On Friday, March 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected a call to ban the plastic additive bisphenol A from food packaging. The agency took this action after federal researchers couldn’t find sufficient evidence that people are being harmed by BPA. The call had come from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The [...]
China’s Energy Crisis Affects Plastics Manufacturing
May 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
An energy crisis has hit central China, which is affecting its plastics manufacturing. The crisis has been exacerbated by a drought that is reducing hydroelectricity capacity. An Associated Press article reports that the energy crisis in the industrial regions west of Shanghai is the worst in years. The China Electricity Council, an industry group, estimates [...]
Fowl Plastics: Chicken Feathers Instead of Petroleum
May 11, 2011 By 3 Comments
Chicken may appear in more places than just your dinner plate in the future. Researchers are coming up with ways to swap chicken feathers for petroleum in some plastic products. Companies like Eastern Bioplastics are working to commercialize items like biodegradable flower pots and office furniture with fowl feather-based products. The aim of the research [...]
Chemical and Plastics Company Sees Strong Growth
May 10, 2011 By 1 Comment
BASF SE says it more than doubled first-quarter earnings because of higher demand for its chemicals and plastics, which are used to make items as diverse as cars and cosmetics. According to an Associated Press report: BASF, the world’s biggest chemicals company, said Friday it earned €2.4 billion ($3.5 billion) in the January-March period, compared [...]
Johnson & Johnson to Buy Medical Device Company Synthes
April 21, 2011 By 1 Comment
The rumors began over the weekend and are growing stronger. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is in discussion to acquire Synthes, a Swiss medical device manufacturer. If the deal crystallizes, J&JÂ could boost its revenue and profit in the short term and gain a strong foothold in the growing market for orthopedic surgery products. It will also [...]
Pepsi Goes for Plastic From Plants
March 18, 2011 By 2 Comments
PepsiCo revealed on Tuesday that it’s going to use a plastic made entirely of plant material for its bottles starting next year. The company claims the new plastic beats the technology of competitor The Coca-Cola Company, and reduces the carbon footprint of the bottles. According to an Associated Press report: The bottle is made from [...]
