% growth year-on-year / Construction business well above average / Semi-finished products a little more subdued

Plastics industry slowly starts to grow again / Gains still fall short of expectations / Europe's second largest processing country / Few changes on the imports front / Pagev highlights the need to improve competitiveness

European converters remain a competitive force / Sector increasingly threatened by insecure raw material supply, high costs and foreign players / Innovation and client proximity strongpoints for continental companies / New study by EuPC and Wieselhuber

Industry on solid course for growth / Both exports and imports of plastics on the rise / Plastics processing activities continue to increase / Automotive segment a key driver / Political impasse in Madrid slows economic dynamics

Growth expectations slow on concerns about global economy / Two thirds of BPF members want UK to stay in EU / BPF survey

Plastics industry in strong recovery mode in 2015 / Thermoplastics consumption rises by 3% to 5.5m t / Strong acceleration in Q4 / Demand from automotive segment particularly high / Biotechnology continues to play an important role

Sales just shy of EUR 60 bn level / Exports to Eurozone continue to drive growth / Volumes processed stable at 2014 level / 2016 growth expected to resemble that of last year / Cautious optimism

IK member companies optimistic about 2016 / Selling prices likely to be increased

Eye on the world: A journey from Brazil to China, from Russia to Italy / Challenges experienced by most countries

Takeovers, mergers and consolidations: Changes in the plastics production, packaging and automotive industries / No going back to the way things were

Steady output of plastic products / Growth slows in first three quarters of 2015 / Economic development shifts towards country's central and western regions / CPRJ reports

Sales after first nine months of 2015 match those of last year / Packaging products perform above average / Construction and semi-finished goods barely move / Technical parts and consumer goods looking up / Positive mood despite feedstock upheaval

Polymer production grows by 4% in 2014 / EU 28 trade surplus widens / Turkey still most important resin buyer / PlasticsEurope recommends landfill ban to improve recycling / "Plastics – the Facts 2015"

“Our industry needs reliable suppliers!” / IK president Roland Roth on the situation on the polyolefin market / Need for more choice / US processors could become a threat

PIE talks to Ron Marsh, head of the Polymers for Europe Alliance, about the goals of the plastics processors‘ initiative / "Best European Polymer Producer" award