Top 10 Canadian Plastics stories of 2020

It’s no surprise that COVID-19 dominated the news cycle in 2020, which is why most of our top 10 most-visited stories of the year centred around the fallout and the business impact from the pandemic, as well as the responses of several Canadian companies.

But it wasn’t all COVID-19, however: single-use plastic bans and a series of transformative changes at the Canadian Plastics Industry Association also drew large numbers of readers. And then there’s that unique beach house in Nova Scotia…

Below, from 1 to 10, are the most-visited news stories and feature articles of 2020:

1.  SPECIAL REPORT: Canada, plastics & COVID-19

Photo Credit: INetizen/Adobe Stock

More than just a humanitarian crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic caused global economic disaster, as the virus domino toppled supply chain lines and shuttered factories in China, Europe, and then worldwide. And Canada’s plastics industry wasn’t spared the effects.

2.  Scoring with a new touchless golf ball retrieval system

Developed by two tooling industry veterans in Windsor, Ont., the Mully Cup effectively eliminates the pole-golfer contact, reducing the spread of COVID-19. And it could become the new normal on the greens even after the pandemic.

3. Ontario injection molder reinvents itself making PPE

Early in the pandemic, Molded Precision Components transitioned from manufacturing gears and other parts for the automotive sector to PPE, and became busier than ever.

4. Feds banning plastic bags, straws, cutlery, and other single-use items by the end of 2021

In October, the federal government unveiled a list of single-use plastic items – including plastic grocery bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery, and food containers made from hard-to-recycle plastics – that will be out of use nationwide by the end of 2021. 

5. CIAC officially launches its new Plastics Division

In July, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association was officially dissolved, to become the Plastics Division of the Ottawa-based Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.

6. CIAC names Elena Mantagaris to lead new Plastics Division

Mantagaris, a public affairs and stakeholder relations executive, was tapped by CIAC as the new vice president who will lead the association’s Plastics Division, formerly the Canadian Plastics Industry Association.

7. New made-in-Canada “IsoBooth” can get kids back in the classroom

Developed by Ontario company Imagine Fiberglass Products, the device is designed to give kids a protected, safe, and comfortable place in the classroom without having to wear masks.

8. Will COVID-19 create a boom in factory automation?

One of the few bright spots to emerge during the COVID-19 pandemic was industrial automation, which is helping to maintain social distancing between plant floor workers. And it could trigger a lasting boom in factory robotics.

9. Unbottled potential: Nova Scotia beach house made from 620,000 recycled PET bottles

Built by construction company JD Composites, a 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom home on Nova Scotia’s South Shore has opened up a new way of turning plastic waste into eco-friendly housing.

10. Outgoing CPIA head Carol Hochu looks back

As the Canadian Plastics Industry Association prepared to merge with the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada on July 1, outgoing CPIA head Carol Hochu reflected on her time filling one of the most important jobs in our sector.