Councils left with mountains of cans as recycling price collapses

Factiva: "Councils have stockpiled mountains of tin cans after a collapse in the price of steel in the global economic downturn.

One in four councils has already asked for more storage capacity to cope with the problem, which has been caused by a sharp fall in the demand for recycled goods. Councils in Gloucestershire are trying to shift more than 40 tonnes of stored cans.

Printwaste, which handles waste for recycling, said that it had already reduced the quantity of cans stored at Cheltenham and Tewkesbury from 80 tonnes to 40 tonnes. But the company is now faced with moving a backlog of between 60 and 80 tonnes of cans from Gloucester City Council."

Packaging museum calls for examples of sustainable packs

packagingnews.co.uk: "The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising has appealed to the packaging sector to contribute items for inclusion in a new exhibition.

The London-based attraction is seeking samples of past, present or soon-to-be-launched products to display in its Packaging Our Sustainable Future exhibition, which will investigate how manufacturers and retailers are working to reduce the environmental impact of their products.

The exhibition, which is sponsored by Tesco, opens on 31 March"

Effect of thin film of molybdenum compounds on the corrosion of tinplate

Scopus: "Corrosion behavior of tinplates covered with the molybdenum compound film was investigated in organic acid solution. 

Specimens treated by pulsed current in the molybdate solution inhibited anodic and cathodic reactions in organic acid solution. Corrosion current densities of these specimens were lower than the specimen without treatment. Anodic or cathodic polarization, however, caused the pitting corrosion on surface of these specimens covered with molybdenum compounds."

Six questions every canmaker should ask about the financial downturn

The Canmake: "Earlier this year The Canmaker’s editorial team asked its board member and investment banker Arthur Stupay a number of questions about the possible impact of the credit crunch on the metal packaging industry and its customers, and what the best strategy could be to weather the storm as we enter 2009. (First featured in the November issue)

1. How bad could the recession be? Could it cause a worldwide depression as in the 1930s?
2. How will the feared recession affect canned products?
3. Will it affect all regions, or some more than others?
4. How will the credit crunch affect my company’s ability to get loans?
5. Will it affect companies with high debt more than others?
6. I’m already cutting costs. What else is there to do?
The answers were more positive than you'd expect."

A voltammetric approach to an estimate of metal release from tinplate promoted by ligands present in can

Scopus: "A linear sweep voltammetric (LSV) approach is proposed for achieving rapid information on metal release from tinned containers into preserved vegetables. 

Chopped tomato and pea preserves were chosen as prototypes for acid and nearly neutral canned food, respectively. Metal release in these vegetables tinned into both bare and lacquered containers was compared with that found in synthetic samples containing some organic complexing agents (acetic, ascorbic, citric, malic, oxalic, pyroglutamic acids) present in the vegetables considered, thus showing that some of these components affected markedly the metal release in bare cans"

Baosteel, CSSC Tie Hands to Cope with Economic Downtown

China Mining: "Baosteel, China's largest steel producer, has signed a partnership with China State Shipbuilding Co. (CSSC) in an effort to cooperate amid the global financial crisis.

According to the strategic cooperation agreement signed on Jan 5, the two giants will coordinate on their supply chains, technological innovation, logistics and management.

Xu Lejiang, president of Baosteel, said his company will actively assist CSSC in various businesses, such as building super oil tankers and offshore oil platforms.

Tan Zuojun, general manager of CSSC, said the cooperation could enhance their capacities amid global economic downturn.

CSSC plans to order as much as 20 percent more steel plates from Baosteel in 2009, as compared with the previous year."

Impress opens Hong Kong office

packagingnews.co.uk: "Impress, the metal packaging manufacturer, is targeting 'significant expansion' in the Asian market after setting up a representative office in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong office, which will be led by Asian business development director Robert Zanetto, has been selected for its strategic location and the former British colony's 'business orientated mind'.

Impress said the aim was to 'control and expand significantly our existing interests in Asia as well as developing new business in the region'."