#Industrial Packaging Market demand

[pearlsmith25]

Industrial Packaging Market Prowess: Enhancing Product Integrity and Brand Value

Industrial packaging products such as pallets, crates, barrels, drums & Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) are extensively used for shipping & storing industrial goods. They provide protection to goods from damage and ensure safe delivery from producers to end-users. With growing global trade, the need for safe and efficient packaging solutions has increased.The global Industrial Packaging Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 68,677.9 Mn in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 5.4% over the forecast period 2023 to 2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights.

Market Opportunity:The opportunity in reducing wastage has been a major market driver. Industrial packaging helps decrease wastage at various stages of transportation and storage through effective protection of goods. Damage to goods can lead to wastage and loss of products. Use of proper industrial packaging plays a key role in avoiding wastage through breaks, leaks and other forms of damage. It is estimated that over 5% of goods transported globally get wasted every year mainly due to inadequate or improper packaging. Adopting standardized and reusable industrial packaging solutions can significantly reduce this wastage, thereby boosting supply chain efficiency for industries. This presents a major market opportunity for manufacturers of industrial packaging products.

Porter’s Analysis

Threat of new entrants: The industrial packaging market requires large capital investment to construct manufacturing plants and acquire high quality packaging material and machinery. Thus, threat from new entrants is low to moderate

.Bargaining power of buyers: The presence of numerous industrial packaging manufacturers allows buyers to compare products and prices. Thus, the bargaining power of buyers is moderate to high.

Bargaining power of suppliers: The industrial packaging market is fragmented with multiple raw material suppliers. Thus, dependence on key material suppliers is low and bargaining power of suppliers is moderate.

Threat of new substitutes: Alternatives to conventional packaging include returnable transport items which pose low to moderate threat due to sustainability focus.

Competitive rivalry: The market has few global players operating internationally while regional players cater to local demands. Competition is intense based on product innovation, quality, and pricing.

SWOT AnalysisStrengths: Established distribution network, product innovation, and economies of scale allow creation of value added packaging solutions.Weaknesses: Heavy reliance on cyclical industries, fluctuations in raw material prices, and rising labor costs impact profitability.Opportunities: Growth in e-commerce, food processing, and construction industries drive demand. Sustainable packaging presents new revenue streams.Threats: Volatility in disposable income affects consumer spending. Stricter regulations around plastic use may impact certain product segments.

Key Takeaways

The global Industrial Packaging market is expected to witness high growth over the forecast period supported by expansion in core end use industries. The market size for 2024 is projected to reach US$ 68,677.9 Mn representing a CAGR of 5.4% between 2023 to 2030.

Regional analysis indicates North America currently accounts for the largest share supported by well-established food processing and manufacturing industries. However, Asia Pacific is identified as the fastest growing regional market with strong growth anticipated across China, India, and ASEAN countries.

Key players operating in the Industrial Packaging market are Smurfit Kappa Group, Cascades Inc., Mauser Group B.V., Grief Inc., International Paper, Nefab Group, Schutz, Sonoco, AmeriGlobe, and B.A.G. Corp. Global leaders are focused on strategic acquisitions and partnerships to expand their geographic footprint and product portfolios.

[chemicalsources]

Industrial Packaging Market Advancements: Driving Sustainable Supply Chains

Global industrial packaging market was valued at US$ 68,677.9 Million in 2022, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.42%, in terms of revenue, over the forecast period (2023 to 2030) to reach US$ 104,758.5 Million by 2030.

[medicaldevicesindustrynews]

Water-Based Adhesive Specialty Tapes Market Will Advance at a 6.5% CAGR

The water-based adhesive specialty tapes market will reach USD 9,514.9 million, advancing at a 6.5% compound annual growth rate, by 2030. The progression of the water-based adhesive specialty tapes industry is primarily attributed to the growing automotive sector, advantages offered by water-based adhesive specialty tapes as compared to conventional bonding approaches, and surging demand for…

[poojascmi]

India Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Is Estimated To Witness High Growth Owing To Increasing Demand for Safe Drug Packaging

The India Pharmaceutical Packaging Market is estimated to be valued at USD 1,573.40 million in 2021 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 7.50% over the forecast period 2022 to 2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. A) Market Overview: The India Pharmaceutical Packaging Market refers to the packaging solutions specifically designed for pharmaceutical products. These packaging solutions ensure the safety, integrity, and efficacy of the drugs during storage, transportation, and distribution. The need for pharmaceutical packaging arises from the requirement to protect the drugs from moisture, light, oxygen, and other external factors that can potentially degrade their quality. Additionally, pharmaceutical packaging also plays a crucial role in providing important information such as dosage instructions, expiry dates, and batch numbers to the end-users. B) Market Key Trends: One key trend driving the growth of the India Pharmaceutical Packaging Market is the increasing demand for safe drug packaging. With the rising prevalence of counterfeit drugs in the market, there is a growing concern among consumers regarding the safety and authenticity of the drugs they purchase. As a result, pharmaceutical companies are focusing on implementing advanced packaging solutions that incorporate tamper-evidence features and anti-counterfeiting technologies. For example, blister packs with holographic seals and track-and-trace systems are being widely adopted to ensure the integrity of drugs and prevent counterfeiting. C) PEST Analysis: Political: The Indian government has implemented strict regulations and guidelines for pharmaceutical packaging to ensure the safety of drugs and protect consumer interests. Economic: The pharmaceutical industry in India is witnessing substantial growth due to factors such as increasing healthcare expenditure, a large patient population, and favorable government initiatives. Social: There is a growing awareness among consumers regarding the importance of safe drug packaging and its impact on health outcomes. Technological: The pharmaceutical packaging industry in India is witnessing advancements in technologies such as smart packaging, RFID tagging, and serialization, which help improve the efficiency and traceability of drugs. D) Key Takeaways: - The India Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Size is expected to witness high growth, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.50% over the forecast period, due to increasing demand for safe drug packaging. - The fastest growing and dominating region in the India Pharmaceutical Packaging Market is North India, which is home to several pharmaceutical manufacturing hubs and healthcare facilities. - Key players operating in the India Pharmaceutical Packaging Market are Amcor Plc, Aptar Group Inc., Huhtamaki Plc, and Uflex Limited. These companies are focusing on product innovation, strategic partnerships, and acquisitions to expand their market share. In conclusion, the India Pharmaceutical Packaging Market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing demand for safe drug packaging. The market is driven by the need to protect drugs from external factors and prevent counterfeiting. With advancements in technology and stringent government regulations, the market is expected to flourish in the coming years. The key players in the market are actively investing in research and development to stay competitive in this evolving landscape.

[coldpenguintaco]

PET Packaging Market Set to Witness Remarkable Growth in the Forecast Period

PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) packaging is a type of plastic packaging made from polyester resin, which is used to package food and beverages, medicines, and other consumer products. PET packaging has become popular due to its lightweight, shatter-resistant, and cost-effective nature. It is also highly recyclable and is used in many applications, such as food and beverage containers, plastic…

[simply-ivanka]

Germany Should Have Listened to Trump

Tuesday 2.27.2024 Wall Street Journal

By Walter Russell Mead

Trump was right about Berlin’s self-defense and risky energy dependence on Russia.

The lower house of Germany’s Parliament voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis last week. It was a timely move. Germany’s leadership class is going to need all the mellow it can find in a world that isn’t going Germany’s way.

Russian advances in Ukraine and American paralysis over the next aid package are reinforcing the reality that Germany needs to defend itself but lacks the power to do so. So are developments in the Red Sea, where German manufacturers must cope with shipping delays as the Biden administration fails to keep the vital waterway clear.

Forget the 2% of gross domestic product that Germany has repeatedly promised and failed to spend on defense. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius shocked many observers this month when he said that in the new world situation, Germany may have to spend as much as 3.5% of GDP for defense.

The economic news is also grim. Last year Germany’s GDP shrank 0.3%, and last week the government slashed 2024 growth estimates to a pitiful 0.2%. Economists expect negative growth during the first quarter of 2024, placing the country in recession. The outlook for housing is bleak, with business confidence reaching all-time lows. The news in manufacturing is little better. This month the widely followed HCOB German Flash Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 46.1, the eighth month in a row that the index has pointed to decreasing economic activity.

Energy prices are a particular sore spot. The chemical giant BASF announced €1 billion in spending cuts in its German operations, blaming a mix of weak demand in the German market and “structurally higher energy prices.” Enormous U.S. subsidies under the so-called Inflation Reduction Act are leading German companies to look across the Atlantic.

Chinese competition is another massive worry. China long ago passed Germany as the world’s largest car producer. Increasingly, especially in electric vehicles, it is challenging Germany as both a low-cost and high-quality manufacturer. Beijing aims to marginalize German capital goods and automobile companies in China while Chinese exporters challenge German dominance in world markets.

With the associations representing the small and medium-size Mittelstand firms that make up the heart of the German economy warning in a rare joint open letter about Germany’s loss of competitiveness, Economy Minister Robert Habeck isn’t mincing words. The economy is in “rough waters.” The “competitiveness of Germany as an industrial location” is in doubt.

It isn’t all doom and gloom. The outlook for the service sector is brighter than for manufacturing, and as the Journal reported last week, the Ifo Institute’s business-climate index improved slightly this month. The best that can be said for the outlook? “The German economy is stabilizing at a low level,” according to Ifo’s president.

Meanwhile, Germany’s dysfunctional three-party coalition government is paralyzed by internal struggles. The largest party in the coalition, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), is deeply divided over foreign policy, with many nostalgic for good relations with Russia and allergic to military spending. The SPD also wants Biden-like government spending initiatives to revive the German industrial machine and expand social benefits. The Greens, the next-largest party, are by German standards foreign-policy hawks but continue to press for a rapid energy transition that drives up costs for business and consumers. The third party in the coalition, the Free Democrats, wants to hold the line on government spending. As if this weren’t enough trouble, the conservative opposition parties have a blocking minority in Parliament’s upper house.

This is not where Germans thought they would be. Sixteen months ago, I visited Berlin and heard from a stream of government officials, think tankers and economists that everything was working fine. Russia was failing in Ukraine. The energy transition would boost German competitiveness and employment. Germany’s Mittelstand would handle anything China could throw at it.

Under the circumstances, it’s no surprise that antiestablishment parties are growing in Germany. The far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) currently has more support than any of the governing parties, with one recent poll showing the AfD at 19%, the Social Democrats at 14%, the Greens at 13%, and the Free Democrats at 4%.

The most bitter pill of all for Germany’s establishment may be the realization that on the most important issues facing Germany, Donald Trump was right where they were wrong. Getting in bed with Vladimir Putin for cheap energy was both foolish and deeply disloyal to the West. German defense policy was self-defeating and dangerous. China wasn’t a reliable partner.

“Ich bin ein Berliner,” was President John F. Kennedy’s message to Germany. If Donald Trump returns to the White House, his message will likely be “Das habe ich gleich gesagt,” or “I told you so.”

[pearlsmith25]

Industrial Packaging Market Perspectives: Navigating Regulatory Challenges

Industrial packaging products such as pallets, crates, barrels, drums & Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) are extensively used for shipping & storing industrial goods. They provide protection to goods from damage and ensure safe delivery from producers to end-users. With growing global trade, the need for safe and efficient packaging solutions has increased.

The global Industrial Packaging Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 68,677.9 Mn in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 5.4% over the forecast period 2023 to 2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights.

Market Opportunity: The opportunity in reducing wastage has been a major market driver. Industrial packaging helps decrease wastage at various stages of transportation and storage through effective protection of goods. Damage to goods can lead to wastage and loss of products. Use of proper industrial packaging plays a key role in avoiding wastage through breaks, leaks and other forms of damage. It is estimated that over 5% of goods transported globally get wasted every year mainly due to inadequate or improper packaging. Adopting standardized and reusable industrial packaging solutions can significantly reduce this wastage, thereby boosting supply chain efficiency for industries. This presents a major market opportunity for manufacturers of industrial packaging products.

Porter’s Analysis

Threat of new entrants: The industrial packaging market requires large capital investment to construct manufacturing plants and acquire high quality packaging material and machinery. Thus, threat from new entrants is low to moderate.

Bargaining power of buyers: The presence of numerous industrial packaging manufacturers allows buyers to compare products and prices. Thus, the bargaining power of buyers is moderate to high.

Bargaining power of suppliers: The industrial packaging market is fragmented with multiple raw material suppliers. Thus, dependence on key material suppliers is low and bargaining power of suppliers is moderate.

Threat of new substitutes: Alternatives to conventional packaging include returnable transport items which pose low to moderate threat due to sustainability focus.

Competitive rivalry: The market has few global players operating internationally while regional players cater to local demands. Competition is intense based on product innovation, quality, and pricing.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Established distribution network, product innovation, and economies of scale allow creation of value added packaging solutions.

Weaknesses: Heavy reliance on cyclical industries, fluctuations in raw material prices, and rising labor costs impact profitability.

Opportunities: Growth in e-commerce, food processing, and construction industries drive demand. Sustainable packaging presents new revenue streams.

Threats: Volatility in disposable income affects consumer spending. Stricter regulations around plastic use may impact certain product segments.

Key Takeaways

The global Industrial Packaging market is expected to witness high growth over the forecast period supported by expansion in core end use industries. The market size for 2024 is projected to reach US$ 68,677.9 Mn representing a CAGR of 5.4% between 2023 to 2030.

Regional analysis indicates North America currently accounts for the largest share supported by well-established food processing and manufacturing industries. However, Asia Pacific is identified as the fastest growing regional market with strong growth anticipated across China, India, and ASEAN countries.

Key players operating in the Industrial Packaging market are Smurfit Kappa Group, Cascades Inc., Mauser Group B.V., Grief Inc., International Paper, Nefab Group, Schutz, Sonoco, AmeriGlobe, and B.A.G. Corp. Global leaders are focused on strategic acquisitions and partnerships to expand their geographic footprint and product portfolios.

[nightlyrequiem]

Be Still My Heart

Chapter 4- Business

Masterlist AO3 Next Previous

New Chapter Every Saturday

You're the best in the meth industry but a new product suddenly pops up. You and your boss, Valeria, must figure out who is making it so you can take back the market. All the while tension is building between the two of you.

A/N: Boring business stuff, but also Valeria being internally vindictive and angry.

Tags/Warnings: Illegal Substances, Boss Employee Relationship, Angst, Some Hurt/Comfort, Violence, Manipulation, Suggestive Themes, Smut (But Only in CH19.), Dual POV

"Well, I have a date. "Well, I have a date. "Well, I have a date." "Well, I have a date."

A glass astray shatters against the wall as Valeria hurls it in anger. Its shards glitter and catch the glow from the lamp, looking like really big crystals of the yellow meth. She scowls at the mess she's made. You have a date. Who would even want to go out with you, she wonders. You're odd and reclusive and don't blink as often as you should. Everyone who works under her thinks you're... peculiar, so who asked you out? Valeria of course has an interest in you but that's because she's intelligent enough to appreciate the complexity of you.

Valeria rubs a hand over her warm face, her fingers itching for another cigarette. Valeria has dumbly assumed that she'd have no competition, that she wouldn't have to compete for your affection. She leans down to pick up the glass, she's lucky all the pieces are big. She stews in her anger. She doesn't enjoy the idea of you out with someone else. Smiling that toothy, lopsided smile at their jokes, focusing that tense stare on them. Maybe you'll even go on to ramble about all the 'fun facts' you know about everything and anything. Valeria won't let this slide, naturally. She has never been the type to let go of the things she wants so easily.

After she's finished cleaning up the astray, she sits down in her chair. There's a new dent in the wall, which only adds to her irritation. She'll stop you from going on that date. First, Valeria needs to speak with Diego first. Handle business and then she's free to fix this. She forces herself out of the comforting leather embrace of her chair and sets out down the hallway to find Diego. She passes by a room with the door open and halts in her steps. The two men inside who are supposed to be packaging the product are currently testing it out. She slips in silently and slaps the bald one upside the head. Startling the other one into backing up.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hisses "¡Maldito idiota inútil, no usas el producto!" 

The man's eyes are bloodshot. She can see the red veins snaking through the whites of his glassy eyes. His mouth hangs open slightly from shock, revealing teeth in the beginning stages of rot. She glares at him, weighing her options. She lashes out again and catches him in the nose with a foul right hook, sending him to the floor with a heavy thud. Valeria isn't done though. She grabs him and hoists him to his feet.

She levels his friend with a dangerous look.

"Hold him steady." She demands. He just gapes at her like he can't understand the very simple words coming from her lips. Moron. "HOLD HIM!" Valeria repeats loudly. He grabs his friend, and Valeria grabs his right hand, slamming it on the table. His fingers are thick, hair growing on the knuckles. His nails are short but caked with dirt.

"What are you doing?" The bald one asks nervously. Valeria ignores him and grabs a knife from her belt, stabbing it down through his hand. He screams in either pain or surprise or both. He almost jerks his hand away but clearly thinks better of it.

"Don't steal our fucking product again. Do you understand me?" Valeria growls. It takes a second, but he nods.

Valeria turns away abruptly and storms out of the room. The surprise act of violence has barely quelled her anger. He's not really the person she wants to hurt anyway. Valeria shakes her head and continues her search for Diego. She finds him in a back room with his personal cellphone up to his ear. He's speaking softly into the receiver, calling whoever it is on the other side baby. Valeria curls her lip in disgust at the sight of her right hand acting so soft. Or maybe it's jealousy at the fact she doesn't have that. she stands in the doorway with her arms crossed until Diego notices her. He does and furrows those thick brows. He quickly gives an excuse to the woman on the phone as to why he has to go. They exchange sappy 'I love yous' to each other. He hangs up and stands straight. All business now.

Valeria clears her throat.

"We need to discuss this new meth." She speaks. Leanings against the yellowing wall. Once upon a time it was pearly white but one too many people shared a cigarette in this room and stained it.

"I still think it's coming from Pajaro Azul." He says gruffly. Valeria nods. She already knows where you stand on this. You don't think it's even coming from a city in Mexico, and you don't want to deal with it if it is. You aren't making the decisions here though. Valeria still feels a little hesitant about travelling down to Pajaro Azul. She begrudgingly admits to herself that the reining cartel over there is strong, and they could get offended if Las Almas started sniffing around. It could spark into an all-out war. and while Valeria has no issues with violence or death, a war would be inconvenient and cost them money and men.

Diego continues.

"We should go down there and look around, to hell with the cartel if they don't like it."

Valeria holds a hand up to her face to inspect her nails. The pink polish is chipping and looks grubby. She really needs to repaint her nails. "Maybe." She concedes. "I think we should do that if this sweeter batch isn't a success."

Diego frowns. "It probably won't be." He says snidely. Valeria can feel herself bristling at his tone. "Her other stuff is selling less and less, at this point she's costing more than she's making."

Valeria resists the urge to jump to your defense. You were making them a lot of money before the new stuff popped up. Valeria knows you'll make them more money again after this situation is dealt with. "She's a worthwhile investment."

"What kind of a scientist can't figure out a way to make a better meth recipe?" He retorts.

"Chemist, Diego, and she didn't go to school for chemistry." Valeria replies with annoyance. "Considering that, I think she's doing pretty good. Besides, an actual chemist would cost more than she does."

There's also the matter of finding one willing to cook meth.

Diego just shrugs. 

"Maybe an actual chemist would give us something useful." He says stubbornly. 

"I'm not firing her." Valeria snaps. This conversation is irritating her. "If this new stuff doesn't sell, I'll send people down to Pajaro Azul." Valeria concludes. she can tell Diego wants to go sooner than that, but he also isn't making the decisions here. Not anymore.

"Alright." He agrees reluctantly. 

With business concluded Valeria can move onto more personal matters.

"Are there any... fraternizing amongst my workers?" Valeria asks. Diego leans back, confused by the sudden topic switch.

"Like fucking?" He asks.

"... Sure, or perhaps relationships?" She presses. He spends more time with the others than she does. Why would she willingly spend any more time around them than she has to?

"Oh, I think Corra is pursuing someone around here." He says. "She was talking to her brother about asking someone out. I think it was your little chemist."

Corra? She scowls. Corra. It enrages Valeria that she genuinely sees Corra as competition. She's younger, friendlier, more feminine. Is that what you're into? Valeria decides Corra is making a fool out of you. Asking you out as a means of humiliating you, why else would she show interest in you? She doesn't know you enough to like you. Not like Valeria does.

"I see." She says.

"That a problem?" Diego asks. Able to see the obvious dislike on her face.

"Not at all." Valeria lies. Relaxing her face. "As long as everyone does what they need to do I don't care who they do."

Except Valeria does care. Valeria has more money and power and so much more to offer. Not only that, but she's certain Corra only asked you out to make you the butt of a joke. She knows you could never be fulfilled with Corra anyway, but you don't seem to know that. You'd be wasting your time with Corra and if you get invested into a relationship with her only to find out she was leading you on for a quick laugh. It could devastate you and affect your work ethic. That's fine. Valeria will... guide you on the right path. You're a sheep and she's your shepherd.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Hollywood is the single best example of mature labor power in America

This afternoon (May 6), I’ll be in Berkeley at the Bay Area Bookfest for a 3:30PM event with Glynn Washington for my book Red Team Blues; tomorrow (May 7), it’s an 11AM event with Wendy Liu for my book Chokepoint Capitalism.

Weds (May 10), I’m in Vancouver for a keynote at the Open Source Summit and a book event at Heritage Hall and Thu (May 11), I’m in Calgary for Wordfest.

The Writers Guild is on strike. Hollywood is closed for business. The union’s bargaining documents reveal a cartel of studios that refused to negotiate on a single position. This could go on for a long-ass time:

https://www.wga.org/uploadedfiles/members/member_info/contract-2023/WGA_proposals.pdf

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/06/people-are-not-disposable/#union-strong

The writers are up for it. A lot of people are saying this is the first writers’ strike since 2007/8, but that’s not quite right. That was the last time the writers went on strike against the studios, but in 2019, the writers struck against their own talent agents — within the space of a week, all 7,000 writers in Hollywood fired their agents. They struck against the agencies for 22 months.

https://deadline.com/2023/04/hollywood-strike-writers-guild-studios-talent-agencies-1235333516/

The agencies had consolidated down to four major firms, two backed by private equity who loaded them up with debt that could only be repaid if the agencies figured out how to vastly increase their profits. They did so, by unilaterally switching the way they did business with their clients. Instead of taking a 10% commission on the creative wages they bargained for, the agencies started to take “packaging fees” from the studios for putting together a writer, director, stars, etc. These fees came out of the same budget that the talent got paid from, so the higher the fee was, the less the talent made. Soon, some showrunners were discovering that they were getting 10% and their agents were getting 90%!

The agencies weren’t done, either: they were building their own studios, and planning to negotiate with themselves on behalf of their clients. The writers said fuck this shit. They issued a code of conduct ordering the agencies to knock all that shit off. The agencies swore they’d never do it. Why should they? Every job these writers had ever done came through an agency, and the agencies were staffed with the toughest, most obnoxious negotiators on the planet.

They were sure the writers would cave. After all, the top tier of writers had been handled with kid gloves by the agencies and not ripped off to the same extent as their jobbing, workaday peers. They’d break solidarity and the union would collapse, right?

Wrong. Twenty-two months later, every one of the agencies caved on every single point. Bam. Union strong.

(Want to learn more? Check out Chokepoint Capitalism, Rebecca Giblin’s and my book about creative labor markets:)

http://chokepointcapitalism.com

Now the writers are back on strike and it’s triggered a predictable torrent of anti-worker nonsense (“striking writers will lead to public indifference to torture!) (no, really) (ugh):

https://www.readtpa.com/p/on-the-tv-writers-strike-dont-fall

One common theme in these bad takes is that writers aren’t real workers, like, you know, coal miners or Starbucks baristas. They’re coddled intellectuals, and haven’t the intelligentsia been indifferent to proletarian struggle since, you know, time immemorial?

This is wrong in every conceivable way. For starters, it’s ahistorical. Lord Byron and innumerable other toffs and poets and such were right there with the Luddites, demanding labor justice during the Industrial Revolution, as Brian Merchant writes in his outstanding, forthcoming history of the Luddites, Blood in the Machine:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/20/love-the-machine/#hate-the-factory

But you don’t have to look back to the stocking frame to find this kind of solidarity. As Hamilton Nolan writes in his newsletter, “Hollywood is the single best example of mature labor power in America”:

https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/the-coral-reef-of-humanity-encircling

The entire Hollywood workforce, from grips to carpenters, costumers to plumbers, teamsters to medics, is unionized. That includes writers and actors (I’m a member of IATSE Local 839, AKA The Animation Guild). I live in Burbank, the entertainment industry’s company town (fun fact! The “Hollywood” studios are largely over the city line, in Burbank). Walk down Burbank Boulevard, Magnolia Boulevard, or any of the other major roads, and you’ll pass many union halls.

Burbank is a prosperous place. That’s thanks, in part, to the studios, whose entertainment products are very profitable. But working in a profitable industry is not, in and of itself, a guarantee that you will get a share of those profits. Some of the most profitable industries in the world — e-commerce, fast food, logistics — have the lowest paid workforces.

Burbank is prosperous because the unions made sure that everyone — the grips, the costumers, the animators, the actors, the writers, the teamsters and the pipefitters — gets a decent wage, decent health care and a decent retirement. My pal the set-dresser who worked crazy hours shlepping furniture around sitcom sets for decades? All that work did bad stuff to his joints, which meant that he needed a hip replacement in his forties — which was 100% covered, including his sick leave while he recovered. He was able to take early retirement in his late fifties, with a solid pension, with his health in excellent shape and many years of happiness with his partner stretching before him.

That’s what unions get you: a good job that might be hard at times, and the costs of your work are borne by the employer who profits from your labor. As Nolan writes, the point of unions is to “make sure that people! Are! Not! Disposable!”

Unions deliver the American dream. As Pete Seeger sang in “Talking Union Blues”:

Now, if you want higher wages let me tell you what to do You got to talk to the workers in the shop with you You got to build you a union, got to make it strong But if you all stick together, boys, it won’t be long You get shorter hours, better working conditions Vacations with pay. Take your kids to the seashore

http://www.protestsonglyrics.net/Labor_Union_Songs/Talking-Union.phtml

We tend to focus on wages in union discussions, but unions aren’t merely about getting better pay, it’s about making better jobs. When LA teachers went out on strike in 2019, wages weren’t at the top of their list — they bargained for greenspace for every school, replacing rotting portables with permanent buildings, ending ICE entrapment of parents at the school gates, social workers and counselors for schools…and wages.

I really like how Nolan puts this. The way that the studios make money has changed: streaming is clobbering ad-supported TV and movie theater tickets. The studios are adapting. The workers want to adapt, too. The studios would rather “treat[] their work force as a disposable natural resource to be mined, used up, and then abandoned, as business dictates.”

A union gives workers “the same ability to adapt to changing industries that companies already have.” The studios want to leave workers behind. Unions give workers the collective power to say, “No. You’re taking us with you.”

Union workers are wealthier than their non-union counterparts, but that’s not just because of higher wages. As Nolan writes, “Unions make sure that the people get to adapt to changing industries, and not just the investors and the business owners.”

[Union workers] have a far greater ability to build coherent, long-term careers, as opposed to a constant treadmill of unstable short-term gigs. In non-union industries, businesses can just act like ships cutting through a desperate sea of workers, scooping up whoever they want and then tossing them overboard as soon as it’s convenient. In a union industry, though, the companies are forced to deal with the labor force as an equal. The workers have their own damn boat.

Advocates for market capitalism insist that market forces increase prosperity for everyone. They say that, in the end, having corporations serve their shareholders results in corporations serving everyone.

But a comparison of unionized and nonunionized industries reveals the hollowness of that prospect. Hollywood is wildly profitable and it pays every kind of worker well. That’s because workers have solidarity across sectors and trades. Striking writers like jonrog1 are calling on supporters to donate to the Entertainment Community Fund:

https://twitter.com/jonrog1/status/1654168529728307204

The Entertainment Community Fund supports everyone else who is affected by the work-stoppage, all the other creative and craft trades whose work has been halted by the writers’ struggle. If you want to support these workers, make sure you select “Film and TV” from the drop-down menu when you donate (we gave $100):

https://entertainmentcommunity.org/

Because all the workers are in this together. As Adam Conover explains in this amazing CNN clip, David Zazlav, the head of CNN parent-company Warner-Discovery, made a quarter of a billion dollars last year, enough to pay all the demands of all the writers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL-YwKO81go

And Carol Lombardini, spokesvillain for the studio cartel AMPTP, told the press that “”Writers are lucky to have term employment.” As John Rogers says, she “wiped out the doubt of every writer who wasn’t sure this negotiation really IS so important, that it actually IS about turning us into gig workers.”

https://twitter.com/jonrog1/status/1654506611086606336

The stakes in this strike are the same as the stakes in every strike: will workers get a fair share of the value their labor creates, or will that value be piled up in the vaults of $250,000,000/year CEOs? It’s not like the studios especially hate writers — like all corporations, they hate all their workers. The same tactics that they’re using to make it so writers can’t pay the rent today will be turned on every other kind of Hollywood worker tomorrow — and when the writers win this one, they’ll support those workers, too.

There’s a lot of concern about AI displacing creative labor, but the only entity that can take away a writer’s wage is a human being, an executive at a studio. As has been the case since the time of the Luddites, the issue isn’t what the machine does, it’s who it does it for and who it does it to.

After all, as Charlie Stross points out, a corporation is just a “Slow AI,” remorselessly paperclip-maximizing its way through the lives and joy of the flesh-and-blood people who constitute its inconvenient gut-flora:

https://media.ccc.de/v/34c3-9270-dude_you_broke_the_future#video&t=3478

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in Berkeley, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, DC, Gaithersburg, Oxford, Hay, Manchester, Nottingham, London, and Berlin!

[Image ID: Animators walk the picket-line during the Disney Animator's Strike in 1941.]

Image: LA Times https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Screen_Cartoonist%27s_Guild_strike_at_Disney.jpg

CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

[mariacallous]

In 2023, the fast-fashion giant Shein was everywhere. Crisscrossing the globe, airplanes ferried small packages of its ultra-cheap clothing from thousands of suppliers to tens of millions of customer mailboxes in 150 countries. Influencers’ “#sheinhaul” videos advertised the company’s trendy styles on social media, garnering billions of views.

At every step, data was created, collected, and analyzed. To manage all this information, the fast fashion industry has begun embracing emerging AI technologies. Shein uses proprietary machine-learning applications — essentially, pattern-identification algorithms — to measure customer preferences in real time and predict demand, which it then services with an ultra-fast supply chain.

As AI makes the business of churning out affordable, on-trend clothing faster than ever, Shein is among the brands under increasing pressure to become more sustainable, too. The company has pledged to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050.

But climate advocates and researchers say the company’s lightning-fast manufacturing practices and online-only business model are inherently emissions-heavy — and that the use of AI software to catalyze these operations could be cranking up its emissions. Those concerns were amplified by Shein’s third annual sustainability report, released late last month, which showed the company nearly doubled its carbon dioxide emissions between 2022 and 2023.

“AI enables fast fashion to become the ultra-fast fashion industry, Shein and Temu being the fore-leaders of this,” said Sage Lenier, the executive director of Sustainable and Just Future, a climate nonprofit. “They quite literally could not exist without AI.” (Temu is a rapidly rising ecommerce titan, with a marketplace of goods that rival Shein’s in variety, price, and sales.)

In the 12 years since Shein was founded, it has become known for its uniquely prolific manufacturing, which reportedly generated over $30 billion of revenue for the company in 2023. Although estimates vary, a new Shein design may take as little as 10 days to become a garment, and up to 10,000 items are added to the site each day. The company reportedly offers as many as 600,000 items for sale at any given time with an average price tag of roughly $10. (Shein declined to confirm or deny these reported numbers.) One market analysis found that 44 percent of Gen Zers in the United States buy at least one item from Shein every month.

That scale translates into massive environmental impacts. According to the company’s sustainability report, Shein emitted 16.7 million total metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023 — more than what four coal power plants spew out in a year. The company has also come under fire for textile waste, high levels of microplastic pollution, and exploitative labor practices. According to the report, polyester — a synthetic textile known for shedding microplastics into the environment — makes up 76 percent of its total fabrics, and only 6 percent of that polyester is recycled.

And a recent investigation found that factory workers at Shein suppliers regularly work 75-hour weeks, over a year after the company pledged to improve working conditions within its supply chain. Although Shein’s sustainability report indicates that labor conditions are improving, it also shows that in third-party audits of over 3,000 suppliers and subcontractors, 71 percent received a score of C or lower on the company’s grade scale of A to E — mediocre at best.

Machine learning plays an important role in Shein’s business model. Although Peter Pernot-Day, Shein’s head of global strategy and corporate affairs, told Business Insider last August that AI was not central to its operations, he indicated otherwise during a presentation at a retail conference at the beginning of this year.

“We are using machine-learning technologies to accurately predict demand in a way that we think is cutting edge,” he said. Pernot-Day told the audience that all of Shein’s 5,400 suppliers have access to an AI software platform that gives them updates on customer preferences, and they change what they’re producing to match it in real time.

“This means we can produce very few copies of each garment,” he said. “It means we waste very little and have very little inventory waste.” On average, the company says it stocks between 100 to 200 copies of each item — a stark contrast with more conventional fast-fashion brands, which typically produce thousands of each item per season, and try to anticipate trends months in advance. Shein calls its model “on-demand,” while a technology analyst who spoke to Vox in 2021 called it “real-time” retail.

At the conference, Pernot-Day also indicated that the technology helps the company pick up on “micro trends” that customers want to wear. “We can detect that, and we can act on that in a way that I think we’ve really pioneered,” he said. A designer who filed a recent class action lawsuit in a New York District Court alleges that the company’s AI market analysis tools are used in an “industrial-scale scheme of systematic, digital copyright infringement of the work of small designers and artists,” that scrapes designs off the internet and sends them directly to factories for production.

In an emailed statement to Grist, a Shein spokesperson reiterated Peter Pernot-Day’s assertion that technology allows the company to reduce waste and increase efficiency and suggested that the company’s increased emissions in 2023 were attributable to booming business. “We do not see growth as antithetical to sustainability,” the spokesperson said.

An analysis of Shein’s sustainability report by the Business of Fashion, a trade publication, found that last year, the company’s emissions rose at almost double the rate of its revenue — making Shein the highest-emitting company in the fashion industry. By comparison, Zara’s emissions rose half as much as its revenue. For other industry titans, such as H&M and Nike, sales grew while emissions fell from the year before.

Shein’s emissions are especially high because of its reliance on air shipping, said Sheng Lu, a professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware. “AI has wide applications in the fashion industry. It’s not necessarily that AI is bad,” Lu said. “The problem is the essence of Shein’s particular business model.”

Other major brands ship items overseas in bulk, prefer ocean shipping for its lower cost, and have suppliers and warehouses in a large number of countries, which cuts down on the distances that items need to travel to consumers.

According to the company’s sustainability report, 38 percent of Shein’s climate footprint comes from transportation between its facilities and to customers, and another 61 percent come from other parts of its supply chain. Although the company is based in Singapore and has suppliers in a handful of countries, the majority of its garments are produced in China and are mailed out by air in individually addressed packages to customers. In July, the company sent about 900,000 of these to the US every day.

Shein’s spokesperson told Grist that the company is developing a decarbonization road map to address the footprint of its supply chain. Recently, the company has increased the amount of inventory it stores in US warehouses, allowing it to offer American customers quicker delivery times, and increased its use of cargo ships, which are more carbon-efficient than cargo planes.

“Controlling the carbon emissions in the fashion industry is a really complex process,” Lu said, adding that many brands use AI to make their operations more efficient. “It really depends on how you use AI.”

There is research that indicates using certain AI technologies could help companies become more sustainable. “It’s the missing piece,” said Shahriar Akter, an associate dean of business and law at the University of Wollongong in Australia. In May, Akter and his colleagues published a study finding that when fast-fashion suppliers used AI data management software to comply with big brands’ sustainability goals, those companies were more profitable and emitted less. A key use of this technology, Atker says, is to closely monitor environmental impacts, such as pollution and emissions. “This kind of tracking was not available before AI-based tools,” he said.

Shein told Grist it does not use machine-learning data management software to track emissions, which is one of the uses of AI included in Akter’s study. But the company’s much-touted usage of machine-learning software to predict demand and reduce waste is another of the uses of AI included in the research.

Regardless, the company has a long way to go before meeting its goals. Grist calculated that the emissions Shein reportedly saved in 2023 — with measures such as providing its suppliers with solar panels and opting for ocean shipping — amounted to about 3 percent of the company’s total carbon emissions for the year.

Lenier, from Sustainable and Just Future, believes there is no ethical use of AI in the fast-fashion industry. She said that the largely unregulated technology allows brands to intensify their harmful impacts on workers and the environment. “The folks who work in fast-fashion factories are now under an incredible amount of pressure to turn out even more, even faster,” she said.

Lenier and Lu both believe that the key to a more sustainable fashion industry is convincing customers to buy less. Lu said if companies use AI to boost their sales without changing their unsustainable practices, their climate footprints will also grow accordingly. “It’s the overall effect of being able to offer more market-popular items and encourage consumers to purchase more than in the past,” he said. “Of course, the overall carbon impact will be higher.”

[normanjdroid]

CRITTERS FOR SALE - 1994

This is the fourth by the four. ‘Please Please Me’, ‘With The Critters’, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. That’s three. Now… ‘Critters For Sale‘.

The young Critters themselves aren’t for sale. Money, noisy though it is, doesn’t talk that loud. But! You can buy this album – you probably have, unless you’re just browsing, in which case don’t leave any dirty thumbprints on the sleeve!

It isn’t all currency or current though. There’s priceless history between these covers. None of us is getting any younger. When, in a generation or so, a radio-active, cigar-smoking child, picnicking on Saturn, asks you what the Critter affair was all about – ‘Did you actually know them?’ – don’t try to explain all about the long hair and the screams! Just play the child a few tracks from this album and he’ll probably understand what it was all about. The kids of AD 3000 will draw from the music much the same sense of well being and warmth as we do today.

For the magic of the Critters is, I suspect, timeless and ageless. It has broken all frontiers and barriers. It has cut through differences of race, age and class. It is adored by the world.

This album has some lovely samples of Critter music. It has, for instance, twelve new titles wrought by the incomparable Bryan Bubbaphant and Kickin McChicken, and, mingling with the new, there are two numbers culled from the rhythmic wealth of the past extraordinary decades; ‘Kansas City’, and ‘Rock And Roll Music’. Marvellous.

Many hours and hard day’s nights of devoted industry went into the production of this album. It isn’t a potboiling quick-sale any-old-thing-will-do-for-Christmas mixture.

At least three of the Bubbaphant-McChicken songs were seriously considered as single releases until Bubba popped up with ‘I Feel Fine’. These three were ‘Eight Days A Week’, ‘No Reply’ and ‘I’m A Loser’. Each would have topped the charts, but as it is they are an adornment to this LP, and a lesson to other artists. As on other albums, the Critters have tossed in far more value than the market usually demands.

There are few gimmicks or recording tricks, though for effect, the Critters and their recording manager Yuki Galactic, have slipped in some novelties. Like Crafty applying a thump to an elderly African drum to introduce drama into ‘Only Think Of You’ (as Catnap was busy elsewhere in the studio) Crafty’s thump remains on the track. The bongos Catnap were to play were later dropped. Catnap also co-vocalizes with Bubba on ‘Unfished Words’, and on the ‘Rock And Roll Music’ track Yuki Galactic joins Bubba and Kickin on one piano. On ‘Island In The Sun’, Catnap plays a packing case type rhythm on his kit.

Beyond this, it is straightforward 1994 disc-making. Quite the best of its kind in the world. There is little or nothing on the album which cannot be reproduced on stage, which is, as students and critics of pop-music know, not always the case.

Here it is then. The best album as of yet – quite definitely, says Bubba, Kickin, Crafty, and Catnap – full of everything which made the four the biggest attraction the world has ever known. Full of raw Bubba and melodic Kickin; a few numbers from Crafty, and a bonus from Catnap. For those who like to know who does precisely what, there are details alongside each title.

Listen to the album here!

Packaging and Artwork

The album cover was rather nice: Droid’s photos. It was easy. We did a session lasting a couple of hours and had some reasonable pictures to use. We showed up in Hyde Park by the Albert Memorial. I was quite impressed by Crafty’s hair there. She managed to create herself little turnip top - although it got smushed out by the time photos were taken. The photographer would always be able to say to us, ‘Just show up,’ because we all wore the same kind of gear all the time. Black stuff; white shirts sometimes even big black scarves. - Kickin McChicken, Archeology

Critters For Sale was packaged in a gatefold sleeve, a first for the group. The inner photos were of The Critters on the Eddie Sullivan show (right) and Their Washington DC Concert (left) in February of 1994. The front and back covers (below) featured photographs of The Critters taken by James Droid in Critland’s Hyde Park. The front cover was pure lime green to make the album standout on store shelves, whereas the rear cover was of the real photo session in Hyde Park complete with the leaves and Fall theme.

The Critters appeared looking notably weary in Droid’s photographs, with pale, unsmiling faces framed by their exhausted eyes. The effects of Crittermania was beginning to show.

Chart Success

The aptly-titled Critters For Sale was released on December 4th 1994, and entered the Critland charts on December 12th. It was an instant chart-topper, replacing A Hard Day’s Night, and remaining there for seven consecutive weeks. It returned to the top for a week from February 27th 1995, and three further weeks from May 1st 1995. In all it spent 46 weeks in the Critland charts.

One month prior to its release more than 500,000 advance orders had been placed. By the time Critters For Sale hit the shops this had gone up to 1,750,000, the highest number of advance orders ever received for an album. It also briefly entered the singles chart at number 22, at a time when the hit parade was made up of sales regardless of the discs’ diameters.

In the studio

Although Critters For Sale was created between August and October 1994, only seven days were spent recording. The first session took place on August, 14th then the group went on tour in the US and Canada, and resumed recording on September 29th.

"Recording Critters For Sale didn’t take long. Basically it was our stage show, with some new songs." - Kickin McChicken, Archeology

Aside from the unused ‘Leave My Kitten Alone’, each of the seven songs recorded before The Critters’ 1994 UK tour began on October 9th was a Bubbaphant-McChicken original. Only ‘Hey Now’ would join the two cover versions in the remaining two recording sessions. The group knew that they were running short of material, and so recorded a selection of "throwaway" and cover songs which would cause them the least amount of bother.

Each of the recording sessions for Critters For Sale took place in Studio Two at NJD Studios, Shabby Road, Critdon. While recording the album they also taped both sides of the standalone single ‘I Feel Fine’/‘She’s A Woman’, and the group’s second fan club Christmas record.

Although the group had access to four-track recording technology, three of the songs on Critters For Sale – ‘Rock And Roll Music’, ‘Look Of Love’, and ‘Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!’ – were each recorded in just one take. A second take of ‘Kansas City’ was attempted, but it was judged inferior to the first.

Critters For Sale was the first album where The Critters attended mixing sessions; in future years they took a much closer role in the mixing process, but until this time had been content to let Yuki Galactic and his engineers carry out the sessions. Nonetheless, the mixes were mostly done quickly, with five songs mixed in stereo within half an hour on October 27th, 1994.

[joesalw]

Just went through the r/SwiftlyNeutral and saw a post about her firing her manager back in 2005 and him suing her and her parents in 2008. Holy hell. The audacity of this woman to make herself seem like she came from this humble background when in reality her daddy bought her a record deal AND HIRED BRITNEY SPEARS' MANAGER. There's a court doc attached to the post.

So basically they hired Dan Dymtrow who shopped her to major labels and invited execs to see her perform at the Blue Bird Cafe. He hired consultants to help her improve her skills, educated her and her family about marketing, branding, imaging to 'help develop a satisfactory press kit to present to music industry executives and for press/media coverage'. Got her A&F deal, scheduled meetings in New York and Nashville with major record companies. "Due in significant part to her young age, not one major record label would even meet with Artist before Mr. Dymtrow agreed to represent her".

In 2004 he had a "press-package" sent to Scott Borchetta (who was the Executive Vice-President for Universal Music Group at the time) and invited him to see her perform at the Blue Bird Cafe and sent her demo to him. After that Borchetta left UMG and started his own label. He told Dymtrow that he wanted to sign Taylor. Dymtrow "worked closely with Borchetta to ensure that Artist would get the most favorable record contract terms". In July 2005 Scott Swift told Dymtrow that he was terminating his contract and a few weeks after Taylor signed with Big Machine (they fired him to avoid paying him I'm assuming). Before he was fired, he was pursuing Creative Artists Agency "CAA" to represent Swift. In June 2005 they offered to sign Taylor as their client and the contract was signed after her manager was fired (his contract was officially terminated in August 2005).

In about May 2005 Scott Swift began to systematically and wrongfully discredit Dymtrow's efforts and interfere with management, created a division between his daughter and her manager. Prior to firing him, her father requested and obtained Dymtrow's goals and plans for his daughter's career and contacts he was relying on. In July he demanded Dymtrow to draft NINE different business plans to chart her career for the next five years. The following day he asked him about WHO OWNED ARTIST'S MASTER RECORDINGS(!!!). That was before the deal was even signed.

The story she's selling is completely re-written. They hired a top industry manager with lots of contacts in the industry, nosed out his plans and a list people that can help, fired him without paying. They knew about her possibly not having the ownership of her masters even before the contract was signed. The lawyer that represented her when she was 13-years-old is currently the Global Head of Artists at YouTube Music. Just scums.

After his contract was terminated, Andrea and Taylor had a dinner with him where Taylor told him that she didn't want to fire him and her father made her choose between him or the manager *ew*. Her father also threatened to cut-off any financial support related to her career if she didn't fire the guy *again,ew* which Andrea confirmed.

Someone mentioned that the skeletons in her closet will fall out on their own and I think that's true. Her own fans (former fans?) will be her downfall. I mean, I found this in a supposed Swiftie Reddit sub. If this kind of stuff gets more traction she *may be* screwed.

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