NEWS


LCA study shows effect of replacing plastics


Substituting plastics with alternative materials is worse for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in most cases, according to a study by the University of Sheffield in the UK. Research into the


environmental impact of plastic products versus non-plastic alternatives published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology has found that in 15 out of 16 applications examined, plastic products resulted in lower GHG emissions than their alternatives. The study used life cycle assessments (LCAs) with varying focuses. Sheffield University said: “Even when focusing solely on direct life-cycle emissions, plastics maintain their advantage in nine out of 14 applications. Factors such as lower energy intensity during production and the weight


New blood


at Demag Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s new senior director of technology is Martin Pütz. Originally an injection moulding process engineer, Pütz was most recently a director for engineering and innova- tion at Gerresheimer, a global solution provider for the pharma, healthcare and cosmetic industry. � www.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu


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efficiency of plastics contribute to their reduced environmental footprint compared to alternatives like glass or metal.” “Not all alternative or


recycled products are better for the environment than the products they replace,” said Dr Fanran Meng, Assistant Professor in Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield. He said environmental policymaking needs to be based on LCAs to make sure that GHG emissions are not unintentionally increased through a shift to more emission-intensive alterna- tive materials.


He said: “Demand


reduction, efficiency optimisation, lifetime extension and reuse/ recycling, are win–win strategies to reduce emissions effectively. Solely focusing on switching to alternative materials is not.”


n A study from Michigan State University also found that plastic offers the best LCA performance when used to package infant formula.


In a paper published in Sustainable Production and Consumption, researchers used LCA to compare three packaging systems that were used to deliver 1000g of infant formula – including primary (plastic, composite and steel containers), secondary (corrugated box) and tertiary (pallet) levels. The primary package contributed significantly to the three systems in all evaluated categories. Plastic and steel both showed the highest impact in four of 10 impact categories. Overall results found that ranking of the packages within end-of-life methodologies favoured plastic packaging. � www.sheffield.ac.uk � www.msu.edu


Century buys extra capacity


US-based Century Mold (CM) has acquired Integrity Injection Molding (IIM) – the moulding division of Integrity Tool & Mold. CM says this will


strengthen its capabilities in precision, high tonnage presses, for which demand is rising in North America. It has acquired a 75,000 sq ft facility in Pulaski, Tennes- see, which is purpose-built for up to 3,000-tonne press capacity. “The integration of IIM is an important step in our expansion strategy,” said John Pinson, CEO of Century Mold. “The new facility will focus on increasing regional demand for high-tonnage moulding programmes.” It means the company’s


existing Shelbyville facility can focus on precision moulding work under 1,000 tonnes. � www.centurymold.com


Chris Smith retires from AMI


Chris Smith, the long-serving Editor of Compounding World and Editor-in-Chief at AMI Magazines, has retired from the AMI group. He has been succeeded by David Eldridge. Smith had an unbroken career working in connection with the plastics industry, from starting in injection moulding through a transition to journalism and progressing to being a highly regarded editor of plastics magazines and chair of plastics conferences. After writing for plastics publications at EMAP and Crain Communi-


cations, he joined AMI Magazines in 2011 and became the launch editor of Injection World. In 2017, Smith took over as editor of Com- pounding World.


Andy Beevers, Head of Events and Magazines at AMI, said: “With his trademark encyclopaedic knowledge about plastics materi- als and processes, Chris has been a highly-valued member of the AMI team. We will greatly miss him but wish him the very best in his well-earned retirement.”


INJECTION WORLD | May/June 2024 www.injectionworld.com


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