Finnish news

The Finnish plastics processing industry withstood the crisis better than its counterparts in other countries. The 600 companies in the Finnish industry, which employ some 14,000 people, look to the future with optimism. The biggest downturn occurred in 2007 when many processing companies moved abroad and raw material producers closed. Thereafter, the worst was definitely over in 2009, according to the Finnish Plastics Industries Federation.
Even during the deepest point of the recession, many converting companies invested in new machines both to maintain high quality capacity and to improve energy efficiency, according to a voluntary agreement with the local Government. A further increase in demand is expected in the upcoming months, thanks to soaring exports, which represent a considerable share of Finnish production of plastic articles.
As for applications, half of the plastics are converted into packaging and one quarter is used for construction products.