Low-pressure production: HDPE and LLDPE output linked / Number of global swing plants rising / European lines no longer competitive / Local converters increasingly dependent on imports / Exclusive PIE report

BASF/Shell: Ellba styrene and propylene oxide plant in Moerdijk to resume operations by year's end

PP: Ducor lifts FM at Rozenburg ahead of plan

First Polymark results of PET marker technology / Coating-based approach / Next phase to focus on detection and sorting equipment

BASF declares all forces majeures in PA 6.6 chain over / New orders now being accepted

Growth accelerates in first half of 2015 / Purchases from overseas increase by 17% / Germany remains as key market / Assocomaplast reports on trends

Europe is slowly emerging from its trough / Strong increase in Germany / Thermoplastic processing techniques, like GMRT and LFRT, on the rise / SMC and BMC processing stagnant / “Composites Europe” fair presents a mixed bag

European plastics and rubber machine builders achieve record production of EUR 13 bn in 2014 / Growth of 2% expected in 2015 / Business with BRIC states disappointing / Iran is the big hope / Euromap conference in Venice

Consolidation of PTA production in South Korea / Hanwha, Lotte and Hyosung want to merge activities

Growth in value added products to be above average / Overall market to increase by 2% annually to 2019 / AMI report

Carrier bag consumption in UK supermarkets rises 2.4% in 2014 / Usage falls sharply in those countries with mandatory charges / WRAP report

Big engines, individualised cars roar at “IAA 2015” / Small combustion engines steal the show from e-vehicles / OEMs favour structural parts made of steel and aluminium / GFRP and CFRP deemed too expensive / Hybrid materials pose a challenge for recycling

New production era for mass plastics begins / European refineries on the brink of extinction / Feedstock base lost / Global competition increasingly relegates Europe to second class / High time for discussions on how to react

Collection rises in 2014 / Operating rate drops as recycled volumes fall / Petcore Europe report

US market to grow by 3.9% per year to USD 22 bn in 2019 / Strong demand for packaging products drives growth / Freedonia report