PIE Readers Survey: Europe's plastics industry largely weathers the storm / One third of companies plan to invest more / Plastics-related regulations a growing concern / Majority expect backlash against plastics to impact business

EU council president Charles Michel reawakens topic / Funds could help plug the hole left by Brexit

Country joins global "Plastics Pact" network / Aim to recycle 70% of packaging by 2025

PET bottle makers to use 50% more recyclate / State aid for reprocessing sought

Takeover of Italy's Poliblend and Esseti Plast GD / Gain in compounding and masterbatches

Energy group plans aromatics complex in Malaysia / Major volumes of paraxylene and benzene for the Chinese market

New date for plastics trade fair in Shanghai / Coronavirus outbreak has not eased / Experts expect situation to stabilise in April

Country's economic recovery from coronavirus epidemic not expected until mid-year / Automotive industry projects significant slump / European machinery companies are contemplating a two-year cycle for "Chinaplas"

Q4 and full-year 2019 sales plummet on lower prices / Net income plunges into red territory

Advanced Composites and healthcare applications cushion sales decline in Europe and Asia / Company joins UK Plastics Pact

Sales dip 18% on pass-through of lower material costs / Restructuring pushes down net profit / Outlook includes negative impact from coronavirus

Weak industrial demand diminishes 2019 profits / Sales decline 11% / Technology segment is a bright spot

Recycled PET set to take up over half of total PET demand by 2030 / Collection and design major obstacles to meeting targets

Unilever and Klöckner Pentaplast agree to purchase recycled plastics from UK facility

Recycling plant in the Netherlands closed / Recyclate prices impacted by virgin materials

UK group opens PET bottle recycling plant / Another site for plastic tubs and trays being planned

Standard Thermoplastics Trend February 2020: Styrenics ride on the styrene wave / Most other polymers unchanged / Business picks up only slowly / Little likelihood of much change in March

Standard Recyclate February 2020: Notations largely stable / Only a short breather / Further price erosion likely / Slightly higher demand generally not meeting expectations

Engineering Recyclate February 2020: Recycled ABS, PA and PC see a few price cuts / Weak demand slows business considerably / Coronavirus delays mould supplies from China

Polyolefins only briefly react to rise in oil prices / HDPE firmer due to lack of imports

Polyurethane feedstocks February 2020: Isocyanates give way / Chinese virus epidemic pressures pure MDI sharply / Producers hike polyols / Exports to China much diminished

Russia January 2020: Further reductions in all segments except PVC / Slight trend towards oversupply for PE and PP / Demand short of expectations / Increases possible for PS and PVC in February

China Standard Thermoplastics January 2020: Most grades decline on weak demand / Lunar new year holidays extended in wake of coronavirus crisis / Impacts from epidemic to keep demand low

North America January 2020: Poor demand pushes down prices of most polymers / PVC producers manage to turn trend around

China Engineering Thermoplastics January 2020: Downtrend for most polymer prices / Short supply creates higher notations for PA 6 and PBT / Coronavirus outbreak to keep demand weak overall

Realignment of grades in PIE's price reports / Extrusion and injection moulding materials now separate / Producers from Asia targeting Europe more strongly / Surplus puts pressure on European producers' margins