The plastics industry is often accused of being the opposite of creative. As we insiders know, this is complete and utter nonsense. Whoever came up with the idea of covering cucumbers with a plastic condom so they can pass as fresh vegetables for three weeks has proven how stunningly original members of this industry can truly be.

Plastics producers are also well-documented masters of creativity. Recently in a letter to customers, a resin maker blamed “increased uncertainty in the market” for a price increase. This justification is as daring as it is ingenious, mainly because of its potential. Why do I need facts and figures to back up price hikes for polymers or other raw materials when a murky reference to diffuse concerns and hardships does the job?

And there are plenty of those to choose from in a world driven by what was summed up with the late ‘80s acronym VUCA: volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity….