"World Cleanup Day" to tweak awareness / Ocean Cleanup vessel launched to collect waste in Pacific garbage patch

Single-trip bottle deposit extended to juices / Closing the gap to 100% recycling

Packaging value chain pleads for amendments on EU proposal / Statement from 68 European associations

Expansion of PVC production in Belgium / Investments to total EUR 1 bn across Europe

USD 2 bn takeover of US distributor Nexeo / Potential divestment of plastics business

Capacity expansion for PA 6.6 in China / Upgrade by 40,000 t/y

Plastics division planned with Sabic's stake / Polymers, masterbatches and additives / Complete takeover?

Collaboration with Braskem on bio-sourced plastic closures

New facilities for PET and PE packaging start up in France / Automated warehouse to open in 2019

German packaging specialist opens facility with three extrusion lines

Recycled PET liners for labelling industry to be launched in Europe

BOPP manufacturing system put into operation / New records for packaging film output

Merger-of-equals deal with Swiss polymer trading company MB Barter / New global polymer solutions player emerges from combination

Acquisition of packaging group could be imminent / Negotiations with Apollo Global and Bain Capital

Petrochemicals comeback stalls / US and Europe pull in different directions / Sanctions torpedo Western players' plans for re-engagement

Industry reports good sales in first half of 2018 / Outlook a little cloudier for Q3 / Political risks will affect export business in particular

North America August 2018: China's import duties on PE take effect / PP and polyamides undergo some considerable price hikes / Current trends to continue in September

China Standard Thermoplastics August 2018: Hikes across the board / Higher input costs / Sharp rises for PP and bottle-grade PET / Brisk demand for LDPE and LLDPE

Russia August 2018: Further upward movement / Rouble decline slows imports / PET in short supply / Hikes in September

China Engineering Thermoplastics August 2018: Prices show mixed developments / Significant hikes for PA 6.6 and PBT / PC notations decline

Standard Thermoplastics Trend September 2018: Only minor changes with polyolefins / Marked price increases limited to styrenics / Demand picks up after holiday period

Standard Recyclate September 2018: Mixed trends / Slight oversupply exerts pressure on rPP homo and rLDPE prices / Significant hikes on clear rPET / Upward potential for a few polymers in October

Engineering Recyclate September 2018: General rollover in September / Upcoming hikes for polyamides set to also push up recyclates / Strong production month expected

Polyurethane Feedstocks September 2018: Further sharp drops for crude MDI and TDI / Demand lagging behind expectations / Marked volatility for TDI in October / MDI grades set to calm down

PE grades weaken further and PP firms

Waste feedstocks, product performance and digital tools offer opportunities for successful commercialisation of "green" materials / Lux Research report

Payment duration rises to 63 days in Americas / Over 90% of respondents dealt with late payments / Half of invoices unpaid by due date / Atradius report