Everyday Plastics Blog

Friday Video Roundup!
Time to slide into a relaxing weekend with some visuals from the boob tube – all three dealing with the presence and increasing levels of plastic trash on the beach [do you see a theme at this website? ]. Three shorties to get you through your Friday morning:

==> One from the BBC, visiting a Hawaii’s Kamilo plastic beach (have patience, it takes a minute to load) – the same beach that Charles Moore has made us aware of.

==> One from the Kaisei Pacific garbage patch trolling project of last summer. In it they talk briefly about the lab activities that follow any scientific field collection trip:

==> Last, but most, is a vid featuring Surfrider CEO Jim Moriarty – as shot by Surfrider Portland and 5Gyres activist Stiv Wilson. ALSO – Bonus Yahoo article about the Atlantic Garbage Patch as recently “discovered” by 5Gyres – the photo below is from the Azores in the middle of the Atlantic.

The weather is shaping up well for some outdoor activities here in lower-upper California – beach cleanup anyone??? Sounds like Hawaii, the Azores and San Onofre are good places to start.

Have a g000d weekend!

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Banksy on <a href="http://www.everydayplastics.com/<a href="<a href="http://www.everydayplastics.com/VinylSleeves.php”>vinyl sleeves”>vinylenvelopes.php”>bags

This one is a couple of years old, but worth a replay, considering the new film (Exit Through the Gift Shop) about secretive street artist Banksy, opening in US theaters this week.

Using the image of a ubiquitous plastic shopping bag, this unauthorized London neighborhood “installation” has come to be called “In Tesco We Trust“…and has since likely been obliterated… …even though his impromptu and uninvited paintings instantly add considerable value to the target buildings…

According to a UK blogger, Tesco is “the UK equivalent of Wal-Mart, a dirt-cheap, mega chain supermarket that has taken over the British landscape and pushed out Mom & Pop shops wherever it opens. Tesco also recently expanded into the U.S. West Coast, opening a chain of convenience stores called Fresh & Easy.“. Just so ya know…

<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1580844/Banksy-backs-ban-on-plastic-<a href="http://www.everydayplastics.com/<a href="<a href="http://www.everydayplastics.com/VinylSleeves.php”>vinyl sleeves”>vinylenvelopes.php”>bags.html”>Here is an article about the art piece, with a mention of a UK retail chain, self-imposing a bag fee.

Cheerio!

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Net profit at BASF rises to ?1.03 bln on demand for petrochemicals, plastics and ingredients for cosmetics
Driven by recovering demand for petrochemicals, plastics and ingredients for cosmetics, BASF SE reported profits and sales that beat analyst estimates in Q1-10. Net profit increased to ?1.03 bln (US$1.4 bln) from ?375 mln, while sales totaled ?15.5 b……
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Asian PE producers unlikely to achieve price hike targets for May
Finding support from higher ethylene feedstock costs, Asian regional producers have announced significant increases on May PE offers to both China and Southeast Asia, as per Chemorbis. However, these new offers have met buyer?s resistance, who antici……
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Plummeting ethylene spot prices in USA opening up arbitrage to Asia
Increasing supply in USA caused by cracker restarts as well as weak derivative polyethylene (PE) demand have tanked ethylene prices in the country. The recent plunge in US ethylene spot prices is opening up arbitrage opportunities from the Americas t……
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Global polyolefins demand estimated to have decline in 2009 by 0.14% compared to 2008
Global polyolefins demand is estimated at 111 mln tons in 2009, a decline of 0.14% compared to 2008 as per Chemsystems. However, this compares favorably against the corresponding fall of 2.1% in global GDP as an increase in demand from China and othe……
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Future Developments in PVC Formulation
PVC recipes are currently evolving to take into account legislation against the use of heavy metal stabilisers worldwide, trends in flame retardants and the controversies over the use of some phthalate plasticisers. AMI brought together some of the t……
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Top-End automotive materials for electric and hybrid vehicles into high gear
SABIC Innovative plastics has introduced a portfolio of advanced Noryl and Valox automotive resins designed to help customers create alternative power train solutions by displacing weight and increasing performance for hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), ……
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Mega petrochemical projects in the Middle East to boost production
Mega projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries will sharply boost the region’s petrochemical production in the next few years. Saudi Arabia, the world’s oil basin, could become the largest global petrochemical producer when its outpu……
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Braskem to cut investments in Venezuelan petrochemicals plant, delay Poliamerica PE plant
Brazilian petrochemicals company Braskem and Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA have jointly agreed to cut investments in a petrochemicals plant in Venezuela and to delay a second one.
Investment in the 450 mln tpa Propilsur polypropylene joint ven……
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