Extrusion International 5-2024-USA

35 Extrusion International 5/2022 Economic Analysis: Revised Employment Statistics Impact on Plastics  PLASTICS has released an offi - cial analysis of the impact of revised employment statistics and the policy implications on the plastics industry, authored by PLASTICS Chief Econo- mist, Dr. Perc Pineda. Dr. Pineda writes, “The lower em - ployment rate in manufacturing sug - gests reduced manufacturing activi - ty, which can have ripple effects both upstream and downstream. For plas- tics and rubber product manufac- turing, the preliminary employment estimate for July was 724,000, nearly matching the monthly average of 725,300 in 2021.” To read the full analysis on the PLASTICS blog page: https://www.plasticsindustry.org/ blog/revised-employment-statistics-and- the-policy-implications-on-plastics/ Dr. Perc Pineda Winner of the Plastics Industry Association Bioplastics Innovation Award  The Plastics Industry Associa- tion (PLASTICS) announced Flo - reon Technologies Ltd., as the winner of PLASTICS’ 2024 Innova - tion in Bioplastics Award. The an - nouncement came as part of PLAS- TICS’ ninth annual „Bioplastics Week“ event. Floreon Technologies received the award for their „Floreon Therma-Tech“ product, a UL94V-0 rated, halogen-free fire-resistant PLA-based compound. The prod- uct offers the performance of sty- renic polymers but with a renew- able feedstock and low carbon footprint. Patrick Krieger, PLASTICS’ Vice President of Sustainability con- gratulated Floreon Technologies Ltd., saying, “Innovation is about providing people with more op - tions, not less. Floreon Therma- Tech offers companies that want to use biobased materials in du- rable applications, like building and construction, with sustainable attributes from beginning to end of life.”"2024 is our year – we've scaled up three products: Floreon Therma-Tech, Dura-Tech and Bio- Tech, brought new talent onboard and successfully launched our first commercial application. Being rec - ognized by our peers in the bio - plastics space highlights that the industry shares our excitement for the technology's far-reaching potential,” says Sandrine Garnier, CEO of Floreon. "Winning this award is testament to the relent- less innovation and commitment of the entire Floreon team and the significance of the breakthrough we've made in developing a plant- based, halogen-free, flame re - tardant, recyclable bioplastic for high-performance engineering end-uses." According to Floreon Technolo - gies, Floreon Therma-Tech is de - veloped for applications requiring a sustainable alternative to oil- based plastic requiring fire resis - tance. Its durability is comparable to flame retarded ABS. With Flore - on Therma-Tech there is no loss of function or performance but with a gain of a lower carbon footprint of up to seven times. The submission window for the 2025 Innovation in Bioplastics Award will open in May 2025 and interested PLASTICS member com- panies can submit their innova- tions for consideration here. Floreon has been pioneering plant-based plastics since 2011 with a mission to harness a solu- tion that performed in the same way as oil-based plastics but with sustainable end-of-life options. Floreon has advanced research and development in this area by making renewable compounds that avoid 'downcycling' and can be used for exceptionally demand- ing engineering applications. Flo - reon bio-based technology results in a carbon footprint that is seven times lower than traditional oil- based derivatives. It enables end- user manufacturers to drive down Scope 2 and 3 emissions due to less energy intensive operations – re - ducing processing temperatures by up to 40 ° . www.floreon.com www.plasticsindustry.org www.smart-extrusion.com