EU Parliament Approves Ban On Single Use Plastics

UK-based Berry bpi will break ground on a recycling facility in Leamington next month, which will produce certified FDA post-consumer recycled polypropylene for use in packaging. The new facility will not only recycle used plastics, but it will also wash, sort, and sift them to produce food-grade materials with a target purity standard of 99.9 per cent. CleanStream, Berry’s proprietary process, is a closed-loop system to mechanically process domestically recovered household waste PP back into consumer packaging. The company claims that the facility will pave the way for the future of rPP packaging using automated sorting processes, integrating online sensor technologies and machine learning algorithms to separate PP containers, tubs and trays.

Deforestation Efforts Not Making Needed Progress – The New York Declaration on Forests reports that national and global programs to prevent deforestation are falling short of their goals because of a lack of transparency. The nonprofit says, “Progress toward Goals 3 and 4 — reducing deforestation from infrastructure and extractive developments, while supporting sustainable livelihoods — is too slow to protect remaining intact forest landscapes.” Infrastructure projects account for 17% of deforestation, mainly due to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The organization argues that accountability combined with transparency is required to force economic planners to acknowledge their words and deeds are not aligned. Arctic Thaw Awakens Ancient Microorganisms – As permafrost melts in Siberia, Alaska, Canada and Iceland accelerate, humans are at risk from microbes that have remained frozen for millennia. For example, anthrax broke out in Russia after the disease was released by melting permafrost due to higher ocean temperatures. We cannot know the consequences that will come to pass, but working to prevent the thawing of Northern permafrost by restoring the climate to pre-industrial CO2 levels does offer a path to avoid the risk. Human Pollution Includes Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria – The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to human use of drugs and chemicals in medical and industrial waste is a growing threat to nature. As humans enter the third century of industrialization, the consequences of drug-resistant bacteria impact species worldwide, from Tasmanian devils and flying-fox bats to Australian sea lions. Researcher Michelle Power writes at Phys.org that “we need to use…

Nordson Corporation is to acquire NDC Technologies, a supplier of measurement and process control solutions, from Spectris. The acquisition expands Nordson’s test and inspection platform into new end markets and adjacent technologies. The all-cash transaction, subject to customary post-closing adjustments, is valued at $180 million.
“We are excited to welcome NDC Technologies’ nearly 300 employees into the Nordson family. They will bring exciting new capabilities and expertise to our test and inspection platform,” said Jeffrey Pembroke, executive vice president of Nordson Advanced Technology Solutions. “NDC’s customer-centric business model, differentiated technology and end markets make it a very Nordson-like business. This acquisition is further progress on our Nordson Ascend Strategy to achieve top-tier growth with leading margins and returns.”