Plastics News in April: Death, Dissolution, and Discounts

There’s a long-held adage in journalism that “if it bleeds, it leads,” which is a somewhat poetic way of noting that people are drawn to bad news.

If that's human nature, it also would explain why traffic slows in the eastbound expressway lane when there’s an accident on the westbound lane or why some people drive toward the sound of sirens.

You know it’s been a tough month in plastics when two of the top performing article themes that appear in the headline reference two positive news stories in April. That’s in addition to articles centering on an impending employment crisis, a lengthy layoff, and a highly suspect slogan.

Balancing the gloom is the promise of sunnier days, for example resin discounts that may reach double digits and the myth-busting of assumed plastic problems.

Experience it for yourself with our review of the Top 10 performing articles of April.

To save you time, we now feature the top three performers in the slideshow rather than the usual five; the remaining seven appear below in quick-reading ascending order.

#10. Dow and P&G Partner on Dissolution Solution

Polyethylene is the target polymer of a novel recycling technology for hard-to-recycle plastic packaging.

#9. What Earth Day 2024 Gets Wrong

This year’s theme — Planet vs. Plastics — squeezes a complex set of issues into a simplistic slogan that helps no one.

#8. Coca-Cola Is Not the ‘World’s Biggest Known Plastic Polluter’

Nor is Pepsi. The methodology behind a new study is maddeningly stupid.

#7. Resin Price Report: PP Resin Contracts Could See Double-Digit Discount

PP resin contract prices could drop by a dime, or even more, this month.

#6. What to Expect From Global Plastics Treaty Talks This Month

A mock proposal developed under the auspices of the Swiss government provides a preview of the restrictive policies that may prevail on a global scale.

#5. North Carolina Plastics Processor to Lay Off Almost Half of Workforce

Part of Germany’s Wirthwein Group, the operation in New Bern, NC, mainly molds parts for dishwashers, Samsung products, and the automotive sector.

#4. Broken-up Plastics Are Everywhere. Researchers Finally Know Why

Researchers have uncovered the real reason degraded plastics are showing up everywhere, even across the universe. The answer will shock you.

You'll find the top three in the accompanying slideshow also in ascending order.