NEWS


Cleveland plastics expositions attract record numbers in 2023


AMI’s US-based Plastics World Expos in Cleveland, Ohio attracted record numbers of exhibitors and visitors this year. The event – taking place for the fourth time – featured four focused tradeshows: Compounding World, Plastics Recycling World, Plastics Extrusion World and Polymer Testing World. “We welcomed 347


exhibitors and 5,134 attendees to this year’s exhibitions – year-on-year increases of 15% and 12% respectively,” said Kelly DeFino, exhibition sales manager at AMI. “The expos are now the biggest annual


IMAGE: AMI


event for the North Ameri- can plastics industry, and more than 250 companies have already booked their booths for next year’s show in Cleveland”. Five conference theatres – hosting more than 100 speakers – were well


attended. An evening networking party at the Punch Bowl Social Cleveland also proved popular, with more than 500 attendees. Josh Hensley, technical services engineer at Westlake Royal Building Products, commented: “The


ECHA completes investigation into PVC and additives safety


The European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) has completed its investigation into the potential risk to human health and the environment from PVC and certain PVC additives and has passed it to the Euro- pean Commission, which will decide whether to request REACH restriction. The investigation, which focused on 63 PVC addi- tives including plasticisers, heat stabilisers and flame retardants, suggested that regulatory action may be required with regard to certain plasticisers (primarily ortho-phthalates), heat stabilising organotins such


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as DOTE, flame retardants, and PVC microparticle emissions during use and also from recycling facilities and landfills. European PVC trade


association VinlyPlus said it had submitted evidence to the investigation, which also considered alternatives and assessed societal impact of potential risk management measures, and would respond to data gaps and concerns highlighted by ECHA. “VinylPlus constructively


worked with ECHA in its task of performing a whole lifecycle assessment of PVC, its additives, and potential


FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | December 2023


alternatives, highlighting their performance, costs, and lifecycle benefits alongside the impact on human health and our environment,” said Brigitte Dero, Managing Director of the association. “VinylPlus will carefully


examine the report and its annexes…we question the risks identified by ECHA for some ortho-phthalates and other plasticisers, organotin stabilisers and microparti- cles, and we are committed to working with regulators to provide information as needed.” �www.echa.europa.eu �www.vinylplus.eu


Expo is an excellent oppor- tunity to catch up with current suppliers and learn about other products and services in the industry.” One exhibitor – Timothy Michalowski, president of Berlyn ECM – added: “This is a spectacular event to meet new clients, while the information provided by the speakers is one of the best ways to stay current in today’s environment.” The AMI Plastics World


Expos return to Cleveland on 13-14 November 2024. To find out more about exhibiting, visit: � www.ami.ltd/Plastics- World-Expo-NA


New lines for LIB


coating Asahi Kasei is to invest around ¥40 billion (US$272 million) in extra equipment for coating Hipore lithium-ion battery (LIB) separators. New lines at existing


separator facilities in the US, Japan and South Korea are scheduled for start-up in the first half of fiscal year 2026. This is enough to supply coated separators for batteries equivalent to 1.7 million electric vehicles. Total coating capacity amounts to around 700 million sq m per year. � www.asahi-kasei.com


www.filmandsheet.com


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