PE imports from the US gaining steam / Impact on European producers' margins / Vast majority of new capacity still to come / Noticeable decline in imports to EU since January 2019

Loop Industries' chief growth officer Nelson Switzer / Partnerships with major global brands, rPET from chemical recycling and building up facilities

Butachimie postpones maintenance of ADN plant in Chalampé to the end of 2019 / Capacity increase of 20%

HDPE 100: Iran now has its own catalysts for production

Further expansion at German site Schwarzheide being mooted / Possible construction of plant for battery materials

Decision to fund PP facility on US Gulf

Groundbreaking for third PE plant at Bayport / Total, Borealis and Nova joint venture

Outbidding of Apollo's offer for RPC / Plastic packaging giant worth USD 13 bn could be created

Sale of Plastics division to US private equity firm Olympus Partners

Emerging technologies can drive circular economy / Five key challenges to overcome / World Economic Forum report

European Commission reports on 70 voluntary pledges for 2025 recycling targets / Relative lack of chemical recycling inclusion

European plastics recycling branch created / Main focus on end-of-life durable plastics

Start-up of new recycling plant / Dutch waste disposal company due to begin regrind production

French company's recycling technology turns rPTA into PET / Construction of demo plant to start in 2019

Austrian recycler increases capacity / More PET bottles recovered in 2018 than previous year

Takeover of French recycler Synova / Production of rPP for auto industry

Steinbeis Holding acquires Austrian plastics recycler Kruschitz / Buyer breaks new ground

Standard Thermoplastics Trend March 2019: Producers hope for improvement in margins following C2 cost increase / PE and PVC consumers respond by holding back on buying / Subdued demand caps PP increases / Styrenics firmer

Standard Recyclate March 2019: Prices largely remain at previous month's level / Only small hikes on individual grades / Recyclers aim to catch up on missed price increases

Engineering Recyclate March 2019: Weak volume calls from automotive industry depress prices / Some further discounts in April

Upward trend in olefins pushing up polymers

Polyurethane Feedstocks March 2019: Polymeric MDI downswing bottoms out / Pure MDI and TDI plunge / Weak automotive sector to add pressure in April

Russia February 2019: Polyolefins generally giving way / Demand remains rather weak

China Standard Thermoplastics February 2019: Impacts from Chinese New Year holidays / Most polymer prices fall / HDPE for injection moulding and PET increase / Market unlikely to recover in March

North America February 2019: Most markets in a rollover / Producers unable to push through hikes for PE, PVC or PS / PP still weak / Engineering plastics prices stable / Increases expected in March

China Engineering Thermoplastics February 2019: Weak market on Chinese New Year holidays / Feedstocks register slight increases / Small fluctuations in polymer prices

Global insolvencies forecast to rise in 2019 led by China / Western Europe a key contributor to top business failures / North America to plateau / Euler Hermes report