Eeditorial
EDITORIAL
| by Paolo Spinelli
The April issue of Plast does not follow the usual format . The dramatic events triggered by the launch of Russia ’ s offensive against Ukraine on February 24 have spilled over into the plastics industry , too . We have therefore decided to include extensive coverage , and initial expert analyses , of the impact , on our sector , of the conflict and the relative sanctions . While this is , without doubt , a complex and constantly changing situation , certain considerations can already be made . Russia has always had a rather limited capacity to produce the main types of polymers , and therefore a relatively small global presence in this field . Nevertheless , the closure of these supply channels has the potential to create problems at regional level . A further aspect of this whole affair concerns “ self-sanctions ”, in other words , the decision by some companies to cease trading with Russia ; recent weeks have indeed brought a stream of announcements , by international groups in particular , of suspended industrial and commercial activities .
MOSCOW OVERSHADOWS NAIROBI
Much is being said about China ’ s role and the decisions taken by the government in Beijing . Asia could undoubtedly become an alternative outlet market for Russian production , thanks to the more accessible internal land routes , but this change of direction may not be straightforward , given Russia ’ s exclusion from the SWIFT international payment system . Logistics , already problematic following the outbreak of the pandemic two years ago , remain fraught with difficulties in terms of costs and practicability . The blockade of the Black Sea and the need to modify road routes are added sources of difficulty . These dramatic events risk overshadowing the results of the UN Environment Assembly , which was held at the beginning of March in Nairobi and is extensively covered in this issue . The highlight there was the resolution to negotiate , by 2024 , “ an international legally binding instrument ” on the management of the entire life cycle of plastics . Although we are still at the start of this process , it is crucial for sector companies , through the associations that represent them , to make sure that they do not reach this tight deadline unprepared , but instead immediately start leading the way on a journey that will likely determine their survival .
www . plastmagazine . it
Italian technology plast / April 2022
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