Quebec: Beverage container deposits to be doubled from January 2013 / Aim to improve recycling rates / Fears that retailers' costs will increase / 74% of containers is now recovered

Repsol nationalisation sparks row over shale gas deposits / Investors cautious amid ongoing economic uncertainty

Polymer consumption exceeded 1.7m t in 2011 / Domestic capacities are mostly in the standard field / Brazil is leading trade partner / Second Argenplas industry fair in June 2012

One of the weakest links in the European industrial chain / Plastics machinery performs below average / Polymer production shrinking / Company formerly known as Polimeri to move more into specialities

Plastics industry suffers from shrinking domestic demand / Packaging industry is one bright spot

Supreme Court to consider total plastics ban / Anti-littering effort supported by TV station

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