Polylactic Acid (PLA) is often treated as the default success story of the bioplastics transition. Yet, when examined through a life cycle lens, its sustainability credentials are far more conditional than commonly assumed. Before diving deeper, let's first look at its origin and market reach. Also, learn about the latest announcement of second phase of single use plastic ban by the UAE w.e.f Jan 1, 2026 and its significance for PLA and other bioplastics.

Explore why the US launches ‘Pax Silica’ a strategic critical tech & minerals coalition. Discover its implications and future impacts and what is India's position in this regard.

New from Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi): Clear-cut net-zero pathways for the global chemicals industry  The newly published SBTi Chemical Sector Pathways and Implementation Criteria  gives chemical companies a long-overdue, practical roadmap to slash greenhouse gases. Figure : Caprolactam plant , © Adobe Stock – Aleksei Why this matters? The chemicals sector underpins almost every manufactured product, starting from building materials to fertilizers, electronics to p

The Simandou project (Guinea, West Africa), one of the largest untapped iron ore reserves in the world, has the potential to alter the balance of power in the iron ore market, which has been dominated by a few key players for decades. The introduction of Simandou's ore into the market could create ripple effects in the steel production costs, thereby influencing pricing strategies and potentially making steel more accessible to emerging markets.

Taiwan’s revised Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) rules around installation of floating and on-ground solar PV projects stand out as a critical example of how a country can respond to the dual pressures of meeting global ambitions for renewable energy deployment and the necessity of maintaining environmental safeguards that are aligned with national commitments.

For over a century, benzene has been the foundation block of modern chemistry — a molecule that enabled everything from plastics and pharmaceuticals to fuels and detergents. Yet, it’s also among the most controversial, carcinogenic substances in industrial use today. Despite decades of reform and substitution efforts, benzene and its derivatives remain deeply entrenched in the global value chain. Their persistence tells an uncomfortable truth: industrial dependency rarely dis