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Latest industry news:
June 2011
From December this year the European Commission is banning the carcinogenic metal Cadmium from plastics and jewellery products.
The Commission says that the transition metal is toxic to the aquatic environment and will protect consumers as well as the environment. Cadium is used as a stabiliser in the creation of PVC and other plastics.
'The new rules are exactly what we asked for,' says Helmuth Leitner, director of the European Council for Vinyl Manufacturers. 'We have shown the Commission studies demonstrating that the migration potential of cadmium in recyclate is almost zero.'
"As PVC is a valuable material that can be recovered a number of times, the new legislation allows the re-use of recovered PVC containing low levels of cadmium in a limited number of construction products, without danger for the public or environment," the commission said in a statement.
May 2011
The European Union has started a consultation on how best to reduce the use and environmental impact of plastic bags.
According to EU research, the average EU citizen consumes approximately 500 plastic bags a year and most of them are used only once.
EU Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potočnik has asked the public to offer ideas to cut the impact of the bags.
"We use [plastic bags] for a few minutes and they pollute our environment for decades. That’s why we are looking at all the options, including a Europe-wide ban on plastic carrier bags - we need the views of as many people as possible to complement our scientific analyses and help drive policy on this issue, which is suffocating our environment."
The plastics industry will be keeping a close eye on this consultation, as any taxation or ban is likely to significantly affect many manufacturers bottom lines in what are already challenging times.
In under a weeks time (May 18th and 19th 2011) the Plastics Design and Moulding (PDM) exhibition and conference will open its doors at ExCel London in the heart of the Docklands.
Leon Knell will be attending the event to represent Plastech – if you’d like to book a meeting to discuss your insurance needs with Leon whilst you’re at PDM just drop him an email.
The event sees over 85 exhibitors from the plastics, polymer and injection moulding industries displaying their latest products, techniques and services, and is the first time the exhibition has taken place in London after being based at the Telford International Centre for the past few years.
April 2011
As the country goes a bit "Royal Wedding crazy", Lego have jumped on the bandwagon by creating a plastic recreation of the event.
The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester has a replica of Westminster Abbey, made of 180,000 plastic bricks that took eight weeks to build. The congregation of over 400 plastic figurines will be unveiled on Thursday 28th April, the day before the Royal Wedding.
The British Plastics Federation's Recycling Group (BPFRG) has suggested that it has concerns over the amount of used plastics being exported to foreign countries, when demand for plastics recyclate is increasing throughout the UK plastics industry.
With rising oil costs meaning raw materials are costing more, many manufacturers are turning to recycled plastics for their products. However, with it being estimated that Chinese landfill costs around 5% of that in the UK, many local authorities are choosing to send their waste abroad rather than investing in reclamation facilities.
BPFRG chairman, Roger Baynham commented: "The manufacturing industry in the UK is bouncing back from the recession and increasing its demand for raw materials. Central to this is a heightened consciousness of sustainability."
Plastech have been providing insurance and risk management to the Plastics and Rubber Industry since 1996, from Injection Moulders to Recyclers, and as such understand the industry better than most. Drop us a line to see what we can do for you on 020 8274 6537.
Much of the plastics industry has welcomed the changes introduced by George Osborne in the new budget announced at end of March 2011.
Amongst the new initiatives announced by the Chancellor, the plastics industry will be particularly pleased with:
- The increase in funding for 80,000 more apprenticeship places to meet the UK’s skilled labour needs;
- More Government assistance for export promotion and export credits;
- Corporation tax cut by 2% in April not 1% as previously announced.
- A substantial improvement of up to 200% in the R&D credits for smaller companies to stimulate innovation;
- Along with these, the reduction in fuel duty will also help ease rising transportation costs.
Peter Davis, the director-general of the British Plastics Federation (BPF), commented: "There is much to welcome here, which will assist plastics manufacturing to grow. The BPF has a Climate Change Agreement with the Government. We welcome the extension of [the agreement] till 2023 but it is important that our large scheme continues to deliver energy reduction."
March 2011
What is ELTO?
The Employers liability Tracing Office (ELTO) has been established to solve the problem of being unable to identify the insurers of companies for whom a claimant has worked for the with the aim of giving claimants and their representatives quick and easy access to an Employers’ Liability Database (ELD)
The ELD can be accessed by claimants, insurance companies, brokers, ELTO and solicitors acting on behalf of individuals who have been injured or developed a disease in the work place. Strict security is in place to prevent unauthorized access and to ensure the database is only used for legitimate purposes, in accordance with the data protection legislation.
ELTO is a proactive initiative to ensure that claimants receive the support they require from insurers in an open and transparent way.
What will ELTO mean for you?
From April 2011 ELTO will EXPECT the following types of EL policy data to be supplied:
Information required from now on is as follows:
- Insured name/Trading name
- Cover start and end dates
- Insured address and postcode
- Employer reference number
All of the above for each subsidiary companies that may be covered by the EL policy.
In addition:
- Your Employers Reference Number or Employers PAYE reference
For more information visit the official ELTO website
February 2011
We are proud to announce that we have been awarded with the best companies 'one to watch' accreditation. The Accreditation has been established to acknowledge excellence in the workplace and focus on workplace engagement as an integral component of an organisations success and growth.
Read more about the best Company Accreditation.
July 2010
Recent trade press has revealed that the cost of raw materials such as polystyrene and polypropylene have increased by as much as 40% and is therefore slowing down the recovery of the plastic processors industry.
Our Plastech policy includes a polymer fluctuation clause which means that if you suffer a loss of materials and the price has soared since the original purchase of the stock, our policy would settle for full reinstatement of the goods at today's cost of replacement - most insurers do not offer terms on this basis - hence the need to work with specialist insurers/brokers in the Plastic Industry.
Plastics manufacturers who win large contracts could expose themselves to potential gaps in cover if their insurer is not kept informed regarding the increased sum insured. With the 2012 Olympics fast approaching contracts for masterbatch products amongst others are being awarded and so it is imperative that client's review their sums at risk on a regular basis
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