Specialty material solutions provider Trinseo has announced that it has established a tool that provides cradle-to-gate Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data.

The tool features nearly 6,000 Trinseo products, which can be accessed by customers to know the exact carbon footprint associated with a particular product.

On the other hand, LCA assess the environmental impacts of a product beyond PCF, including the use of resource, human health, ecological impacts, and more. This data the company said is crucial for understanding the environmental impact of products, allowing effective material comparison, enhancing R&D innovations, and ultimately contributing to a customer’s sustainability goals.

The Trinseo’s PCF and LCA tool follow the TfS guidelines and the latest European Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology and are compliant with the GHG Protocol and ISO standards 14040, 14044, and 14067.

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Nynas has played a pivotal role in a landmark achievement for Croatia's energy sector by supplying its advanced NYTRO BIO 300X insulating liquid. This fully renewable fluid has been used for the first time in the Croatian market to fill a 630 kVA distribution transformer. The unit, manufactured by KONČAR – Distribution & Special Transformers, was recently installed in Zagreb for HEP ODS, the national Distribution System Operator.

This collaboration marks the inaugural deployment of a ‘Green Transformer’ in Croatia, representing a significant advancement for the country's distribution network. The project underscores a unified drive towards greater sustainability and a reduced environmental footprint for critical power infrastructure. For Nynas, this milestone highlights the practical application and reliability of its bio-based product portfolio.

NYTRO BIO 300X is engineered to provide a drop-in solution that combines high oxidation stability and superior cooling performance, allowing operators to enhance their ecological standards without compromising on operational reliability or transformer longevity. The successful installation stands as a testament to how industry partnerships are actively accelerating the transition to a more sustainable energy future.

Ivanka Radić, responsible for transformer oils at KONČAR - D&ST, said, “The thermal and dielectric tests on the transformer filled with NYTRO BIO 300X were successfully completed, and the unit is now fully operational. As expected, all test results were within the required limits, confirming the reliability and stability of this innovative fluid.”

Daniele Frustagli, General Manager Italy & the Balkans at Nynas, said, “We are very proud to have been entrusted with this project by KONČAR - D&ST and HEP ODS Zagreb, allowing us to showcase to them and the entire electrical industry the advantages of this fully renewable, bio-based hydrocarbon liquid. In addition to meeting and exceeding the IEC 60296 ed. 5 (2020) specification, the product is readily biodegradable, fully bio-based and has ultra-low viscosity.”

Vanja Burul, President of the Management Board at KONČAR - D&ST, said, “This project reflects our ongoing efforts to explore more sustainable insulating fluids. We see great potential for further use of NYTRO BIO 300X in future applications.”

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Rhodia, the Latin American polyamide leader and a Solvay Group company, has unveiled a major new multi-year investment initiative for its Santo André industrial facility in São Paulo. This strategic programme, valued at BRL 100 million (USD 18.56 million approximately) and scheduled from 2025 to 2028, is designed to drive modernisation, enhance energy efficiency and foster innovation. The funds are allocated for the creation of advanced technologies and an increase in production capacity, with a particular emphasis on high-value-added products. These include smart wires and sustainable solutions that position the national industry at the global forefront.

This substantial investment underscores Rhodia's confidence in the Brazilian market's potential, which is supported by a business environment moving toward greater competitive balance. The company highlights that predictable market rules and effective trade defence measures are crucial for enabling such long-term commitments. By expanding its operations, Rhodia will not only solidify its leadership in polyamide 6.6 production but also advance the spinning processes for polyamide 6. This move is a fundamental step in securing a reliable supply chain and strengthening Brazilian sovereignty, spanning from raw chemical materials to finished part manufacturing. Ultimately, the initiative reaffirms Rhodia's enduring commitment to the national chemical and textile sectors, ensuring enhanced competitiveness and sustained value generation for the local industry.

Daniela Manique, President – Latin America, Rhodia, said, “These investments reflect our confidence in the Brazilian market and its capacity for innovation. We are prepared to offer advanced and sustainable solutions that meet the demands of the dynamic textile sector. We believe that a fair and predictable competitive environment is the main factor for growth, the preservation of skilled jobs and technological development in Brazil.”

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At the recent Reuters Events – Sustainability Europe 2025 conference in London, Birla Carbon’s President and CEO, John Loudermilk, outlined ambitious plans for the company’s circular product, Continua Sustainable Carbonaceous Material. He revealed a strategic vision to significantly expand its availability, with a target for it to eventually comprise up to 10 percent of the company’s global product portfolio. Sourced from end-of-life tyres, Continua SCM is an industrially-produced material designed to offer the same quality, consistency and technical performance as traditional carbon black.

This innovative material allows manufacturers to integrate greater sustainability and circularity into diverse applications such as tyres, plastics and coatings without sacrificing product performance. Loudermilk emphasised that accelerating this transition requires a multi-faceted approach, including supportive regulatory frameworks, deeper collaboration with tyre pyrolysis technology partners and strengthened customer engagement.

Beyond its circular offering, Birla Carbon is also progressing other sustainability initiatives. These include developing carbon black derived from bio-based feedstocks and exploring advanced carbon capture and conversion technologies. These combined efforts support the company’s overarching aspiration to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, alongside ongoing work to enhance process efficiency and resource utilisation.

Loudermilk said, “While global carbon black consumption typically grows in line with GDP, the demand for sustainable and circular products is increasing at a much faster pace. At Birla Carbon, we see an opportunity to displace up to 10 percent of the carbon black consumption in the world with circular materials like Continua™ SCM, our brand that is derived from end-of-life tyres.”

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Continental has initiated a strategic consolidation of its operations in the United States, which includes the planned closure of its Aldora Mills textile plant in Barnesville, Georgia, by the conclusion of 2026. This decision, impacting approximately 230 employees, follows an extensive review of the company's long-term competitiveness in the Americas. The facility, which produces textile reinforcement materials, including tyre cord fabric, hose yarn and knitted fabric, for exclusive use within Continental’s Tires and ContiTech group sectors, had faced persistent cost challenges for years, with shifting global market conditions ultimately making its continued operation unviable. The company's immediate priority is to provide comprehensive support to the affected staff through career counselling and local employment resources.

Despite this specific closure, Continental is reinforcing its substantial commitment to the US market through continued and significant capital investment. In the past decade alone, the company has directed around USD 1.5 billion into its American manufacturing footprint. This is evidenced by recent projects, such as a major expansion of the ContiTech plant in Mount Pleasant, Iowa and the construction of a new, company-owned tyre distribution centre in the Dallas-Fort Worth area scheduled to open in early 2026.

The company's enduring presence in the country remains robust, with a workforce of over 8,800 people spread across its Tires and ContiTech sectors. Its tyre manufacturing plants located in Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi and South Carolina possess a combined annual production capacity of more than 16 million tyres. The closure of the Aldora Mills facility is therefore presented as a necessary step to safeguard the overall health and future performance of Continental's broader operations across the Americas.

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