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You can now breathe a sigh of relief when you reach for that hot cup lid for your morning coffee. Eco-Products, along with a few other companies that offer compostable packaging products, is releasing the first commercially available compostable hot cup lid in North America this month.
The lid will fit around your hot paper cups of 10, 12, 16, 20 and 24 ounces and can endure up to 220 degree heat. Made from Ingeo biopolymer from NatureWorks LLC, the lid is designed to breakdown within 90 to 120 days in a commercial compost facility. In keep with the company’s commitment to zero waste, the breakthrough is a step towards the first fully renewable hot cup and lid system.
Eco-Products' compostable hot cup lid is designed to breakdown within 90 to 120 days in a commercial compost facility. Photo: Treehugger.com
Eco-Products has submitted the lid to the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), which certified StalkMarket Products’ compostable Ingeo hot cup and lid system earlier this year. Other companies are taking on the compostable packaging challenge as well. Gingerbread Folk, Twinings, KFC and Haigh’s Chocolates recently switched to compostable food packaging.
Solo Cup Company is another notable food packaging company that has committed itself to higher eco-standards. As a part of its partnership with Keep America Beautiful and its Great American Cleanup, Solo will donate its products and educate consumers on how to utilize single-use foodservice products while keeping the Earth in mind.
Traditional hot cup lids and the plastic liner used to coat the paperboard of the cups are made from oil, a nonrenewable resource. According to its site, Eco-Products’ new hot beverage system is made from plant starch material, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with oil consumption. According to Jim Hobbs, director of sales for NatureWorks LLC, this innovation is a great start to reducing America’s dependency on oil.
“NatureWorks is excited about this latest innovation in food service,” Hobbs states. “The new Eco- Products hot cup lid will offer the performance that consumers have come to expect from traditional petroleum based lids yet provide the environmental benefits of GHG (greenhouse gas) reductions and a decline in our dependency on foreign oil.”


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It looks like Americans will have to put their European travel plans on a temporary hold.
Europe will be opening up to tourists next month but it seems Americans are not included. On June 26, EU officials announced citizens from countries with a high number of active COVID-19 cases such as the United States and Brazil would not be allowed to enter once the EU opens its borders on July 1.
On Wednesday, Europe will open its borders to 18 countries including: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, Andorra, San Marino, Monaco and the Vatican. However, not on the list are Brazil, Russia, and the US.
In a set of guidelines for reopening released earlier in June, the European Commission stated that “the restriction should be lifted for countries selected together by Member States, based on a set of principles and objective criteria including the health situation, the ability to apply containment measures during travel, and reciprocity considerations, taking into account data from relevant sources such as ECDC and WHO.”
“We are aware of media reports that the EU may bar travelers from the United States this summer. WE CANNOT CONFIRM THESE REPORTS. When the Greek government makes an official and confirmed announcement regarding travel restrictions effective July 1, we will update this page. We cannot answer questions regarding travel to Greece by U.S. citizens on or after July 1 at this time.”
But not all is lost! Other countries like the Dominican Republic are also opening to tourists on July 1 and Americans will be welcomed, so there’s still hope for your summer travel plans.

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Privacy concerns, data breaches, cyberbullying and legislative hearings were all part of last year’s social media fabric and will remain important issues and events in 2020. While some things remained the same, change was also afoot. For example, it’s unusual for a brand- new social site to explode in popularity during its fledgling existence. TikTok’s rate of participation rose exponentially last year, particularly with younger generations. At the same time, however, the U.S. Army banned its soldiers from using the Chinese-owned platform citing potential security risks. An Instagram account named “World Record Egg” (@world_record_egg) garnered more than seven million followers, and a short video it published earned more than eight million likes: an Instagram record.
What could possibly be next?
Unfortunately, we can still expect more data breaches and controversies surrounding privacy concerns. Social media sites are taking steps to prevent and combat cyberbullying, but the platforms are massive in scope, and progress is slow. And it isn’t outside the realm of possibilities that additional hearings will be convened after the next big data breach or scandal is revealed.
As the sun sets on 2019, we turn our focus to the year ahead: which trends will we see in social media? Following are some you can expect to encounter this year:
- Video = Social Success: The importance of video in social media will only continue to grow in adoption and in terms of “bells and whistles.” Dynamic video-centric posts will outnumber its static post counterparts, and social media platforms will continue to build features and proprietary revenue-generating tools for prospective advertisers.
To support the demand for video, Twitter just announced that it has launched a new takeover ad product called “Promoted Trend Spotlight.” These video ads will be placed on the site’s “Explore” tab, where users view both trending topics and hashtags. According to Twitter’s website, the product can accommodate six-second videos and GIFs (and static images too). This new product is now available in the U.S., the U.K. and Japan, and will expand to 12 additional markets in the near term. This 2020 trend will empower social media marketers to create trends of their own!
We’ll reveal more predictions in our next post!


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Nigerians clearly love the luxe things of life.
The Wall Street Journal, yesterday Tuesday, released a review profiling what Africans especially in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana spend their disposable income on.
And what’s the first thing they buy? Find out below.
Although the demands vary in these countries, one thing is for sure, Nigerians, Ghanaians and Kenyans go for quality brands.
A chief investment officer at Voltan Capital Management, New York, Alison Graham says “People think if you sell something in Africa it has to be cheap. A lot of it kind of ends up being junk, and there’s no such thing as a refund policy in Africa.”
On the table listed above, it can been seen that in all three countries clothing, footwear and accessories, is priority for citizens.
Kenya leads the pack with 56%, Ghana follows with 50%, and Nigeria comes in third with 43%.
When it comes to health care, Nigeria has 0% while Kenya has a whopping 41% and Ghana -12%.
Apart from fashion, luxury cars, mobile electronics, and beauty top the list.
|Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.|


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With Hyundai Motor Co.'s Icarus-like rise and fall in the American market in the late 1980s as the model, it seemed likely that Korean automakers would forever be relegated to the role of producing cheap cars for customers that no other automakers wanted.
Look again. The Koreans have become a half-a-million vehicle force in the American market on the basis of new vehicles, improved styling and improving quality.
No longer does Hyundai sell only bottom-rung Accents. It has a $25,000 sedan going toe-to-toe with the Toyota Camry and Nissan Maxima, as well as a Santa Fe sport-utility that is winning consumer surveys. Both the Elantra and Sonata have been moved slightly upmarket.
Kia Motors Corp., which was on the verge of being liquidated only three years ago, has found strength since being acquired by Hyundai in 1998. Last year's spate of new products is followed by a minivan that should give the big players pause. It looks as if it could have been styled by Ford.
In contrast, the future of insolvent Daewoo Motor is far from bright. Depending on whether General Motors buys Daewoo, some vehicles in Daewoo's U.S. lineup could disappear, as could the North American distribution channel itself.
In the meantime, Daewoo is on life-support, and product development expenses have been slashed to the bone.
Here's a rundown on what the Korean automakers plan for the U.S. market for the 2002-2005 model years.
Lanos and Nubira: With development funds all but frozen, changes in the next several years likely will be limited to fascia tweaks and color changes.
Leganza: Daewoo's top-of-the-line sedan will be dropped at the end of the 2002 model year to make way for the Magnus.
Magnus: The Leganza replacement will be larger and equipped with a 180-hp 2.5-liter inline six-cylinder engine. A $20,000 price tag is projected for the top-of-the-line model. Production starts in June 2002, with U.S. sales expected to begin around September 2002.
Rezzo: This five-seat mini-minivan already is on sale in Korea, but a U.S. launch is not scheduled until October 2002. The base engine likely will be a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Daewoo is conducting an Internet contest to name the vehicle for the U.S. market.
Korando and Musso: These Ssang-yong sport-utilities have been promised to Daewoo's American dealers. But Daewoo no longer controls Ssangyong, so their arrival here is not certain.
Accent: The subcompact gets a fascia change this fall that does not appeal to Hyundai's U.S. executives. A full redesign debuts for the 2005 model year.
Elantra: The car was redesigned last fall, so a redesign is unlikely until the 2006 model year.
Tiburon: The redesigned 2002 Tiburon bows at the Frankfurt auto show in September. A side view resembles a Korean version of a Ford Mustang with a bit of a Mercury Cougar tossed in. The new generation will get some real performance with the addition of a 2.7-liter V-6. The base powerplant is a 2.2-liter inline, four-cylinder engine. A convertible version is under study as a 2+2 or a two-seater.
Sonata: The redesigned 2002 Sonata will share a platform with the Kia Optima. Although a 2.7-liter V-6 will be the first upscale engine over the base four-banger, expect a quick bump to a 3.0-liter V-6 within the year.XG 300: The big sedan was introduced last fall, so a redesign is not planned for several years. However, a larger engine is likely.
Equus: With a 111-inch wheelbase and 199-inch overall length, Hyundai's home-market limousine is not your typical Korean car. The Equus is available in Korea with a 220-hp V-6 and a 280-hp V-8. Hyundai wants to export the Equus here, but executives in the United States say this market is not ready for a $35,000-plus front-wheel-drive Hyundai. Don't expect it.
La Vita: There are conflicting reports about whether this mini-minivan will be sold in the United States. The company denies it, but other sources say fall 2002 is the target date for arrival. Components come from the Elantra and Sonata.
Santa Fe: Hyundai's successful sport wagon was introduced last fall. A redesign may come for the 2006 model year.
Terracan: Again, there are conflicting reports about the possibility of the Europe-market sport wagon coming to the United States.
Rio: Kia's subcompact sedan was introduced last year; a five-door arrived this summer. No changes are expected for the next four years.
redesign is slated for the 2006 model year, when it will share a platform with the Hyundai Elantra.
Spectra: The five-door hatchback is built off the Sephia platform and was introduced last year. No major changes are expected until the 2006 model year at the earliest.
Optima: This mid-sized Kia sedan shares a platform with the Hyundai Sonata and was introduced last year. A larger engine may be added in the 2004 or 2005 model year.
Sedona: Call it the shot fired across the bow of the U.S. minivan market.
With a standard 195-hp, 3.5-liter V-6, five-speed automatic transmission, dual sliding doors, power locks and windows, and a starting price of under $20,000, this seven-seat people hauler may shake up things. And it looks American: Some of the styling cues are borrowed from the Ford Windstar.
Sportage: Kia's 7-year-old sport-utility must wait until fall 2002 for a redesign.
Compact SUV: Kia next fall will launch a truck-based sport-utility about the size of the Toyota 4Runner. Code-named "BL," it will be powered by the 3.5-liter V-6 used in the Sedona. Although the styling of the lower half of the truck will be edgy and muscular, the greenhouse will be patterned after the Lexus RX 300.
Pickup: Kia still hopes to introduce a small pickup in the 2004 model year. But Kia officials have said the business case for the truck depends on either of two conditions being met: an end to the so-called chicken tax, a U.S. tariff on imported pickups, or North American production, which would get around the tax. The truck would use the same platform as the sport-utility.


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4 min read.Updated: 11 Feb 2020, 06:21 AM ISTSalman S.H.
Uber India has formed several partnerships with mobility firms to bring new vehicles on its platform
Uber has avoided owning vehicles and the new sourcing model will help it avoid asset management costs
Bengaluru: Ride hailing firm Uber is planning to offer self-driving car rentals and shuttle bus services in India to trump key rival Ola, three people aware of its plans said.
The move is part of the San Francisco-based company’s plans to expand its core mobility business in India with new products and partnerships, after exiting the food delivery business. The company has already formed a team for the foray into self-drive rentals and shuttle buses, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.
Uber India has formed several partnerships and taken strategic initiatives with mobility firms including Drivezy, Zoomcar, Bounce and Revv to bring new vehicles on its platform, according to one of the three people.
“In Bengaluru and many other cities, Uber has started partnering with middlemen such as tours and travel operators and mobility platforms like Drivezy, Zoomcar and Revv, who can arrange taxis on a rental basis for Uber," said the person. Under this model, the Uber driver approaches Drivezy or Zoomcar, from which a vehicle is leased for 5-30 days.
Under this model, Uber does not pay the driver directly. “The platform (Zoomcar, Drivezy, Revv) earns revenue for each completed trip and pays off the Uber driver’s salary directly instead of Uber settling the pay," said the person.
The Uber team will work to bring self-driving four-wheelers from these platforms directly on to the Uber app for rentals, this person added. Ola has a four-wheeler rental product since October 2019.
Globally, Uber has avoided owning vehicles and the new sourcing model will help it avoid asset management costs. The company shut its cab-leasing subsidiary, Xchange Leasing, in 2017 due to high costs. The leasing unit partnered with manufacturers and financial institutions to co-lease vehicles to Uber drivers. Rival Ola continues to operate a leasing business, which suffered a loss of ₹162.3 crore in FY19, up 91% from the previous year.
According to the second person cited earlier, the company is planning to expand its shuttle services. “Uber has already done a pilot and plans to launch the full (shuttle) service sometime during the year in one or more cities. The plan is to offer high-capacity vehicles that can seat anywhere between 12 and 25 commuters," said the person.
An Uber India spokesperson said the company is constantly evaluating new business models. “We have recently experimented with car rental companies so that drivers and fleet partners could access these vehicles," the spokesperson said in response to Mint’s queries.
Uber ventured into the shuttle service business in Cairo in December 2018, allowing users to reserve bus seats. Since then, it has begun offering these services in several cities in West Asia and Latin America. However, entering the four-wheeler self-driving rental market will be its first anywhere.
Uber’s shuttle service will take on existing players such as Amazon-backed Shuttl, which has raised over $70 million, and operates in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad. In February 2019, Essel Group-backed bus aggregator ZipGo had suspended its services in several cities and laid off around 60 employees after raising over $40 million.
In January, Uber India sold its food delivery business to Zomato for a reported $350 million. The transaction involved the ride-hailing firm taking a 10% stake in Zomato’s India business. Zomato and Swiggy are locked in an expensive battle where both firms continue to burn money in discounts, and Uber decided to opt out. Its US parent, Uber Technologies, is still recovering from a disappointing initial public offering in 2019, which has piled pressure on chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi to cut costs.
India has witnessed a surge in funding activity in the two-wheeler rental segment largely led by startups such as Bounce, Vogo and Yulu, which have secured an aggregate funding of $400 million.
In May, Uber announced a pilot with an electric scooter sharing platform Yulu in Bengaluru. Mint had earlier reported on Uber’s plans to integrate bike rental startup Bounce’s vehicles on to its platform. In the US, Uber lists Jump and Lime electric bikes in cities such as Atlanta, San Diego and California. In April 2018, Uber acquired Jump for a reported $100 million, after piloting the service in San Francisco in January that year.
“The barrier to entry in two-wheeler rentals is high in India," said the founder of a company in the two-wheeler rental space, asking not to be named. “There is a state-level licence for which you have to spend ₹3-4 lakh in fees for each state you want to enter and also spend money complying with the central government’s additional regulations under the Motor Vehicles Act. The acquisition-led strategy decreases financial liability for Uber, when compared to investing in assets directly."
The ride-hailing market in India is expected to touch $43 billion with an estimated 4.2 million vehicles plying on the roads by 2025, estimates from market research firm Frost and Sullivan showed. Currently, there are around 2 million vehicles in the ride-hailing segment in India that is largely dominated by Ola and Uber, according to Frost and Sullivan’s estimates.
Uber posted a $1.1 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2019, a 24% increase from the year earlier, largely led by losses incurred in the UberEats food delivery segment. Uber’s total revenue almost tripled to $4.1 billion during the same period.
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The Sierra Club and other environmental groups filed a petition for review of the Trump Administration’s decision to unlawfully delay an Obama rule that increased penalties for automakers that don’t meet the fuel economy standards. Last year, to account for inflation, the Obama Administration, under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration increased the penalty rate from $5.50 to $14 per tenth of a mile per gallon, as required by Congress under the Inflation Adjustment Act. The transportation sector is now the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. With lower fines, automakers can easily manufacture cars with lower fuel efficiency by simply paying a small fine; higher penalties, on the other hand, encourage compliance with more stringent fuel economy standards, which in turn helps decrease carbon and conventional air pollution. At the same time they are trying to lower penalties, the Trump Administration is trying to roll back the tailpipe emissions standards.
“We are going to Court against automakers trying to cheat the system to pollute more into our air. We need higher fines for automakers that do not comply with the law because it puts people’s health at risk. These standards are important because New Jersey has some of the worst air quality in the nation, with most of the pollution coming from automobiles. If vehicles have better fuel economy, it will not only reduce air pollution, but help people save people money on gas, while promoting jobs and a green economy. This is part of the Trump Administration’s rollback of environmental protections to take care of Big Oil and automakers,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “It is ironic that while we are going into National Electric Vehicle Week, we have to go to Court against Trump’s attack on our lungs. What makes this even worse is that we are seeing Hurricanes like Harvey and Irma devastate communities because of the increasing threat of climate change. The more we move toward cleaner vehicles, the less we are held hostage to severe storms because they release less greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate impacts.”
In March, President Trump announced his plan to rollback federal regulations on pollution and climate change. His orders re-opened a formal review to rollback the tailpipe regulations under the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standard set by the Obama Administration. The tailpipe pollution regulations were among President Obama’s major initiatives to reduce global warming. They would have forced automakers to build passenger cars that achieve an average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, compared with about 36 miles per gallon today. Eventually achieving those targets would have drastically reduced the nation’s vehicle tailpipe pollution, which accounts for about a third of the United States’ total greenhouse gas emissions.
“What Trump is doing is taking the side of the oil industry and some in the car industry who rather make more profits selling giant SUVs than fuel efficient cars. By not holding them accountable to increasing fuel efficiency, there are really no rules in place. First he rolled back fuel efficiency standards and now he is suspending higher fines to make it easier to pollute more air. Both these threats are a double threat because the emissions coming out of our tailpipes will be dirtier and auto makers won’t have any incentive to make electric and hybrid vehicles. By rolling back emissions standards and eliminating fines, it will mean we will spend more money at the pump because vehicles are less fuel efficient, it will require us to buy more gasoline. This will then raise the price which be a double whammy on our wallets,” said Jeff Tittel.
In 2016, U.S. EV sales rose 37 percent over 2015, with well over half a million Americans now driving plug-in cars. According to the American Lung Association, every year, pollution from passenger vehicles collectively costs the 10 ZEV states about $24 billion in health, including 220,000 lost work days, 109,000 asthma exacerbations, hundreds of thousands of other respiratory health impacts, and 2,580 premature deaths. In New Jersey, the Zero Electric Vehicle (ZEV) program saves our state $4.6 billion in health care costs associated with smog and soot pollution caused by passenger vehicles.
“Now with National Electric Vehicle Week coming next week, we should be driving New Jersey forward with more electric vehicles. Electric vehicles not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars, but can help stop future drilling, pipelines, and oil bomb trains,” said Jeff Tittel. “We need charging stations at every corner of the New Jersey because it will actually help reduce pollution. Instead, the Christie Administration has driven us in the wrong direction. Our Governor has refused to join the EV compact and failed to pass legislation to promote EVs and their infrastructure. The electric vehicle compact would helped put 3.3 million electric vehicles on the road. The eight states will enjoy the creation of thousands of jobs, provide infrastructure around the states for EVs, and allow them to leaders in EV technology. New Jersey is clearly missing out on all of these benefits so we need the next Governor to take the lead on electric vehichles.”
Each year, American passenger vehicles spew upwards of three trillion tons of carbon pollution into the air by burning about 121 billion gallons of gasoline. A fully electric vehicle uses electricity to power a battery. This means no gasoline, no dirty oil changes, and no internal combustion engine. Thanks to federal, state and industry rebates and tax credits, decreasing prices in EV technology, and the much cheaper price of electricity vs. gasoline, the cost of owning and operating an electric vehicle is now notably lower than that of many conventional vehicles. There are currently more than 20 fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles available at US dealerships.
“Trump is siding with Ford and GMC to move us backwards, which threatens our health and environment. Without these fines, auto makers won’t have any incentive to make electric and hybrid vehicles. Instead of embracing the future of clean cars like plugins whose sales have tripled and are getting cheaper, Trump is preventing economic growth and green jobs,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Trump’s actions are clearly an attack on electric vehicles so some companies in the auto industry can continue to sell gas guzzlers like the GMC Denali and the Ford Expedition. That is why we are fighting back so we can move forward with clean car technology and fuel efficiency.”
The New Jersey Sierra Club is organizing three National Electric Vehicle Week Events this year in Trenton, Atlantic City, and Andover. For more information, please contact Toni Granato at email@example.com.


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See the ULTA Black Friday 2019 ad at. Find the best 2019 ULTA Black Friday deals and sales. Follow all of the breakingads and news. Our Black Friday Beauty Busters have ended, but there are so many ways you can shop the holidays at Ulta Beauty in store and online. With Cyber Monday and Dashing to the Sale just around the corner, crossing off all the names on your gift list has never been easier.
19/11/2018 · Ulta Beauty's Black Friday ad has great deals on makeup, skincare, and fragrance. For beauty fans, Ulta Beauty's Black Friday sale is one of the most anticipated of the holiday season with deals on makeup, skincare, haircare and fragrance. 19/11/2018 · Black Friday is Nov. 23. Ulta Black Friday deals, 2018. Ulta has unveiled its 12-page 2018 Black Friday ad! The beauty supply chain is slashing prices on styling tools, makeup, skincare and more. Shoppers will find a few exclusive offers in the mix, too. The sale kicks off online on Thanksgiving at 5 p.m. Central time. 19/11/2018 · Check out Ulta Black Friday Deals- https:. ULTA & SEPHORA BLACK FRIDAY 2018! SALE INFORMATION - Duration: 24:35. Andréa Matillano 82,264 views. 24:35. Tumbler Tutorial - Beginners ModPodge and.
Browse the complete ULTA Black Friday Ad for 2019 including store hours and a complete listing of deals. Ulta Beauty is also offering $10 off qualifying purchases of $60 or more, a free 18-piece beauty bag with purchases of $65 or more, and a $20 eReward to customers who spend $100 or more on Ulta gift cards. Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be here before we know it, but Ulta Beauty isn't waiting to begin its holiday sales. Ad Scan: The 2019 Black Friday ad was posted on November 24, 2019, which is much later than usual. Sale Start Date/Time: The ULTA sale will begin at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, and hours will vary depending on your location, so we recommend contracting your local store. Complete coverage of Ulta Black Friday 2020 Ad & Ulta Black Friday deals info.
ULTA Black Friday Ad for 2019 is here, and it's got some seriously doorbusting deals this year! With 3 pages of this season's most in-demand products from trendy. 19/11/2018 · Ulta’s Black Friday 2018 sale will begin at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving day Nov. 22 and go until 2 a.m. on Nov. 23. Then, most Ulta stores will close for four hours and re-open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on actual Black Friday. The savings will continue through Saturday. Like most retailers, Ulta Beauty is starting its Black Friday sale a day early on Thursday. The deals start at 5 p.m. online and 6 p.m. in stores. From half-price palettes to hair dryers, here are some of this year's best Ulta Black Friday deals. 14/11/2018 · Ulta is making our beauty dreams come true with a Cyber Fundays sale that will unleash over 100 offers from top brands, all before Black Friday madness begins.
20/11/2018 · The best Black Friday 2018 beauty deals available now. Ulta Ulta’s big sale kicks off with small gifts under $10 and $15 and sampler gift sets, which offer your giftee—or you—a chance to try products before committing to a full-size purchase. 20/11/2018 · Check out Ulta’s Black Friday 2018 sale: bit.ly/BlackFridayUlta Check out Sephora’s Black Friday 2018 sale, they added a bunch of new products: http.
19/11/2018 · Ulta's Black Friday 2018 Sales Will Let You Overhaul Your Vanity For Cheap. By Stephanie Montes. Nov 19, 2018. I remember my very first time shopping Black Friday sales: I was 18, and I dragged my boyfriend now husband, Jerry to the mall with me at midnight after Thanksgiving. ULTA Beauty Black Friday 2019. 151 likes. Check out the ULTA Beauty Black Friday 2018 Ad Scan, Deals and Sales here. We post all the leaked ULTA Beauty.
ULTA Black Friday 2018 Sales. Pamper yourself at the ULTA Black Friday sale. Save on makeup, skincare products, fragrances, and all the best bath and body products, and get plenty of free gifts, too. Don't miss these fabulous deals on all the best name brands. 13/11/2018 · With Black Friday quickly approaching, it would almost seem silly for a retailer to launch another sale before the biggest shopping day of the year. But that's exactly what one beauty behemoth has done. Ulta's Cyber Fundays Sale has just been announced and after some thought I. 27/11/2019 · Shop the best 2019 Ulta Beauty Black Friday deals now and save money during the holiday sale. Find the store hours, promo codes, and discount information. Shop online today using the. 18/11/2018 · Ulta is once again offering great beauty doorbusters. We just posted its 2018 Black Friday ad. View the full version here. Ulta Black Friday sale details. Ulta opens its doors to shoppers at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Check your local store for closing time and/or re-opening time on Black Friday.
25/11/2018 · Ulta is shaking things up this holiday shopping season, with some serious price-slashing for Black Friday and Cyber Weekend — and it was worth the wait. During the Ulta Cyber Weekend event, on top of all the savings, online shoppers can expect new additions to the sale daily and free shipping on. Complete coverage of Ulta Cyber Monday 2020 Ads & Ulta Cyber Monday deals info. 21/11/2018 · Ulta has finally released a Black Friday ad on its website,. Exactly What You Should Buy from Ulta's Black Friday Sale. November 21, 2018. Ulta released its Black Friday ad for 2018, and you can expect sales on Too Faced, Tarte, MAC, Benefit, and all your other favorites. Fact: There is no better time for a beauty product shopping spree at Ulta than on Black Friday. The deals are there and they are undeniably good, so you don't even need to make some lame excuse for why you need that 14th red lipstick.
Ulta’s Black Friday deals will be available in stores from 6PM on Thursday, November 22nd Thanksgiving. It’ll be available online starting 5pm CT 3pm PST on Thursday. See the complete Ulta Black Friday 2018 Ad here. See more Black Friday Deals here. 26/11/2019 · Ulta Coupon Code. Above photo is Ulta Black Friday Ads Sales Doorbusters Deals 2018 CouponShy posted byon 26/11/19. If you want to save to a personal computer, you can download this image in full size. 16/11/2018 · There's no losing when it comes to Black Friday and Cyber Monday savings — we can all reap the benefits. But what separates an experienced, zen bargain hunter from someone who spends hours in the checkout line with a splitting headache come Thanksgiving week is that the former jumps on those early sales.
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Microsoft Simplifies Photo Sharing With All New “Xim” Mobile App [VIDEO]
Microsoft is today launching its all new ‘Xim’ app, that promises to simplify mobile photo sharing across different platforms. Developed by Microsoft Research’s FUSE labs, Xim is basically a quick Snapchat-like photo sharing app but unlike Snapchat, not everyone who receives a Xim needs the app to view photos, The Verge reports.
According to the source, Microsoft is basically creating “non-permanent cloud-based Xims” that are viewable in a browser and are sychronized across all users that are invited to a particular Xim. Microsoft says that all content in a Xim “expires after a little while”, and a Xim creator can use an Android, iOS, or Windows Phone app to add photos from a device, OneDrive, Dropbox, Facebook, or Instagram.
“Once up to 50 photos are selected, a Xim is created and it’s easy to add friends via their mobile number or email address. There’s a group chat feature, and participants with the app can add additional photos or swipe and pan through images. Xim is positioned as an app to avoid having to pass your phone to friends to view photos in person, but it seems unlikely that an app can replace the simple experience of sitting next to a friend and flicking through photos from a recent vacation or trip”.
Microsoft Xim is launching across iOS, Android, and Windows Phone app stores later today, though it’s difficult to see how the app can break through against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and even messaging apps like WhatsApp and Viber.


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'Tesco tax' on large NI retailers to go ahead
Published: 19 December, 2011
NORTHERN IRELAND: Finance Minister Sammy Wilson has said that a levy on large stores is to go ahead but at a reduced rate.
The so-called "Tesco tax" has been fiercely opposed by large retailers who said it could limit investment and cost jobs. On average big retailers will pay an extra charge of £66,000 a year, raising £5m. This will be used to fund a rate cut for small shops.
The levy will be at a rate of 15%, not 20% as originally planned and will affect 76 large shops.
Businesses with more than three branches will not qualify for the rate cut - which means bookmakers' chains and bank branches will be excluded from the lower rates benefit.
The Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) welcomed the small business rate relief scheme. Its chief executive Glyn Roberts said: "While this scheme is not a silver bullet for problems facing small traders, it is an important initiative which will be widely welcomed."
"This is a good day for devolution and the Executive because it shows that having locally accountable ministers can make a real difference"
The scheme will be time-limited in legislation to three years, until 31 March 2015.


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Charging almost instantly and offering massive power density, Nawa's innovative ultracapacitors are ready to make a mark across industries from automotive to power tools and aviation. And after raising more than US$10 million, this French company is going into mass production.
Nawa's ultracapacitors offer an interesting alternative (or augmentation) to lithium battery systems. When it comes to fast charging or discharging, there's simply no contest – they can pick up or pump out power at rates that absolutely demolish lithium cells, meaning that charging is next to instantaneous – we're talking sub-20 seconds for a full charge – and they're unparalleled for quick bursts of huge power.
Their energy density isn't great compared to batteries, storing maybe a quarter of the power lithium units can for a given volume, but compared to other ultracapacitors their carbon nanotube structure crams up to five times more energy in. They're useless for longer-term storage, leaking somewhere between 10-20 percent of their energy per day, but on the other hand, they last up to a million cycles and are exceptionally durable across a range of temperatures and environments that might test the limits of standard batteries, such as space, high-temp drilling or undersea.
We've covered the technology before, including an interview with Nawa's CEO and COO last year. And now, the company has announced that it's raised the capital and laid down the roadmap to get these things into mass production within the next 12 months.


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Along with a series of Sony-built applications for keeping players playing together, the PlayStation Vita will come fully equipped to keep them connected to their favorite social networks. Wow, it's like a mobile phone that plays games!
Redbox, the in-store movie and game rental kiosk, is adding foursquare support starting next week, the company tells Kotaku.
Foursquare, the hot social network expansion that ... does ... social things ... yeah, actually, that's sort of the problem. Sensing an opportunity to make the "check-in" utility for Twitter "more compelling for long-term use," some people have used it to turn New York into a giant game of Risk.
Why plan Monopoly over a little board and pieces of plastic when you can grab your phone, get off your ass and take over the real world?
Some time last year, I landed in Los Angeles. I was catching a connecting flight, the bane of the expedient traveler. But I was unusually happy for the brief stop. I'd been changed by something in my phone.
Foursquare could be more deadly than Kryptonite, according to the smartly-written — really! — 60th issue of the latest Supergirl comic. A bright Harvard guy makes a crowd-sourced Foursquare-style app that lets supervillains hunt super-heroes. Mark Zuckerberg meets Lex Luthor?


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Taco Bell® to Activate LIVE MÁS Advertising During Super Bowl XLVII
Quick Service Restaurant Brand Returns to the Big Game for the First Time Since 2010
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- To officially kickoff the New Year, Taco Bell® announced today it will advertise during Super Bowl XLVII, which will be broadcast on the CBS Television Network on Feb., 3, 2013.
"We are excited to be back in the Super Bowl after a few years away and can't wait to show the world what we have in store for them," said Brian Niccol, Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer, Taco Bell Corp.
The Super Bowl ad will be :60 seconds in length and support the brand's LIVE MÁS® tagline and spirit. The spot is being created by Deutsch LA, which has recently joined Taco Bell's agency roster along with lead agency Draftfcb.
The last time Taco Bell advertised during the Super Bowl was during the 2010 game and the ad supported the brand's $5 Big Box.
Details about the 2013 Super Bowl creative and campaign will be released in the coming weeks.
About Taco Bell Corp.
Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., (NYS: YUM) , is the nation's leading Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant. Taco Bell serves made to order and customizable tacos, burritos, and specialties such as the exclusive Doritos® Locos Tacos, gourmet inspired Cantina Bell™ Menu and lower calorie Fresco Menu. The company encourages customers to "Live Más," both through its food and in ways such as its Feed the Beat® music program and nonprofit organization, the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens. Taco Bell and its more than 350 franchise organization have nearly 6,000 restaurants across the United States that proudly serve more than 36 million customers every week.
KEYWORDS: United States North America California
The article Taco Bell® to Activate LIVE MÁS Advertising During Super Bowl XLVII originally appeared on Fool.com.
Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS
Rice exports enjoy opportunities for breakthrough in 2021
High hopes are pinned on Vietnam’s rice exports in 2021 when major export markets such as the Philippines and Africa continue to sign contracts to buy rice from Vietnam, while many others have great demand for fragrant rice and sticky rice – which are advantageous staples of Vietnamese enterprises.
The bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements between Vietnam and other countries such as the EU-Vietnam and the UK-Vietnam FTAs with preferential tariffs would create favourable conditions for Vietnamese rice to compete with that from rival countries, the Vietnam Food Association said.
According to the Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in the UK Nguyen Canh Cuong, rice shipments to the country this year will sharply rise against 2020. He added more UK firms will purchase Vietnamese rice under the UK-Vietnam FTA, creating a chance for Vietnamese rice to expand its market share in the UK this year.
In 2019, rice exports from Vietnam to the UK had a leap forward with a turnover growth of 376 percent. That meant the UK has great potential as a rice export market for Vietnam.
In order to tap into the advantages under FTAs, rice export giants such as Intimex JSC, Loc Troi Group, VRICE Co, Trung An High Technology Agriculture JSC are planning to seek new customers in markets where Vietnam had signed FTAs, especially in the UK.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said it would provide rice export firms with information about the market demand situation in a timely manner while implementing trade promotion activities to help Vietnamese rice exporters better access customers.
Detailed information about the regulations and barriers under these FTAs’ commitments will be also offered by the ministry so that businesses can improve their understanding and draw up suitable business plans.
As part of its efforts to facilitate Vietnam's rice exports, the VAF has built up online sales channel and participated in online trade seminars to develop the rice industry.
It suggested rice exporters focus on high quality products with good export results, ensuring food hygiene and safety to be able to enter fastidious markets such as Europe, America and Canada.
Experts have said that if Vietnam wants to maintain rice export growth in 2021 it needs to focus on building a complete rice value chain and controlling quality in production, processing, and distribution.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam’s rice output totalled 42.8 million tonnes in 2020, down about 0.2 percent because of the shrinkage of some 192,000 hectares in farming areas. However, the productivity rose 50kg per hectare from a year earlier.
The areas of high-grade rice varieties have expanded to 74 percent, compared to 50 percent in 2015, as a result of the country’s efforts in improving the value of the Vietnamese rice.
Thanks to that, the shipments of high-grade rice made up more than 85 percent of the total, resulting in the growth of average rice price from 440 USD per tonne in 2019 to 496 USD per tonne in 2020.
The country exported 6.15 tonnes of rice for 3.07 billion USD last year, down 3.5 percent in volume but up 9.3 percent in value year-on-year.
The Philippines was Vietnam's leading rice importer, making up 34 percent of the total. Rice exports to this market in 2020 reached 2.22 million tonnes and 1.06 billion USD, up 4 percent in volume and 19.3 percent in value compared to 2019.
Other outlets with significant export growth in 2020 were Indonesia, (nearly triple 2019's figure) and China, up 93 percent year-on-year.
VFA Vice Chairman Do Ha Nam described 2020 as a successful year for Vietnam’s rice exports, which he attributed to increasing demand in many countries and the improved competitiveness of Vietnamese rice around the world.
Amid the difficulties posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, rice exporters quickly made appropriate adjustments and actively sought new markets while fully tapping into the advantages brought about by FTAs.
The EU-Vietnam FTA had created a major opportunity for Vietnamese rice to enter European markets and then make inroads into other choosy markets, Nam said./.
Online trade promotion helps businesses adapt to COVID-19
The spread of COVID-19 around the world created difficulties for businesses in promoting their products and seeking new customers but many were prompted to change trade promotion strategies and adapt.
Bui Thi Thanh An, Vice Director of the Trade Promotion Agency at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said nearly 50 national-level trade promotion programmes were cancelled or postponed last year due to the pandemic.
This had a major effect on export activities and the economy in general, she said.
To address the situation, the agency has sped up the introduction of information technology (IT) and changed how trade promotion activities are held.
Since March when COVID-19 spread globally, the agency has changed all trade promotion activities to online. More than 500 international online trade conferences have now been organised, along with more than 1 million online trade exchanges.
These events helped connect more than 2,000 businesses with foreign partners in different markets, An said.
The agency has also coordinated with foreign customers based in Vietnam, such as AEON and Central Group, to organise special “weeks” featuring Vietnamese products, through which many goods have been selected for sale in foreign-owned supermarket chains around Vietnam and then headed to foreign markets.
It has also made use of social networks and Vietnamese trade offices abroad to support businesses seeking markets, An added. Such efforts contributed to maintaining export growth and speeding up economic recovery, while helping enterprises remain updated on market developments, trends, and demand, she added.
Though online trade promotions have become more common since the pandemic broke out and were initially considered just a temporary solution, experts and enterprises agree that they will now become a key part of the trade promotion ecosystem.
Vietnam’s economy is heavily reliant upon exports, so the country must adapt to sudden disruptions to international trade. Taking advantage of IT platforms to seek trade opportunities is considered the most feasible option at this time.
Zacharie Blondeau, Sourcing Director at Source of Asia, said business-to-business (B2B) is the most effective method of connection, but in certain contexts, such as pandemics and travel restrictions, businesses should actively connect online.
An underlined that even after COVID-19 is fully brought under control, online trade promotions will continue to be organised.
The Trade Promotion Agency is developing digital technology-based platforms to create a new promotion ecosystem comprising of online trade fairs and exhibitions and online databases and origin tracing, creating the conditions necessary for enterprises to access trade promotion programmes at the lowest cost and with the greatest efficiency.
She advised businesses to regularly participate in online and direct trade exchanges, conferences, and workshops, while actively digitalising their operations by improving websites and joining large and reputable e-commerce platforms.
Online shops see robust business amid a global pandemic
While various businesses reported losses and difficulties, online shops have had a solid development in 2020.
According to Vietnam's e-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the growth rate of the local e-commerce sector in 2020 was 18% and valued at USD11.8bn. It accounted for 5.5% of the country's retail goods and consumer service revenue.
Nguyen Chanh Trung, a shop owner on Lazada, said he started his online business after working for five years in the construction sector. His shop was opened on the first days of the Covid-19 outbreak in Vietnam and gained unexpected profits.
"I learned everything from scratch and tested out new ideas. I also attended training classes offered by Lazada to optimise the business and take care of the customers," he said. "Online trading minimise staff and rental costs. After a year, staff numbers fell from 20 to 10 and revenue increased by 10%."
Even though Trung had a website to introduce his products before, his business was mostly offline and badly affected by Covid-19.
Another online seller also saw great profits from selling face masks and handwash.
The number of sellers on Lazada doubled in 2020. LazMall, a trade site based on Lazada saw both customers and orders double on normal days and triple during festivals. Another e-commerce platform Tiki said in March and April 2020, the number of orders on the platform increased by 15% compared to the two busiest months in 2019. Sometimes, there were 4,000 orders placed per minute.
Vietnamese sellers also went to international e-commerce platform to sell their products overseas like Amazon or Alibaba. Over USD1m worth of products were sold via Amazon in 2020, triple the total amount sold in 2019.
Dang Hoang Hai, head of Vietnam's e-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency said Covid-19 actually gave a strong boost to online businesses, forcing many firms and individual sellers to go online. Decision 645 issued by the government about the e-commerce development plan for 2021-2025 also helped speed up the transition.
Estimations from Google, Temasek and Bain and Company showed that Vietnam's e-commerce market would be worth USD52bn and stand among the three biggest markets in ASEAN in 2025 if the growth rate stays at 29% a year.
Tran Toan Thang from the National Centre for Socio-Economic Information and Forecast said the e-commerce market would have developed strongly with or without the pandemic. However, Covid-19 has been a strong boost to the local market.
"Some product sales increased by 300% online. Because of the pandemic, shopping online has become a habit now," he said.
HCM City Real Estate Association optimistic about 2021
HCM City Real Estate Association (HoREA) is optimistic that the real estate market in 2021 will see strong recovery and provide a large amount of accommodation for the city in the next 5-10 years.
One of the main development areas is the newly-established Thu Duc City which has the highest number of real estate projects in HCM City. It will attract various kinds of real estate projects. Cu Chi, Hoc Mon, Binh Chanh and Nha Be districts will all be upgraded and urbanised.
Both the number of farmers and farming lands in these districts will be reduced by 3-31%. Can Gio District was planned to become a seaside and eco-friendly town with the mangrove forest which is a part of Can Gio Biosphere Reserve.
According to the HoREA, HCM City has been allowed to convert 26,000ha of agricultural land in several outskirts districts into industrial and commercial lands. The government also issued many support policies to help real estate investors operate and complete procedures more smoothly.
Le Hoang Chau, chairman of HoREA, confirmed that Resolution 148 which took effect on January 1, 2021, the 2020 Investment Law and the adjusted 2020 Construction Law have helped make the policies and regulations clearer and more suitable.
"In 2021, the government will issue more detailed regulations and directives about the Investment Law and adjusted Construction Law to speed up the renovation of dilapidated apartment buildings and apartments for low-income people. This will help boost the real estate market in 2021 and the following years," he said.
Quick action required to attract high-quality FDI
The US-China trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic have provided Vietnam with an opportunity to attract foreign investment (FDI) as global capital flows tend to shift to safe havens. This is also a time when our country needs to drastically change our thoughts and actions in the selection of FDI partners and projects to move more towards high-quality capital flows as directed in Politburo Resolution No. 50. These factors make FDI attraction become a focal point of the "COVID year" in 2020 and will continue to do so in the years to come.
Vietnam is open to investors
At a seminar held between Vietnam’s chief representatives abroad for the 2020-2023 term and the Committee for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said that Vietnam is now a bright spot in investment attraction and more than 126 large corporations shifting their investments are now looking to invest in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment Do Nhat Hoang revealed that although investment activities were interrupted due to the impact of the pandemic, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and senior leaders of large corporations around the world still maintained discussions about investment cooperation opportunities through many channels. In particular, a number of online seminars were held at the operation centre of the MPI to connect with destinations across the world so that large corporations can find out more investment information regarding Vietnam. Through this activity, many large corporations started negotiations to bring investment projects into Vietnam with registered capital of billions of US dollars.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) global investment in 2020 declined by 40%, but FDI inflows into Vietnam saw a much lower rate than other countries in the world and the region, especially in disbursed capital. Export and import turnover of FDI enterprises also decreased slightly compared to the same period in 2019.
“Despite the many difficulties that arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FDI enterprises have still maintained relatively good production and business activity levels. This is a positive signal, demonstrating the confidence of foreign investors in the investment environment in Vietnam and also proving that Vietnam is still seeking further FDI,” Hoang emphasised.
In 2020, not only manufacturers, but also supply companies shifted investment to Vietnam, as well as providers of logistics and warehouses services and others doing likewise. Big manufacturers are considered "queen bees" coming to Vietnam to build a hive, bringing along "worker bees" - suppliers and supporting manufacturers, and creating a new ecosystem and supply chain in Vietnam.
This trend is happening in the electronics industry, as the story of Samsung has shown and is now also evident in the story of animal feed, e-commerce, consumption, and auto parts industries.
Acting fast to seize opportunities
Dr Nguyen Dinh Cung, a member of the Economic Advisory Group to the Prime Minister, expressed his concerns about FDI attraction in Vietnam. According to the expert, opportunities for Vietnam in terms of the shifting of global investment capital flows is great, but the "eagle" itself will not come if we take no action.
“I have just had the opportunity to work in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, a region with a lot of potential in terms of its land and synchronous infrastructure, thanks to its seaport system and airport linked with Hung Yen ,creating a large industrial park capable of attracting the world's leading technology enterprises. If there is a policy of regional linkage, these localities can create further intrinsic attractiveness to lure "eagles" to turn Vietnam into an important global production location. If these localities still compete in the attraction of FDI as before, they will only scatter and reduce Vietnam's attraction in the eyes of foreign investors,” Cung said.
To seize the opportunity, it is advisable to take quick action and change the methods of attracting investment. First of all, the concept of "high quality investment" must be clearly defined to set screening criteria and formulate suitable policies for each industry and region in order to actively attract investors. To do this, it is necessary to have a new approach tailored to specific projects and investors, not applying a general policy to all projects.
Meanwhile, investors pouring capital into Vietnam can enjoy outstanding incentives but must also meet set conditions and be a reputable and socially responsible investor.
Referring to the concept of "preparing the nest to welcome the eagles", used recently to regarding the attraction of high-quality FDI in Vietnam, Prof. Nguyen Mai, President of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE) said that there were “eagles” but so far only Asian and a few European or American eagles. This is the time for Vietnam to proactively direct the flow of FDI and prepare conditions to attract high-tech and pervasive projects to meet the needs of the country’s new development period.
In the context of a decline in global investment activities due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, although Vietnam has many advantages and has emerged as a bright spot in investment attraction, FDI inflows have not yet strongly recovered. This is the time for Vietnam to improve its investment and business environment to stand ready to welcome big waves of FDI.
Shrimp exports set target of US$ 4.4 billion in 2021
Despite the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, shrimp was still a commodity that brought high economic value in 2020, with export turnover of US$3.7 billion, an increase of 11% over the same period in 2019. It is expected that in 2021, shrimp exports can increase by 15% compared to 2020, the export turnover would reach over US$ 4.4 billion.
In order to achieve the goal, businesses should focus on promoting deep processing and increasing added value, while at the same time proactively seizing opportunities from changes in the market due to the impact of Covid-19 translation.
High growth forecast
Looking through the whole year 2020, shrimp exports achieved very encouraging results.
According to Tran Cong Thang - Director of Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD), compared to rival countries in 2020, Vietnam had an advantage due to better control over the Covid-19 epidemic. The main consuming markets such as the US, the European Union (EU), and China gave priority to buying shrimp from Vietnam.
While major shrimp producing countries such as India, Ecuador, and Thailand, etc. all suffer from the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, such as stagnated production and transport of goods, the decrease in shrimp prices is leading to a decrease in shrimp production.
In addition, the proactive market rotation, taking advantage of the opportunities created by the changes in the market caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, diversifying products suitable for each market segment, has helped businesses in the industry to not only maintain but also increase export turnover. Therefore, the shrimp export turnover reached US$3.7 billion, up 11% compared to 2019. Shrimp have been exported to 135 markets through 508 export enterprises.
The major markets that kept positive growth rates were: the US, with an increase of 33%; the EU (6.1%); the Republic of Korea (ROK) (3.3%), and the UK (20.1%).
In addition, to achieve the good growth in export turnover, the domestic supply also plays a significant role.
In the first months of 2020, shrimp production faced difficulties due to Covid-19 epidemic accompanied by saltwater intrusion in key farming areas, leading to a decrease in brackish water shrimp production, especially black tiger shrimp.
By the end of 2020, brackish water shrimp production had recovered, with the disease under control. The export of brackish water shrimp has been restored; the disease on farmed shrimp is also under control, helping brackish shrimp production grow well, ensuring a sustainable supply for export.
According to the General Department of Fisheries, in 2020, the production of black tiger shrimp reached 267,700 tons, an increase of 1%, and white leg shrimp reached 632,300 tons, up 8.5% over the same period.
In Ca Mau Province, the first months of 2020, many seafood importers have suspended, postponed or canceled deliveries, making seafood export difficult. However, the Government, ministries, central branches, and provincial People's Committee have promptly implemented many support measures to ensure stable production and business conditions.
At the same time, the EVFTA took effect to create more favorable conditions for businesses to export to EU countries (by 2020, seafood export turnover to the EU reached about US$100 million, accounting for 9.7% of the province’s export turnover, up more than 400% over the same period in 2019).
Experts say that, if the farming and processing stage is well ensured, Vietnam's shrimp export growth milestones will be achieved in 2021. The introduction of Covid-19 vaccine together with the advantages from FTAs being utilised by businesses will be the driving force for shrimp export activities in 2021.
These forecasts are grounded, as from the beginning of 2021, eight cargo containers, with more than 160 tons of shrimp, owned by Minh Phu Seafood Corp. (at Song Hau Industrial Park, Chau Thanh District, Hau Giang Province), have been exported to potential markets of Vietnam, namely the EU, the US and Japan. This shipment is a good signal for the export shrimp industry in 2021.
Taking advantage of opportunities
According to experts in the fisheries sector, in 2021, Vietnam's the good control of Covid-19 epidemic and joining bilateral trade agreements with other countries will create favourable conditions for exporters.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), world shrimp demand will continue to increase, especially in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, while the demand for processed seafood eaten at home will increase sharply. VASEP forecasts that shrimp exports can reach an export turnover of US$ 4 to 4.4 billion in 2021.
However, in order to continue good export growth, it is necessary to have specific solutions:
Firstly, it is necessary to organise the production management and management of suitable cultured shrimp breeds, control diseases well and ensure the quality of seed supplied, avoid production risks to stabilise supply, increase high quality products.
Second, it is necessary to ensure the supply of raw materials with sufficient quantity and quality, especially in the farming stage by applying new science and technology.
Third, it is necessary to make good use of market expansion opportunities through increasing supply capacity to compensate for production shortages because other supplying countries are being negatively affected by the Covid-19 epidemic that affecting production and export supply chain; it is necessary to increase competitiveness and market share in big and strategic markets such as the EU, the US, Japan, South Korea, and the UK. It is necessary to improve the quality of export products, take advantage of tariff advantages for pure Vietnamese origin of farmed shrimp products in the new generation of free trade agreements (FTAs).
In order to effectively implement the above solutions, according to IPSARD's Director Tran Cong Thang, it is necessary to improve the processing capacity of enterprises, focus on technology investment, intensive processing, to meet the needs of importing countries.
The enterprise should develop deeply processed products and value added products to serve a wide range of customers and market segments. Enterprises and farmers need to prepare well the conditions and stocking according to the 2021 seasonal calendar.
It is necessary to attach importance to disease prevention and control, control impurities, chemical and antibiotic residues in shrimp products to ensure disease safety and food safety. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen links between units participating in the production chain in order to improve quality, ensure traceability, and continue to increase the proportion of value-added goods in exporting.
It is necessary to replicate effective models and production chains while maintaining and developing the "output" market. It is also necessary to participate in trade promotion programs to promote seafood products, including processed shrimp, seek new markets and toward sustainable export.
Experience in implementing FTAs
Despite violent pandemic and geopolitical upheavals, 2020 marked an important milestone in Vietnam’s international economic integration.
Motivation for growth
In addition to the effectiveness of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) since August 1, 2020, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement was signed under the framework of the 37th ASEAN Summit, helping to create a market with 2.2 billion consumers, accounting for about 30% of the world’s population and a total GDP of approximately VND26.2 billion (about 30% of the global GDP). This is a happy ending after eight years of intense negotiations, even without the participation of India.
By the end of November 2020, Vietnam had been negotiating 16 free trade agreements (FTAs) that cover almost all continents including nearly 60 economies, with total GDP accounting for about 90% of world GDP, as well as 14 agreements set to come into force.
The signed FTAs also contribute to creating optimism in the business community, consolidating business confidence as well as promising a bright economic outlook.
“Despite a difficult year for international trade in 2020, our survey shows that Vietnam's quick and effective response to the global pandemic has proved its efficiency. Leaders of European enterprises feel more positive about their businesses as well as Vietnam's trade and investment environment,” said Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Vietnam Nicolas Audier at the ceremony to announce the Business Climate Index (BCI) in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Caring for orchard in the wait to pick fruit
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his delight at the effectiveness of the EVFTA but also reminded that results gained from FTAs have yet to match the potential and raised many big bottlenecks that must be removed. It is the necessity to improve communication efficiency about international economic integration and FTAs in particular, to remove invisible barriers for businesses, and to change the mindset of doing business in a more proactive manner to meet the requirement of FTAs, among other tasks.
Indeed, if you compare FTAs to an orchard, the gardeners must invest both capital and effort in the orchard every day before they can enjoy the fruit from this garden. And almost no single enterprise can do this alone; the process requires cooperation and linkage.
According to General Director of Garment 10 Corporation Than Duc Viet, Garment 10 produces 18 million shirts and 1.5 million suits each year, so it needs 30 million meters of shirt fabric and 5 million meters of suit fabric. However, the company has to import 60-70% of materials from China to serve its production because raw materials produced in Vietnam are more expensive than imports from China while the speed of development of models and production time is also longer.
It means that the company cannot benefit from EVFTA and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) because it does not meet requirements on origin of products.
“The policy of promoting multilateral relations through Vietnam's participation in a series of FTAs is absolutely correct, but it will only bring into full play when Vietnam can successfully solve challenges regarding labour conditions, environmental protection and social responsibility,” said Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, Director of the Institute for Brand and Competitiveness Strategy.
Responding to barriers
Although the dispute settlement mechanism will be more complete because both the CPTPP and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) have provisions to improve the transparency of the proceedings, Vo Tri Thanh warns that once tariff barriers are no longer an effective tool for protection, importing countries tend to use non-tariff measures (anti-dumping, anti-countervailing and trade remedies measures) to protect their own domestic manufacturing industry.
As an experienced lawyer in handling international economic disputes, Dinh Anh Tuyet, an arbitrator from the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC) said that: “It is important to note that signed FTAs are not only a "sweet fruit", but also a "bitter fruit" for Vietnamese enterprises because if businesses do not comply with the standards stated in the FTA, the partners will apply new handling measures, and even lawyers like us do not know what the measures are, because they all appear for the first time in the agreements.”
The implication that the lawyer wants to talk about is that Vietnamese enterprises need to have the right attitude and actively respond to the risks of commercial disputes. It is also the choice that proves the correctness that shrimp exporting enterprises have applied from 2004 to present.
The preparation is sometimes very simple things such as maintaining detailed traceability records, accounting records, and production records in order to request timely support from the State and lawyers to protect their interests when there are violations under trade and investment agreements or when there are signs of trade fraud and tax evasion.
The cooperation with associations and importers and the coordination with investigating bodies when under investigation are also obvious recommendations but are sometimes neglected by enterprises. Besides FTAs, institutional reform and efforts from each enterprise are also key forces for long-term development.
A historical milestone in this Spring
The year 2020, with so many difficulties and challenges, has passed. Vietnam has shone once again! The world showed admiration and the people were excited and believed in.
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a shadow across the globe. Millions of people have died, and the world economy has declined dramatically. Although the pandemic has been quite well controlled, our economy with large openness and deep integration could not avoid difficulties. Natural disasters, storms and floods raged in the Central region; and droughts and salt water intrusion in the Mekong Delta, etc.
In that very special context, under the sound leadership of the Party, the management and administration of the State, the entire political system and the entire people joined in a drastic, synchronous and persistent manner to comprehensively fulfil almost all set targets and tasks. The year 2020 is still considered the most successful year in the whole tenure, having gained remarkable achievements. Vietnam is considered a bright spot for disease prevention and control and socio-economic development. People’s living conditions are constantly being improved; and national defence, security, social order, and safety have been maintained. The work of Party building and rectification as well as the fight against negative activities, corruption and wastefulness has been drastically directed, achieving many positive results. Foreign affairs have been carried out effectively, contributing to consolidating and enhancing the position of Vietnam in the international arena.
The Party Congresses at all levels were a success, creating a premise for the successful 13th National Party Congress.
In difficulties, the tradition of patriotism, solidarity and mutual care of the people has been promoted, and the superiority of the socialist regime has been confirmed.
The New Year has come with intertwined opportunities and challenges. The situation of the world, the region and the East Sea (South China Sea) is still complicated and unpredictable, while our country is still facing numerous difficulties and challenges in socio-economic development and adaption to climate change, as well as ensuring national defence and security.
Along with the achievements obtained in the past year, the gift to celebrate the Spring has a very important meaning to decide the direction and development of the country in the next five years, with a vision to 10 years and 20 years from now is the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. In his speech at the year-end virtual conference of the Government, Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed that the entire political system needs to be proactive, actively grasp and well implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and resolutions of the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly and the Government right from the beginning of the year, with specific programmes and working plans that are in line with reality and have high feasibility, with the general spirit of being more proactive, active, and creative in order to achieve higher overall results than in the previous years and the previous tenure.
This spring, the success of the 13th National Party Congress marked another historic milestone on the path of national construction!
Long Thanh Airport expected to promote regional socio-economic development
The Long Thanh International Airport Project is a key project in the country's transport infrastructure network approved by the National Assembly at the Resolution No. 94/2015/QH13 dated June 25, 2015 on the investment policy of the project and the Decision No. 1777/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated November 11, 2020 on approving the first construction phase of the Long Thanh International Airport Project with the total investment of US$4,664 billion.
The airport target is to reach 4F level as assigned by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with the capacity of 100 million passengers and six million tons of cargo per year.
The first items in the first phase of Long Thanh International Airport Project officially began construction on January 5. It is expected to create a hitch to promote socio-economic development not only in Dong Nai Province but also in the Southeastern region and the whole country after coming into operation.
Since the National Assembly approved the investment policy for the project, there have been more changes in people's lives so far in the context of urbanization development in Binh Son Commune as well as in Long Thanh District.
Particularly, people whose land was acquired or affected by the project have received acceptable compensation to do their own business, to change jobs from agriculture sector to other careers.
If the agricultural land price around the airport project was only about VND1 billion (US$43,000) per hectare in advance the National Assembly’s approval, the price has increased by 10-15 percent following the approval. The compensation price from the State for people whose land was acquired to build the airport is about VND400 million (US$17,000) per hectare.
Mr. Vo Dinh Viet, a resident living in Long Thanh Town, has received VND21.4 billion (US$926,000) for 4.4 hectares of rubber trees affected by the project. After receiving the compensation, his family used the money to pay loans which they had got before for building a 3-star hotel and restaurant in the town’s center since 2016 and to continue to invest into land.
The project implementation also opens up opportunities to develop the finance and services industry for Dong Nai Province and attract large-scale banks to open their branches and transaction offices in the locality, thereby helping Dong Nai Province as well as the Southeastern region develop high-quality human resources.
Nearly US$1 billion has been disbursed in compensation for 5,000 hectares of land reclaimed for construction of the airport. So far, the project- affected people have been resettled, bought land and built houses. This has created more jobs in the fields of banking industry, land brokerage services and construction materials.
According to the leaders of the People's Committee of Dong Nai Province, since the Long Thanh International Airport Project has not been started works yet, many domestic and foreign investors want to seek investment opportunities in the promising area.
When the airport comes into operation with a smoothly connected traffic infrastructure system, it is expected to certainly stimulate investment attraction and technology development in the Southeastern region. Currently, local economists are expected the approach and transfer of the latest and most modern technologies as well as machinery and equipment from the world's leading technology corporations for construction of the project.
Once the airport comes into operation along with a smoothly connected traffic infrastructure system, it is expected to certainly stimulate investment attraction and technology development in the Southeastern region.
Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee cum Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Nai Province Mr. Cao Tien Dung informed that in the development plan for the upcoming years, Dong Nai Province has defined the construction of Long Thanh Airport Project as a motivation for socio-economic development.
According to the plan, the local authorities and private sectors will focus on certain investments to determinedly build an airport city, which is expected to create a great opportunity to develop the high technology, create a driving force for the province to boost the development of high-tech parks and head to export.
Dong Nai Province will focus on the development plan of socio-economic and traffic infrastructure to fuel industry and services development in districts near the airport.
Besides, the province will also re-plan agricultural development in remote districts, determine areas appropriate for fruit trees or vegetables and domestic animal breeding to invest in road and electricity infrastructure.
On the other hand, Dong Nai Province has just approved an Israeli-style high-tech agricultural development program. Experts from this Middle Eastern country will accompany local farmers to build and widen hi-tech models.
As for Ho Chi Minh City, once the Long Thanh airport comes into operation, it will contribute to reducing the overloading at Tan Son Nhat International Airport as well as traffic jams around the airport.
In order to make this plan soon come true, it is necessary to early build an overhead urban railway system connecting the two airports, strengthen investment into transport network systems, speed up building key projects through the airport such as Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway, Ring Road 3 and Cat Lai Bridge to reduce traffic pressure through the inner of Ho Chi Minh City, notably Cat Lai port area, National Highway No.1 through Binh Chanh District, National Highway No.22 running through districts of Hoc Mon and Cu Chi.


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Few announcements in the tech industry are as highly anticipated as those pertaining to smartphones. Die-hards from each camp—Apple or Android—never fail to upgrade, no matter how small the difference in features; it’s all about having the latest and greatest. However, for the average person, upgrading annually isn’t realistic or even necessary, but if some features might make their life easier or better, they’re more apt to consider it.
Here, we’ve compiled several highlights of the latest smartphones, including the iPhone 14 Pro and Max, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Google Pixel 7 Pro. We also spoke with doctors to hear their thoughts on the technology. Whether you rely on your phone simply for capturing family memories or use it as an integral tool in your practice, these models are likely to offer some level of enhancement.
Features at a Glance
Manufacturers have focused their energy on some key elements in the recent releases, including speed, security and cameras.
The iPhone 14 Pro.
The iPhone 14 Pro/Max is powered by an A16 Bionic chip, which Apple says is the fastest chip ever used in a smartphone; it’s designed to speed up performance while using multiple apps. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, claiming a 10-percent increase in graphics processing unit clock speeds and improved power efficiency. In the Pixel 7 Pro, Google has installed its second-generation Tensor G2 processor, designed to enhance the AI experience on the phone.All of these phones have 5G capabilities, and all say their batteries can last approximately one day under regular use, although each manufacturer has its own way of wording it, such as “all-day battery life” (Apple) and “24-plus hour battery life” (Google). These claims become strained depending on use, especially for the camera.
The camera specs continue to impress, giving users the ability to capture moments like a professional.
The iPhone 14 Pro/Max has a 48-MP main camera with sensor-shift optical image stabilization and enhanced low-light capture. Apple says that the 12-MP ultra-wide camera delivers detailed macro photography, and there’s a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. Users can also record video in 4K at 24 fps, and enable Action mode for smooth filming even if experiencing motion or vibration.
|The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has improved graphics.|
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 108-MP main camera and a 40-MP front-facing (selfie) camera. It also has improved its image quality in low-light conditions with its “Super Clear Glass Lens” over the camera to help reduce reflections.
The Pixel 7 Pro’s rear camera is a 50-MP Octa PD Quad Bayer wide camera with Macro Focus, and up to 30x Super Res Zoom. It also comes with Photo Unblur that can improve blurry pictures with a few taps. Its front camera is 10.8 MP and has a feature called Guided Frame that assists those who are blind or visually impaired with capturing selfies using audio guidance and haptic feedback.
From here, the features begin to differentiate more clearly. The iPhone in particular highlights its new “Always-On” display that keeps certain apps and widgets open on the screen, and Crash Detection with Emergency SOS that enables the phone to detect a car crash through motion algorithms; it will call for help, even if there’s no cell or WiFi coverage available.
However, one change not seen in the newest iPhone is in the charging port. This model still features the proprietary lightning port, as opposed to USB-C, which has become the new standard in tech devices and allows for faster data transfer and charging speeds. Apple has until 2023 to make this change to meet EU regulations, so it’s expected we’ll see this on the next iPhone model.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra includes the fan-favorite feature of the Samsung Note: the S-pen. Embedded in the device, the S-pen allows the user to quickly mark up documents, sketch or turn a handwritten note into text.
The Pixel 7 Pro comes with five years of security updates, anti-phishing and anti-malware protection and end-to-end security designed by Google, and it will soon have a built-in VPN to encrypt your online activity.
|Enhanced macro photography capabilities on smartphones can help patients update physicians with their progress. However, some in the field would like to see better front-facing camera technology.|
Are They Worth the Hype?
To evaluate whether it’s time to invest in an upgrade, we asked a couple of tech-savvy ophthalmologists to weigh in. First, it’s important to think about the things an ophthalmologist would rely on their phone to do, says Tommy Korn, MD, who practices in San Diego.
He says his top three uses for his smartphone are communication, medical data access and photography.
“My iPhone keeps me in contact with patients, care team members and other doctors,” he says regarding communication. “This is via voice, text or video apps. There are numerous communication apps and it’s all a balance between ease of use and HIPAA compliance/privacy.
“The second job I need my smartphone for is to access patient data in the EMR,” Dr. Korn continues. “I can access any EMR from a slow enterprise desktop/laptop PC. I can also access the EMR via fast mobile EMR apps on my iPad or iPhone.”
In these EMRs, Dr. Korn is often storing ophthalmic photos he took with his own smartphone. “I take pictures of people’s eyes so I can document their disease and its progression,” he says. “Patients also take pictures of their own eyes and send them to their eye doctors when they’re distressed. These images (either doctor- or patient-captured) are often stored in an EMR. The innovative way is to share these eye photos directly with the patient’s secured smartphone. I often send the eye photos I take to their iPhones via Airdrop, which doesn’t allow my personal phone number to be compromised. This is a novel way that allows the patient data to travel with them on their personal smartphone, not a siloed EMR. Siloed EMRs are a major source of burnout and frustration for doctors and the health industry. Sharing the patient’s eye photo is an innovative way of enhancing patient care. Patients can take their stored smartphone eye photos to any ophthalmologist or optometrist in the world and get continuity of care.
“In my opinion, the camera technologies for all high-end smartphones—iPhone Pro, Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy—are all amazing,” Dr. Korn adds. “It’s a matter of personal preference based on camera tech specs, photo editing features, image quality and ecosystem.”
The macro photography capabilities of these new phones are of particular importance, Dr. Korn continues. “Most smartphones now have macro camera photography capabilities,” he says. “What this means is, you no longer need a special lens to take photos of things up close (flowers, insects, or in our case, eyeballs). Most ophthalmic photographers use Digital SLR cameras, pocket cameras, or even smartphones that are attached to a $15,000-plus slit lamp. But now you’re starting to see patients take amazing photos of their own eyes with smartphone macro photography. They’ll send these photos to their eye doctors, and this becomes a novel way to deliver remote telehealth eye care. That’s the power of having amazing camera technology in the hands of consumers, not just doctors or professional photographers.”
Even with this technology at their fingertips, it’s not going to replace traditional ophthalmic imaging, opines Ken Lord, MD, a vitreoretinal specialist in St. George, Utah, and a co-developer of the Eye Handbook mobile app.
“The pictures you’re able to take with these cameras are incredible,” Dr. Lord says. “You’ve got as powerful a camera in a half-inch thick phone as you do in some of the most expensive cameras on the market, but the practicality of using your phone to take images of your patient is still not there. I know there’s a market for people selling adapters and devices, but it’s not something I personally feel I have time to fiddle with when I have patients to get to.”
Dr. Lord also feels that the phones themselves haven’t gone through enough of an evolution. “I think the cameras, memory, security and usability of the phones are unsurpassed, but we’re kind of at a plateau right now,” he says. “I’m just not convinced that some of the technology has been as impactful as other [updates] in the past five years. There hasn’t really been a ‘wow’ in these devices, but I’m still looking forward to all the new features that these designers come up with.”
So, what would ophthalmologists want to see in future updates?
Dr. Korn would like to see improved front-facing cameras, for one. “All the rear cameras have multiple lenses, but the front camera has a single lens,” he says. “It turns out that most patients can’t take a picture of their own eye with the rear camera and without another person helping them. The front camera technology is nascent right now. When it improves, you’ll see telehealth in ophthalmology take off.”
Cellular connectivity and access to fast 5G mobile networks are also lacking in many areas, he continues. “Metropolitan cities have fast internet access, but many rural areas don’t,” he says. “Patients can have the most advanced smartphone, but it’s useless if fast internet connectivity is limited.”
Dr. Lord says he’d like to see how phones are adapted for augmented reality. “Virtual and augmented reality are being heavily targeted with companies investing billions of dollars—maybe over-investing. I’m not convinced that headsets make sense,” he says. “It’s essentially disconnecting you from the world around you, so I’d like to see how that virtual experience comes from your phone in a seamless way.”
Whatever the future holds for the next generation of smartphones, Dr. Korn believes the keys to success are integration, simplicity and privacy. “If medical apps and smartphones work seamlessly, both doctors and patients will have delightful user experiences,” he says.


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Materials and technologies - June 2019
Is my food fresh? - Sensors and indicators
Researchers at Imperial College London have developed low-cost, smartphone-linked spoilage sensors for meat and fish packaging. Known as ‘paper-based electrical gas sensors’ (PEGS), they detect spoilage gases like ammonia and trimethylamine. The researchers say the sensors could eventually replace the ‘use-by’ date – a less reliable indicator of freshness and edibility. An article (3.41 MB) about the research is published in ACS Sensors.
Scientists at Cornell University are designing the milk carton of the future. The milk cartons will likely have a QR code that would offer specific information about that milk, such as the originating farm, as well as a separate indicator that records carton temperature and time. Retailers and consumers could scan both the QR code and the indicator; an app would then quickly calculate how much longer the milk will last.
Packaging made from food waste
New technology developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo engineers natural fermentation of wasted food to produce a biodegradable chemical that can be refined as a source of energy. The chemical could also be used to replace petroleum-based chemicals in a host of products including drugs and plastic packaging. An article (abstract) about the research is published in Bioresource Technology.
Bio-Peel, a new material unveiled by design student Denny Handley at Brunel University London, blends waste orange peels with a mixture of other biodegradable products to create a new packaging material that’s strong, malleable and environmentally friendly.
Insights into controversial biodegradable plastic bag study and more
In the May MOU we reported that researchers at the University of Plymouth found that biodegradable plastic bags are still capable of carrying shopping after being exposed in the natural environment for 3 years. We also reported that the study has caused a quite a bit of controversy. Packaging Europe invited François de Bie from European Bioplastics, and Professor Richard Thompson from the team at the University of Plymouth, to give their respective takes on the study and its conclusions.
ACS has reported on Purdue University research showing that PFAS can leach from compostable food containers into compost.
Neste and LyondellBasell have announced commercial-scale production of bio-based plastic from renewable materials.
Developments in food packaging
Researchers at Oxford University have developed a nanosheet-based barrier coating as an alternative to the metallised films used in packaging for food like crisps or candy. This new coating formulation is recyclable, non-toxic and highly efficient at preventing oxygen and water vapour from getting to the food. An article (1.52 MB) about the research is published in Nature Communications.
A large-scale manufacturing process developed by Purdue University researchers to improve food packaging and keep groceries fresher longer has received top honors during the technical conference PaperCon 2019. More information about the research can be found here.
Weekly overview of prices for plastics
Dutch trade magazine Vraag en Aanbod publishes a weekly overview of the prices for plastics (in Dutch). The prices given are estimated averages between the gross prices published in the trade journals and the net prices.
NVC members receive this information with all the relevant links in the monthly NVC Members-only Update. If you have any questions, please contact us: firstname.lastname@example.org, +31-(0)182-512411.


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Thief targets 4 businesses in Bern shopping center
Updated On: Apr 25 2014 10:24:11 PM CDT
Store owners at a shopping center in Bern Township are on edge after thieves broke into their shops overnight.
"It was a little scary this morning when you pull up to your business and the lights are on. We know no one is supposed to be in here. Why are our lights on? So, we already knew before we came in the door that something is not right," said Dorothy Boyle, owner, Edible Arrangements.
Boyle's shop in the West Ridge Shopping Center in Bern Township was one of four businesses burglarized overnight.
"They ripped our safe open with a crowbar and just threw stuff everywhere," said Boyle.
A burglar broke in through the back doors of Edible Arrangements, Happy Garden, JUD Firestone Plumbing and Empire Surplus Home Center, said police, who noted that the burglar damaged all four businesses and successfully walked away with cash from two.
"It is not in the nature of the community, but obviously it happens often enough that we need to vigorously investigate it," said Chief Wesley Waugh, Bern Twp. Police Dept.
Boyle said she thinks the crook used a crowbar to break in, the same weapon police believe was used on March 4 when an another Edible Arrangements and Chinese restaurant were burglarized in Sinking Spring.
"We are obviously continuing to investigate and keep in contact with a number of other agencies," said Waugh.
Between the money taken and the damage, Edible Arrangements is in the hole for $1,000, which Boyle said is a lot for a small business like hers, but she said it is about more than the money. The burglary left her and her staff feeling violated.
"You want to be able to feel safe coming into your own business and feel like you can come in and no one is going to be at your back door, so it is a little scary," said Boyle.
Bern Township police said the investigation is ongoing and they will pursue any active leads.
Anyone with information can call Crime Alert Berks County at 877-373-9913. A cash reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
Copyright 2014 WFMZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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