Don Loepp

3 days ago | plasticsnews.com | Don Loepp

In today’s special Plastics News Live, Editor Don Loepp sat down with Thomas Franken, director of K at Messe Düsseldorf, to preview what’s ahead for K 2025 — the global plastics and rubber trade fair set for Oct. 8–15 in Düsseldorf, Germany. (see video below)The session highlighted this year's central themes: “The Power of Plastics! Green – Smart – Responsible,” focusing on shaping the circular economy, embracing digitalization and caring about people.

4 days ago | plasticsnews.com | Don Loepp |Bill Wood

Plastics industry economist Bill Wood doesn’t foresee a recession, but he warns that slowing growth, weak performance in key sectors and an unprecedented confluence of global and domestic factors make this one of the most difficult economic environments to interpret in decades. Recording below. “This is the fulcrum of the moment,” Wood said in the June Numbers That Matter editorial livestream.

5 days ago | plasticsnews.com | Don Loepp |Frank Esposito

In the latest Polymer Points Live, senior reporter Frank Esposito explains that while most resin prices remained flat in May and are expected to stay stable in June, polypropylene could see a price increase. The potential hike is driven by unexpected outages at three of the four U.S. PDH units and a slight uptick in demand.

1 week ago | plasticsnews.com | Don Loepp |Frank Esposito

While most commodity resin prices stayed flat in May — and are likely to hold steady in June — polypropylene might be the one to watch. In the latest Polymer Points Live, Plastics News senior reporter Frank Esposito broke down the current state of the resin market. (SEE VIDEO BELOW)The big takeaway? May was a relatively quiet month for pricing. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene didn’t budge.

1 week ago | plasticsnews.com | Don Loepp |Bridget Janis

Recycled HDPE markets are seeing a slight downward shift driven by improving inventory and reduced demand from sectors like home construction, according to staff reporter Bridget Janis. Sources contacted by Janis expected seasonal increases, but current supply levels are easing the pressure. For the rest of 2025, Janis expects prices to hold steady as tariffs to make markets uncertain. Plastics News offers resin price data downloads and our rankings to its All-Access subscribers.