News Plastech
At the Interpack trade fair in Düsseldorf, Comexi will present a portfolio of ready-to-market packaging solutions, demonstrating how to comply with new European requirements, reduce carbon footprint and lower operating costs at the same time.
Polyplastics, Colgate-Palmolive and PTI have developed a new ISBM technology for manufacturing HDPE bottles, enabling significant weight reduction and shorter production cycles while maintaining hot-fill capability.
Nova Chemicals secured first place in Mastio & Company's polyethylene Customer Value and Loyalty survey, receiving the PE Customer Value & Loyalty Benchmarking Award for quality and overall performance.
Ampacet, a global leader in masterbatch solutions, will present its advanced ELTech product range at Wire 2026, highlighting innovative color and flame-retardant solutions designed for power and telecommunication cables as well as optical fiber tubing.
Since its commercial debut in 2015, the Comexi Offset CI Evolution platform has reached 30 installations worldwide, combining high print quality with a 100% solvent-free process and reduced energy consumption.
In the first week of January 2026, market participants gradually returned to activity after the long Christmas and New Year break. The period was marked by waiting for the first price offers and by analysis of the current market situation.
Amcor has joined the three-year CRISP project, coordinated by the Danish Technological Institute, aimed at developing full-scale circular recycling of rigid PE and PP food packaging from household waste.
Borealis launches the global rollout of the Borstar Digital Twin program, based on artificial intelligence and virtual replication of polyethylene and polypropylene production processes.
Cafés Méo is replacing multi-material PET/Alu/PE packs with recyclable polyethylene design for recycling flowpacks from adapa, anticipating PPWR 2030 requirements while maintaining product quality.
Alpla and NTCP have launched a four-year pilot project in the Netherlands to validate a patented solvent-based process for producing food-grade recycled HDPE, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth.
In line with earlier ChemCourier forecasts, the December ethylene contract price in Europe remained unchanged. In the first weeks of the month, HDPE suppliers will attempt price increases in an effort to improve margins before year-end.
Elm-plastic, in collaboration with Biovox and Ultrapolymers Deutschland, has introduced the first commercially available bioplastic pipette for pharmaceutical and medical applications. The product uses MedEco compounds based on PLA or bio-based PE and meets common regulatory requirements.
Amcor has expanded its deodorant packaging range with Shadow, a lightweight roll-on offering branding flexibility and recycle-ready PE and PP components that can include up to 60% PCR content.
In the final weeks of October, several incidents at Central European petrochemical producers could tighten polyethylene supply in the region.
Colines ran live blown and cast film extrusion alongside a stretch film converting unit at K 2025, attracting more than 1,000 visitors. Demonstrations highlighted a 9-layer PE barrier pouch film with less than 5% EVOH and cast stretch films with 35% PCR.
Coveris received four distinctions at the UK Packaging Awards 2025, including Packaging Company of the Year. The jury also recognised its MonoFlex PaperFeel developments and Amberley Labels' work for Aureus Vita.
TotalEnergies and Windmöller & Hölscher developed a recyclable PE/PA pouch for oil and lubricants with 35% mechanically recycled polyethylene. The 170 μm film, produced on Aquarex water-quenching technology, cuts material use by 83% versus a typical 1-liter HDPE container and will debut at K 2025.
Although the October ethylene price was unchanged, HDPE, LLDPE and LDPE prices are expected to fall next week. Weak market conditions and persistently low converter activity are the drivers.
SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, has collaborated with Zuyderland medical center in The Netherlands to help transform medical plastic waste into new contact sensitive packaging materials.
Rexelian has launched as an independent compounder of recycled PP and PE for mobility, appliances and electronics, leveraging access to GCR Group’s 500 kt per year infrastructure and focusing on traceability, quality and EU circularity targets.
SML reports a cast MDO-PE film for deep-freeze packaging that removes lamination, enables up to 50% downgauging and runs at up to 380 m/min, with printing speeds up to 500 m/min; the technology adds precise thickness control and optional EVOH or PVOH barrier layers.
Colines has produced fully recyclable stand-up pouches combining a 70 micron PE-barrier film from a nine-layer Polyblown blown line with a 25 micron cast MDO-PE print web stretched 4.8:1. The pouches, printed and converted by Sumer Plastik using ExxonMobil resins, will be presented at K 2025.
Bio-Fed, a branch of Akro-Plastic GmbH, introduced M·Cyclose, a product line of recyclate solutions that combines ready-to-use grades with customer-specific compounds for packaging, household appliances and consumer goods.
TotalEnergies and SML will unveil two downgauged polyethylene film solutions for stand-up pouch and deep-freeze bag applications at K 2025. The recyclable films target 30 to 50 percent thickness reductions while maintaining performance.
If someone tried to trace their everyday life without plastic today, it would quickly prove to be an almost impossible task. Plastics have become so ubiquitous that it is difficult to notice how quickly everyday items turn into waste.
MOL Group has completed its first ISCC PLUS-certified production run with circular feedstock at Tiszaújváros, converting post-consumer plastic waste-based feedstock into PE and PP. The pilot applied a mass balance approach on the steam cracker and downstream polymerization.
Palsgaard will present plant-based polymer additives at K 2025, led by the new Einar 987 anti-fouling additive and supported by anti-static and anti-fog solutions for plastics processing and packaging.
Duma Recycling outlines LDPE and LLDPE recyclate production using Intarema TVEplus lines with double, laser-assisted filtration. The company appears at K 2025, Hall 7, level 2, G11.
Südpack and Sn Maschinenbau will demonstrate production of mono-PE stand-up pouches with an integrated PE zipper on a standard horizontal machine at Fachpack 2025. The CarbonLite film family offers PE- and PP-based barrier options without aluminum or metallization.
The first days of September brought a development that many market players did not anticipate. Instead of stability or slight increases, the market continued to feel the effects of the summer slowdown.
At K 2025, Arburg will present its arburgGREENworld pavilion within the VDMA "The Power of Plastics Forum", focusing on water, circular economy and CO2 reduction. Live demonstrations will include turning HDPE ghost nets into model dolphins and a compact lecture programme with external experts.
Procter & Gamble presents shampoo bottles for Aussie, Head & Shoulders and Pantene Pro-V made from 100% rHDPE, underscoring material quality and purity. The company highlights value chain collaboration, CosPaTox guidelines and solvent-based purification such as dissolution recycling.
Südpack has consolidated its recyclable Pure-Line pouch films under the CarbonLite brand, targeting snack applications with mono-material PP and PE structures designed for high recyclability and barrier performance.
Coveris will exhibit at Pats UK 2025, presenting recyclable monomaterial and paper-based packaging for dry, wet and snack pet food. New developments include high-barrier monomaterials, lightweight PE bags and PFAS-free options.
Erema reports rising demand for food-grade post-consumer recyclate and is supplying systems aimed at meeting EU and US safety requirements. A new PLC integration for ReFresher extends process visibility and data access.
Palsgaard A/S has introduced Einar 987, a plant-based anti-fouling additive for polyethylene and polypropylene polymerisation, designed as a drop-in alternative to ethoxylated amines.