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Geotextiles Think Fast



suppliers make strategy adjustments to overcome new challenges



By Ellen Wuagneux




Click here to read the full article.
Global issues impacting the geotextiles and geosynthetics sectors are many—increasing oil prices, global warming, climate changes and C02 regulations are driving suppliers to meet new challenges through innovation and the creative use of new technologies. Against this backdrop of growing environmental pressures is the everpresent concern over keeping costs as low as possible despite often unpredictable shifts in raw material pricing.

Polypropylene resin costs have increased more than 20% since the beginning of the year, which has required some geotextile manufacturers to raise prices to offset higher production costs. Suppliers report that during the first quarter of 2007, costs were substantially higher than was anticipated at the end of last year. Just the same, nonwovens are still growing in use in landfill construction, as separation fabrics and in drainage/filtration applications, despite the fact that, overall, the market is flat compared to last year.