Poland’s ML Polyolefins (Elblag; www.mlpolyolefins.com) told Plasteurope.com that as of 25 March 2020, production and shipments are currently running at normal levels during the coronavirus pandemic that has struck Europe. The company reported that freight transport is “running smoothly” despite the temporary closure of borders within the region.

In response to customer enquiries, ML Polyolefins said it has enough stocks of raw materials to produce regrind for six months at full capacity. The only change at the moment is that there is a delay in verifying the final weight of materials delivered by contractors. In the event of a mandatory lockdown, the Polish producer said it has implemented measures that will allow it to continue running with fewer employees, but at full capacity.

The company regards itself as the largest producer of recycled polypropylene resin in Central and Eastern Europe. It produces high-quality rPP material from post-production film waste, which it says guarantees technical parameters similar to primary materials. ML Polyolefins has a monthly capacity of up to 2,000 t.

In order to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus, the Polish government announced on 24 March additional restrictions on its citizens, which will last until 11 April 2020. These include curbing gatherings and restricting groups in public to two people, while public transport and essential services remain in operation. According to the WHO, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Poland was almost 750 on 24 March.