ICIS - chemical podcasts

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published the August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report, which shows the latest outlook for increased corn and soybean production with corn being calculated at 15.1 billion bushels, up 47 million bushels from the July report, while soybeans are projected to be 4.6 billion bushels, up 154 million bushels.

Senior Editor Mark Milam talks to Sylvia Traganida about the report and the current trends in the US market.

Chemicals sector executives are increasingly facing up to the idea that the sector is going through a process of reinvention, with no big recovery on the horizon and a return to pre-crisis normalcy less likely. Executives are now looking at what the next steps for the sector will be.

In this Think Tank podcast, Tom Brown interviews Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting, Katherine Sale, ICIS head of editorial strategy, and Chris Barker, senior editor covering PVC and caustic soda, on impressions from the EPCA assembly.

Join Global Analyst Team Lead for Recycling Helen McGeough as she looks ahead to the 3rd ICIS Recycled Polymers Conference on 7 November in Berlin and tells Matt Tudball what she's looking forward to seeing from the diverse group of topics and presenters, including:

• Waste collection challenges and developments
• ICIS study on penetration rates of recycling in the wider virgin polymer market
• Chemical Recycling and its impact on the market
• Investment in recycling for low carbon solutions
• Prices of feedstocks impacting the recycled polymers chains

3rd ICIS Recycled Polymers Conference | Europe

Hotel Palace Berlin, Germany | Conference: 7 November Training: 6 November
You will be able to hear from out ICIS experts on the following session:

• Set the scene with ICIS: The European plastics recycling market landscape
• Panel discussion: Waste collection challenges and developments
• ICIS insight on pricing trends for plastics, mixed plastic waste and pyrolysis oil

To discover more and register you place click here > https://events.icis.com/website/11605/home/

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--With 2025 contract discussions for Asia ethylene underway at the olefins trade conference in Xiamen, China, ICIS markets editor Josh Quah outlines what’s at the top of the list of concerns for players as they look ahead to the coming year.

• Players may take steps to hedge against unpredictability of deep-sea cargoes
• China’s new capacity takes shape, but lengthy domestic supply may not yet spillover to the import-export market
• Greater interest from producers to study the feasibility of incorporating ethane as part of cracker feedstock slate

Plastics and chemical producers need to find more effective ways to tackle the problem of plastic waste after UN treaty negotiations ended without agreement at the weekend.

Consumer demand will drive improvements in plastic waste management

Chemical companies need to reconnect with brands/consumers

We will move out of the current ‘trough of despair’ about recycling

End of globalization may mean national/regional treaties are more effective

UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee concluded in Busan, South Korea, on 1 December, with no definitive agreement

Around 100 countries backed proposals, with a small number of hold-outs