Page 58 - Plastics News May 2023

IN THE NEWS

Chinaplas 2023 Sets World Record

had a definite automotive tinge to it.
This comes as no surprise given that
of the approximately four million EVs
manufactured in China in 2022, three
million were produced in Guangdong
Province
The greenest hall at Chinaplas 2023
must have been Hall 20, which nor-
mally functions as a conference and
event venue, but has nifty retractable
seating that converts the space into
an exhibition hall. It was packed with
suppliers of biodegradable and bio-
based resins and all manner of con-
hinaplas returned in its full live tendance was up 52% versus the last verted products.
Cglory to Shenzhen, Guangdong full-fledged Chinaplas in Guangzhou in Perhaps the highlight here was a piece
Province, on April 17 to 20, in what 2019, and 673% versus the COVID- of installation art, dubbed "Sustainabil-
proved to be the biggest plastics hit 2021 edition in Shenzhen. ity Resonator." This was a collabora-
industry event anywhere ever. A Speaking of cars, Chinaplas in Guang- tive project involving multidisciplinary
record-breaking exhibition area of dong Province traditionally has been artist Alex Long, Ingeo PLA biopoly-
380,000 square meters (4,090,286 an electrical-and-electronics-focused mer sponsor NatureWorks, bio-
square feet), more than 3,900 ex- show, given Southern China’s status based TPU sponsor Wanhua Chemi-
hibitors packing all 17 dedicated halls as a hotbed of manufacturing for the cal, rPET sponsor BASF, Colorful-In
plus the conference venue, and a to- likes of Apple partner Foxconn. But ABS resin sponsor Kumho-Sunny, and
tal of 248,222 show visitors, including with companies such as BYD transi- 3D-printing filament sponsors eSUN,
28,429 overseas attendees over the tioning from manufacturing cellphone Polymaker, Raise3D, North Bridge,
course of the four-day event made batteries to becoming a leading EV and Creality 3D, among others.
for packed aisles, stands, and hor- player and other newcomers emerg-
rendous end-of-day traffic jams. At- ing in the region, this year’s Chinaplas

Study shows a recycling pathway for plastics from shredded auto scrap

amount of used plastics, through a
closed-loop recycling project.
ARS, basically what's left after vehicles
are shredded and metals extracted,
has typically gone to landfills for dis-
posal. That's because the shredded
remains contain a wide variety of
materials, including different types of
resins, and can become contaminated
during the shredding process.
But, now, resin maker Eastman
Chemical Co., automotive recycler
Padnos, automotive interior supplier
Yanfeng and research and develop-
group of companies, and one re- a way to reuse automotive shredder
A search group, say they have found residue, which contains a significant ment organization U.S. Automotive
Materials Partnership LLC say they

58 PLASTICS NEWS May 2023