Record number of visitors at Chinaplas 2012 / Rising share in foreign attendees at world's second largest plastics fair / Processing sector focuses on sustainability / Increasingly difficult market environment / Domestic demand needs to grow

Merger of key plastics industry groups creates China Synthetic Resin Marketing Association / Tasked with aiding government draw up, implement plastics policies / Resins market continues to grow / PIE exclusive with group head Zheng Kai

Output and volume sales decline in 2011 / Both standard and engineering thermoplastics hit

Plastics scrap imports up 5% in 2011 / Rise of 21% in value terms over 2010 / PET scrap sees largest price gains

Further improvement in UK plastic bottle recycling rate / Higher level still needed / Inadequate infrastructure for non-bottle rigid packaging

Trial of four Porto Torres managers on pollution Charges / Postponement on a technicality

Plastics industry largely focused on local market / Chinese processing machinery dominates / More than half of local plastics demand met by imports / First cracker scheduled to come on stream in 2013

Legislative guidelines for non-biodegradable bag ban finally passed / Some controversy remains

Dalian city officials reportedly retract promise to relocate Fujia Dahua's PX plant / Citizens threaten renewed protest action

Formosa Plastics CEO worried about economic downturn

Plastics industry continues to boom / Processing sector expected to grow by 15% in 2011 / Extremely dependent on raw material imports / Saudi Arabia by far most important plastics supplier / Industry association Pagev reports

Exhibitor numbers up 30% at "Plast Eurasia" 2011 in Istanbul / Turkey's plastics production reaches 7m t

Officials reportedly mull creation of plastics recycling park in Xingtan, Guangdong province / Latest attempt to regulate mushrooming plastics recycling industry

Awakening plastics giant struggles to its feet / World's highest consumption growth of 16% annually / Reliance dominates polymer production / Automotive and packaging drive demand / High recycling rates

Plastics industry sees across-the-board recovery in 2010 / Processing volume up 10% to 910,000 t / Pre-crisis levels nearly reached / Improved productivity / Swiss association forecasts stable business