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The global financial crisis continues to impact factories throughout China, with exports down and domestic consumption slowing. But some of the country’s plastics manufacturers are looking for a silver lining in China’s economic stimulus plan. 24 December 2008

Uponor has landed a deal to cool one of Europe’s largest shopping centres using its underfloor cooling system. 19 December 2008

PVC window giant Eurocell Profiles has signed an agreement to buy Cavalok Building Products, which produces cavity closure systems from 100% post-consumer recycled PVC. 16 December 2008

Plastics has benefited from higher metals prices in the European hot and cold water pipe markets, according to an Applied Market Information (AMI) report. 16 December 2008

Brett Martin, a supplier of foamed PVC, acrylic and polycarbonate sheet to the building trade, is set to make staff redundant. 12 December 2008

Roofline and rainwater goods maker Freefoam has acquired the mixing plant of PVC compounder Chemix, in Stockton, UK, in what the company describes as a further significant investment in its business. 11 December 2008

Plastic pipe systems supplier Wavin is expecting a drop in total revenue in a new forecast for 2008. Revenue is now expected to be around €1.6bn, down 2% from the €1.62bn in 2007. 10 December 2008

International defence and security specialist QinetiQ is re-cladding all the internal walls and ceilings of Warren Street station on the London Underground with fibre reinforced composite panels supplied by BFG International. 9 December 2008

Kaysersberg Plastics has installed new granulation and pelletising equipment at its factory in Gloucester, UK, for recycling of Correx twin-wall polypropylene sheet returned by its customers. 4 December 2008

The global PVC market has bounced back from the environmental pressure it was suffering some 20 years ago, with the market increasing to 34 million tonnes in 2007, up from 24 million tonnes in 2000. 28 November 2008

Nova Chemicals in early December will begin a temporary shutdown of its Beaver Valley styrenics plant in Monaca, Pennsylvania, in the US. 26 November 2008

Energy costs at British Polythene Industries in 2008 are expected to be £8m higher than in 2007. November’s bill alone will be more than £1m higher than last year. 24 November 2008

The European Commission is still debating when to launch a Green Paper that could spark new European Union laws on indoor air quality (IAQ), amidst strong pressure from the European Parliament for legislation and guidance on the issue, which would affect plastics manufacturers. 21 November 2008

Solutia has laid off more than 500 workers at three US plants as demand for its plastic fibre and film products has dropped. 20 November 2008

SC Teraplast, the Romanian plastic construction products maker, has relocated its PVC pipe extrusion operation to a new plant in Saratel, Romania, allowing it to double its annual pipe capacity to 22,000 tonnes. 17 November 2008

• LyondellBasell considers Chapter 11 2 January 2009
• Poor cash flow spells disaster for food packaging firm 5 January 2009
• Sartor signs preliminary agreement to buy Ineos Vinyls Italia 5 January 2009
• Dow pursues claims against Kuwait’s PIC 6 January 2009
• PET bottle maker Constar files for Chapter 11 2 January 2009

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• BASF takes drastic action and shuts 80 plants (Update) 19 November 2008
• LyondellBasell considers Chapter 11 2 January 2009
• Sabic IP cuts output of engineering plastics 6 November 2008
• Ineos seeks bank waiver as customers destock 18 November 2008
• RPC drastic action for financial security 30 September 2008

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