Gitnux/Report 2026

Recycled Plastics Industry Statistics

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Recycled Plastics Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The recycled plastics industry at a glance

The global recycled plastics market was valued at $60.8 billion in 2025 and is forecast to expand rapidly as recycled-content mandates, packaging demand and collection investment increase.

$60.8B[110]
Global market size, 2025
10.4%[110]
Forecast CAGR, 2026–2033
48.3%[110]
Asia-Pacific share, 2025
42.1%[63]
EU plastic packaging recycled, 2023
Market size
Grand View Research valued the global recycled plastics market at $60.8 billion in 2025 and estimated it at $66.1 billion in 2026. Its definition covers recycled plastics by product, source, application and region.[110]
Forecast & CAGR
The market is forecast to reach $132.3 billion by 2033, implying a 10.4% CAGR from 2026 to 2033. Growth is linked to recycled-content requirements, plastic-waste management investment and demand from packaging, construction, automotive and electronics.[110]
Market share & regions
Asia-Pacific accounted for 48.3% of global recycled-plastics revenue in 2025, making it the largest regional market. In the EU, 42.1% of plastic packaging waste was recycled in 2023, but rates varied from 59.5% in Belgium to 23.0% in Hungary.[110][63]
Segmentation
The industry is segmented by polymer, source, process, application and region. Polyethylene held the largest product share at 23.8% in 2025, while common product categories include recycled PET, PE, PP, PVC and polystyrene; processes include mechanical and chemical recycling.[110]
Pricing
European recycled-plastics prices remained under pressure in June 2026 as demand was weak and low-cost virgin polymers constrained price premiums. At the end of June, recycled PP black pellets were assessed at €960–€970 per metric ton, while rPET flakes were €1,331–€1,341 per metric ton and pellets were €1,718–€1,728 per metric ton in northwest Europe.[111]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Key drivers include recycled-content mandates, brand sustainability commitments and investment in collection, sorting and advanced recycling. The main constraints are inconsistent feedstock quality, limited collection of low-value plastics, contamination, high processing costs and competition from inexpensive virgin resin; globally, only 9% of plastic waste was recycled in 2019.[112][61][30]
Consumer behavior & competition
In a 2026 sustainable-packaging survey, 50% of consumers said recycled content was among the packaging features they valued most, while 63% said sustainable packaging made them more likely to recommend or review a product. Competition therefore combines resin price and quality with recyclability, traceability and access to compliant recycled feedstock.[48]
Regulation
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation requires plastic packaging placed on the market to contain minimum post-consumer recycled content by 1 January 2030, or three years after the relevant implementing act, whichever is later. The EU also has a minimum target of 55% recycling for plastic packaging waste by 2030; the 2023 EU rate was 42.1%.[112][63]
Latest news
Recent industry developments include continued weakness in European recycled-resin demand and prices during June 2026, while new recovery projects are targeting small-format PP, PET and PE that is currently lost from conventional sorting systems. These developments point to a market balancing regulatory demand against feedstock availability and virgin-resin competition.[111][30]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Recycled Plastics Industry

The leading companies in the recycled plastics industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Paprec leads Gitnux's 2026 recycled plastics ranking with an Overall score of 9.3, with 12 recycling sites collecting about 300,000 tonnes of plastic annually. Plastipak is the highest-ranked PET recycling and packaging operator at 9.1, with five recycling sites and over 550 million pounds of recycled resin used.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in plastic recycling collection

    Paprec

    FR

    Ranked #1 · 9.3 · Plastic recycling collection

    Why we picked it: Scale comes from a 12-site European collection and recycling footprint.

    See in ranking ↓Visit paprec.com ↗

  2. Leader in bottle-to-bottle PET packaging

    Plastipak

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Bottle-to-bottle PET packaging

    Why we picked it: Its bottle-to-bottle PET segment shows high-volume conversion of recycled feedstock.

    See in ranking ↓Visit plastipak.com ↗

  3. Leader in recycled polymer processing

    ALPLA

    AT

    Ranked #3 · 9.0 · Recycled polymer processing

    Why we picked it: Its recycled PET and HDPE packaging focus is tied to a quantified output capacity target.

    See in ranking ↓Visit alpla.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the recycled plastics industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Paprec

Plastic recycling collection · FR

9.3
2

Plastipak

Bottle-to-bottle PET packaging · US

9.1
3

ALPLA

Recycled polymer processing · AT

9.0
4

Republic Services

Recycled polymer processing · US

9.0
5

SUEZ

Waste sorting and recovery services · FR

8.8
6

Ravago

Recycled polymer compounds and plastics recycling · BE

8.7
7

Indorama Ventures

PET resin and global PET recycling · TH

8.2
8

Borealis

Mechanically and chemically recycled polyolefins · AT

8.1
9

Biffa

UK PET and plastic recycling · GB

8.0
10

PureCycle Technologies

Recycled polypropylene purification · US

8.0

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the recycled plastics industry. In Recycled Plastics Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/recycled-plastics-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest recycled plastics companies

Republic Services leads with $16.6B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Republic Services$16.6B
SUEZ$10.3B
ALPLA$5.6B
Paprec$3.8B
Plastipak$3.4B
source-verifiedinvestor.republicservices.com · suez.com · blog.alpla.com · paprec.com · plastipak.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Automation and AI show measurable process changes across U.S. sorting operations, including optical sorting and manual-sorting mix, plus throughput gains after specific 2026 deployments.

AI in the recycled plastics industry

  • 36% of the material stream at surveyed non-AI U.S. material recovery facilities passed through optical sorting units.[1]
  • 91% of the material stream at surveyed non-AI U.S. material recovery facilities passed through manual sorters.[1]
  • 10 additional tons of recyclable material per week were processed after the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority installed an AI sorting system in Pennsylvania in 2026.[2]
  • $1.1 million was invested in the Alchemy AI sorting system installed by the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority in Pennsylvania in 2026.[2]
  • 400 tons of recyclable material per day are received by the Peabody Recycling Center in Massachusetts, where AI-powered optical scanners sort plastics and other materials.[3]
  • 2.5 times more manual sorters were employed on average by non-AI material recovery facilities than by AI-equipped facilities in the surveyed U.S. sample.[1]

Automation in the recycled plastics industry

  • 10 tons per week was the reported throughput increase after automation was introduced at the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority in Pennsylvania.[2]
  • 37 million tons of packaging material are processed annually by U.S. material recovery facilities, according to a 2026 review of robotic sorting and automation.[4]
  • 1.6 times more optical sorting units were used on average by AI facilities than by non-AI facilities in a U.S. material recovery facility survey.[1]
  • 400 tons per day is the intake volume of the Massachusetts recycling facility operating conveyor belts, magnets and automated optical scanners.[3]
  • 35–40 tons per hour is the processing capacity achieved by the upgraded Peabody Recycling Center in Massachusetts after installing automated sorting equipment.[3]
  • 74 employees remained employed by the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority after automation and AI were introduced into its Pennsylvania sorting line.[2]

Digital Transformation in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 46% ranked automation among their leading technology focus areas in 2025.[5]
  • Across European chemical subindustries, 65% of companies viewed digitalization as an opportunity that would significantly impact their activities in 2024.[6]
  • Among EII businesses, 68% reported adopting AI in 2024, with an estimated 10% productivity increase.[6]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 57% identified moving to SAP S/4HANA as a top focus area in 2025.[5]

Technology Adoption in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 45% had implemented AI for supply-chain optimization in 2025.[7]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for quality inspection or defect detection in 2025.[7]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for production planning and scheduling in 2025.[7]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 53% had implemented AI for real-time process control and optimization in 2025.[7]

Cloud Computing in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, more than 35% had at least partially migrated to cloud computing in 2023.[8]
  • Among EII businesses, 52% reported increased productivity from cloud computing in 2024, while 46% reported no change.[6]
  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, 15% planned to migrate to cloud computing in coming years in 2023.[8]
  • Among EII businesses, 2% reported decreased productivity from cloud computing in 2024.[6]

Big Data in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EII businesses, 6% reported decreased productivity from big data in 2024.[6]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 49% cited gaining actionable insights from data and analytics as a current challenge in 2025.[5]
  • Among EII businesses, 48% reported increased productivity from big data in 2024.[6]
  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported no productivity change from big data in 2024.[6]

Blockchain in the recycled plastics industry

  • $330 million was Kamilo’s estimated U.S. market size for tracking and verifying sustainable outcomes for plastic being recycled.[9]
  • Less than 10% of plastic collected in the United States was being recycled when Kamilo estimated the domestic market for blockchain-based verification in 2022.[9]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data capture and verification metrics dominate, with Europe capacity figures and analytics coverage counts, alongside data-quality adoption rates reported by manufacturers and supply-management organizations.

Business intelligence in the recycled plastics industry

  • 1.75 million tonnes was Europe’s rigid-HDPE recycling capacity in 2024, representing roughly 13% of total capacity.[10]
  • 2.5 million tonnes was Germany’s installed plastics-recycling capacity in 2024, the highest among European countries.[10]
  • 0.7 million tonnes was Germany’s installed PET-washing capacity in 2024, compared with approximately 0.5 million tonnes in Spain.[10]
  • 3.5 million tonnes was Europe’s installed PO-film recycling capacity in 2024, equal to 26% of total capacity.[10]
  • €8.6 billion was the European plastics-recycling industry’s turnover in 2024, down 5.5% from 2023.[10]
  • 30,000 people were employed by Europe’s plastics-recycling industry in 2024.[10]

Data analytics in the recycled plastics industry

  • 40 billion waste objects were detected by Greyparrot’s analytics units in 2024 across 55 facilities in 20 countries.[11]
  • 35,000 tonnes of recyclable plastics were tracked in residue lines by Greyparrot units in 2024.[11]
  • 77% of Global Commitment recycling signatories reported processing PET in 2021.[12]
  • 44% of recycled-plastics weight reported by Global Commitment signatories came from PET in 2021.[12]
  • 55 facilities across 20 countries supplied Greyparrot’s waste-intelligence dataset in 2024, spanning North America, Europe and Asia.[11]
  • 18% of recycled-plastics weight reported by Global Commitment signatories came from LDPE in 2021.[12]

Data Quality in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • 42% of manufacturers had a process to verify manufacturing-data accuracy and quality in 2026, while 51% did not.[13]
  • 80% of manufacturers reported a measured value for their operational data in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[13]
  • 67% of supply-management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[14]
  • 44% of companies in the manufacturing survey reported AI-project failures caused by poor data quality in 2025, across surveyed manufacturers.[15]
  • 89% of manufacturers said data use improved their decision-making processes in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[13]
  • 49% of supply-management organizations rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024, based on an Institute for Supply Management survey.[14]

Data Governance in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • 28% of manufacturers had a data-governance leader in 2026, across the Manufacturing Leadership Council survey.[13]
  • 52% of global chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[16]
  • 46% of GCC chemical companies had established common data standards with collaboration partners in 2022.[16]
  • 90% of supply-management organizations agreed or strongly agreed that data governance was necessary in 2024.[14]
  • 67% of GCC chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[16]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[14]

KPIs in the recycled plastics industry

  • 1,317.2 million pounds of U.S.-sourced post-consumer film were recovered for recycling in 2024.[17]
  • 2.1% of U.S.-sourced post-consumer bottles recovered for recycling were exported overseas in 2024.[17]
  • 1,104.3 million pounds of U.S.-sourced post-consumer non-bottle rigid plastics were recovered for recycling in 2024.[17]
  • 61.2% of U.S.-sourced post-consumer non-bottle rigid plastics came from commercial source-separated or special collection in 2024.[17]
  • 97.9% of U.S.-sourced post-consumer bottles recovered for recycling were purchased by North American reclaimers in 2024.[17]
  • 18.6% was the 2024 increase in U.S.-sourced post-consumer film recovered for recycling compared with 2022.[17]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Capacity planning and closed-loop investment are quantified through plant and expansion targets, including 50,000 tonnes per year at Carbios–Indorama and expanded PET-PCR capacity at Indorama Ventures.

Growth in the recycled plastics industry

  • 50,000 tonnes per year is the planned processing capacity of the Carbios–Indorama Ventures PET bio-recycling plant in France.[18]
  • $58.1 billion was the global recycled plastics market value in 2024, with a forecast of $125.7 billion by 2034.[19]
  • 227,000 metric tonnes was Plastipak’s global recycling capacity in 2024.[20]
  • 25,000 tonnes per year was Indorama Ventures’ expanded PET-PCR capacity at Juiz de Fora, Brazil, in 2023.[21]
  • $100 million is revalyu’s investment in expanding its chemical PET-recycling operations in Nashik, India.[22]
  • 852,581 tonnes was Indorama Ventures’ installed post-consumer PET bale-input capacity in 2024.[18]

Differentiation in the recycled plastics industry

  • 22% was the recycled content of Colgate-Palmolive’s plastic packaging in 2024.[23]
  • 100% is the maximum recycled content reported for Aliplast’s recycled PE, PET and PP products.[24]
  • 21% was the post-consumer recycled content of Colgate-Palmolive’s plastic packaging in 2024.[23]
  • 140 kilotonnes of plastic bottles are recycled annually into Indorama Ventures’ circular-economy products.[18]
  • 30% enhanced recycled post-consumer content was achieved by Indorama Ventures’ German Specialty Polymers team in 2024.[18]
  • 93% of Colgate-Palmolive’s total packaging was recyclable, reusable or compostable in 2024.[23]

Mergers and acquisitions in the recycled plastics industry

  • 2024 was the year Revolution Sustainable Solutions acquired Island Plastics, a U.S. producer of 100% post-consumer recycled LLDPE and LDPE resin.[25]
  • $1.3 billion was the approximate value of Toyota Tsusho America’s 2025 acquisition of Radius Recycling.[26]
  • 80% of Forplast SpA was acquired by GreenDot in 2025, adding recycled HDPE and PP compounding capabilities in Italy.[27]
  • €50 million is the expected annual revenue of Forplast by 2030 following GreenDot’s acquisition.[27]
  • 100 locations was Radius Recycling’s North American network when Toyota Tsusho completed its acquisition in July 2025.[28]
  • $1.5 billion was Indorama Ventures’ committed investment in a closed-loop recycling system supporting its global growth strategy.[18]

Strategic partnerships in the recycled plastics industry

  • 45,000 tonnes per year is the additional capacity planned by KW Plastics through its sixth recycling line developed as part of its expansion strategy.[29]
  • 50,000 tonnes per year is the planned PET-waste processing capacity of the Carbios–Indorama Ventures partnership in France.[18]
  • 120 tonnes per day is the capacity of revalyu’s second PET-recycling line developed to meet growing customer demand.[22]
  • 50,000 tonnes is the planned capacity of the first TEXAID textile-waste sorting facility developed with Indorama Ventures by the end of 2024.[18]
  • 3 tonnes of post-consumer PET bottles were recovered and recycled through Indorama Ventures’ facilities in the 2024 TEXAID collaboration.[18]
  • $35 million was PepsiCo Beverages North America’s investment with Closed Loop Partners in a U.S. local recycling infrastructure fund.[30]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce and engagement measures sit alongside labor-impact estimates, including 29,999 jobs supported by the U.S. plastics recycling industry in 2024.

Hiring in the recycled plastics industry

  • 1,784% more recycled plastics feedstock would be required to support 100 additional direct plastics-manufacturing jobs in Texas, according to the state plan.[31]
  • 29,999 jobs are supported by the U.S. plastics recycling industry, according to the Recycled Materials Association’s economic-impact estimate for 2024.[32]
  • 15,712 direct private-sector recycling jobs existed in North Carolina in 2020, across material categories including plastics.[33]
  • 273 total jobs are estimated to result from every 100 additional direct plastics-manufacturing jobs supported by recycled feedstock in Texas.[31]
  • 950,250 additional pounds of recycled plastics feedstock are estimated to support 100 additional direct plastics-manufacturing jobs in Texas.[31]

Employee retention in the recycled plastics industry

  • 30% of Malaysian plastics-industry senior managers cited salary demands as an employer-perceived reason for turnover.[34]
  • 52% of Malaysian plastics-industry technicians cited working conditions or the work environment as an employee-perceived reason for turnover.[34]
  • 27% of Malaysian plastics-industry technologists cited inadequate career-progression opportunities as an employee-perceived reason for turnover.[34]
  • 67% of Malaysian plastics-industry operative workers cited inadequate salary as an employee-perceived reason for turnover.[34]
  • 33% of Malaysian plastics-industry senior managers cited poor work-life balance as an employee-perceived reason for turnover.[34]

Remote Work in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 8% preferred fully remote work in 2025.[35]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 25% worked exclusively remotely in August 2026.[36]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 5.7% of positions were fully remote in 2024.[37]
  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 25% preferred mostly remote work in 2025.[35]

Hybrid Work in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked in a hybrid arrangement in August 2026.[36]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 61% preferred a hybrid work arrangement in November 2025.[36]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 44.5% of positions were fully hybrid in 2024.[37]
  • U.S. hybrid employees spent an average of 46% of their workweek on-site in 2026.[36]
  • Across U.S. hybrid employees, 48% said their team had not discussed a formal or informal collaboration plan in 2026.[36]

Upskilling in the recycled plastics industry

  • 520 construction workers participated in plastics-separation training at one Canadian construction site.[38]
  • 25 jobs were estimated to be created for every plastics reclaimer in a Wisconsin plastics-recycling economic-development study.[39]

Employee Engagement in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across employees in the United States, 32% were engaged at work in 2025.[36]
  • Across employees in the United States and Canada, 31% were engaged at work in 2025.[36]
  • Across best-practice organizations recognized by Gallup, 70% of employees were engaged in 2025.[36]
  • Across employees worldwide, 20% were engaged at work in 2025.[36]
  • Among global managers, 22% were engaged at work in 2025, compared with 19% of non-managers.[36]

DEI in the recycled plastics industry

  • 79% of the workforce was male across surveyed formal recycling, processing and manufacturing companies in Viet Nam.[40]
  • 21% of high-skilled STEM roles were held by women across surveyed formal recycling, processing and manufacturing companies in Viet Nam.[40]
  • 80% of medium-skilled technical jobs were held by men across surveyed formal recycling, processing and manufacturing companies in Viet Nam.[40]
  • 78% of board members were men across surveyed plastics-recycling and post-recycling manufacturing companies in Viet Nam.[40]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Demand indicators emphasize consumer valuation and purchase intent, with survey results such as 63% of U.S. consumers in 2025 expecting recycled content to increase likelihood to buy.

Customer experience in the recycled plastics industry

  • 7% of European consumers said recycled plastic does not reduce environmental impact in 2025.[41]
  • 91% of European consumers were aware in 2025 that supermarket products can use recycled plastic in their packaging.[42]
  • 43% of European consumers cited a lower carbon footprint as a reason for supporting recycled plastic packaging in 2025.[42]
  • 79% of European consumers considered recycled plastic an effective way to reduce environmental impact in 2025.[41]
  • 93% of Finnish consumers of recycled-plastic applications were satisfied with the products acquired in 2022.[4]

Customer retention in the recycled plastics industry

  • 53% of European consumers said recycled plastic made no difference to perceived product quality in 2025.[42]
  • 27% of European plastics-converting companies in 2017 said their customers were sufficiently aware of the benefits and need to use recycled plastics.[43]
  • 79% of UK consumers in 2017 used on-pack recycling labels when deciding whether plastic packaging was recyclable.[44]
  • 34% of European consumers aged 18–34 said recycled plastic improved perceived packaging quality in 2025.[42]
  • 48% of U.S. consumers in 2025 said a company’s sustainability goals were a strong factor in purchasing decisions.[45]

Customer acquisition in the recycled plastics industry

  • 86% of Finnish consumers said recycled plastic positively affected their purchase decisions in 2022.[4]
  • 29% more than retail price was the average premium surveyed consumers said they would pay for products made from recycled materials in 2021.[46]
  • 63% of U.S. consumers in 2025 said recycled content would make them more likely to purchase products from companies using it.[47]
  • 59% of surveyed consumers said buying products made from recycled materials made them feel better about their waste habits in 2021.[46]

Customer loyalty in the recycled plastics industry

  • 93% of Finnish recycled-plastic consumers said they would buy the products again in 2022.[4]
  • 43% of European consumers in 2025 associated recycled plastic packaging with a lower carbon footprint.[42]
  • 53% of European consumers in 2025 associated recycled plastic packaging with conserving resources.[42]
  • 40% of European consumers in 2025 associated recycled plastic packaging with support for a circular economy.[42]
  • 48% of U.S. consumers in 2025 said company sustainability goals strongly influenced purchasing decisions.[45]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Marketing execution metrics appear as campaign engagement and view counts, alongside consumer perceptions about perceived quality and the role of sustainability goals.

Marketing in the recycled plastics industry

  • 36% of U.S. consumers cited limited availability as a barrier to purchasing more sustainable packaging in 2026.[48]
  • 67% of European consumers cited reduced environmental impact as a benefit of recycled plastic packaging in 2025.[42]
  • 62% of U.S. consumers consciously purchased products with sustainable packaging during the six months covered by the 2026 survey.[48]
  • 52% of U.S. consumers chose one product over another because of sustainable packaging in 2026.[48]
  • 40% of European consumers cited support for a circular economy as a benefit of recycled plastic packaging in 2025.[42]

Digital marketing in the recycled plastics industry

  • 2,798 Facebook engagements were generated by the UK PlasticRecyclingFacts.org campaign during its first 12 weeks.[49]
  • 479,200 interactions were generated by Corepla’s Italian TikTok campaign by its conclusion.[50]
  • 7 TikTok creators participated in Corepla’s Italian plastic-packaging recycling campaign.[50]
  • 3.8 million video views were recorded during the first week of Corepla’s Italian TikTok campaign.[50]
  • 10 short videos were produced for Corepla’s Italian #DifferenziaConCorepla TikTok campaign.[50]

Branding in the recycled plastics industry

  • 63% of U.S. consumers favored brands that had publicly announced sustainability goals in 2026.[48]
  • 34% of European consumers aged 18 to 34 perceived higher quality in packaging containing recycled plastic in 2025.[42]
  • 22% of European consumers said recycled plastic improves perceived packaging quality in 2025.[42]
  • 63% of U.S. consumers said sustainable packaging encourages repeat purchases from a brand in 2026.[48]
  • 53% of European consumers said recycled plastic packaging makes no difference to perceived product quality in 2025.[42]

Social media in the recycled plastics industry

  • 266 Facebook followers were recorded for Cambodia’s Re-Plastic campaign during its 2025 campaign period.[51]
  • 50,187 organic Facebook views were generated by Cambodia’s Re-Plastic campaign in 2025.[51]
  • 11 short-form videos were published by Cambodia’s Re-Plastic campaign during its 2025 campaign period.[51]
  • Over 200,000 people viewed Earth Day’s plastics campaign video on one social platform in 2024.[52]
  • 23 Facebook posts were published by Cambodia’s Re-Plastic campaign during its 2025 campaign period.[51]

Influencer Marketing in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across B2B companies, 55% of marketers used creators in 2025, based on a March 2025 Ipsos survey of 1,500 marketing professionals.[53]
  • Across B2B companies, 56% of marketers identified social-media posts as the most effective influencer-program content type in a September 2024 U.S. survey.[54]
  • Across B2B companies, 81% of marketers had a dedicated influencer-marketing budget in a September 2024 U.S. survey of firms with at least 100 employees.[54]
  • In U.S. manufacturing, 19% of marketers used influencer marketing among paid channels in the prior 12 months, according to a 2025 industry benchmark.[55]
  • Across B2B companies, 29% of marketers planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in a March 2025 Ipsos survey.[53]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational performance is framed through collection and recycling rates, contamination constraints, and export levels, including a 30.2% U.S. PET bottle collection rate in 2024.

Process optimization in the recycled plastics industry

  • 33 Italian plastic sorting facilities operated under COREPLA in 2020, alongside 996 smaller local sorting centers.[56]
  • 37.96 million tonnes of collected and sorted plastic waste were recycled globally in the study year, equal to 9% of primary plastic production.[57]
  • 95% of Canadian resin types showed a negative primary-processor efficiency trend over 2012–2021.[57]
  • 10 wt% total contamination was the allowed level reported for certain HDPE, LDPE and PP tubes and lids in a recycling technology specification.[56]
  • 264 million pounds of PET thermoforms were recovered for recycling in the US and Canada in 2024, 52% more than in 2023.[58]

Operational efficiency in the recycled plastics industry

  • 11.5% of PET thermoform-converter feedstock purchases consisted of post-consumer recycled PET in 2024.[58]
  • 3.9% was the decrease in US post-consumer PET bottle pounds collected in 2024 compared with 2023.[59]
  • Approximately 30% of recyclables and recycled materials processed by US recyclers were exported annually, according to 2024 industry data.[60]
  • 30.2% was the US PET bottle collection rate in 2024, down from 32.5% in 2023.[58]
  • 400,000 metric tons of recycled plastics were exported by the United States in 2024, valued at $200 million.[60]

Quality management in the recycled plastics industry

  • 16.2% of recycled PET was used in bottle-to-bottle applications in the US market in 2023.[58]
  • 4 years is the minimum retention period for production documents under the UK recycled-plastics quality standard.[49]
  • At least 1 annual on-site audit is required under the RecyClass Recycling Process certification scheme.[61]
  • 70% of respondents identified contamination as the main quality problem in recycled-plastic compounding.[62]
  • 28% was the PET recycling rate reported by The Recycling Partnership for the United States in 2024.[58]

Supply chain in the recycled plastics industry

  • 19.4% of US-sourced non-bottle rigid plastic recovered in 2024 consisted of PET.[17]
  • $12 billion was the value of total US trade with Canada and Mexico in recycled materials in 2024.[60]
  • 318.9 million pounds of US-recovered post-consumer plastic were exported overseas in 2024, equal to 6.2%.[17]
  • $28 billion was the value of US recycled-material exports in 2024, while imports totaled $7 billion.[60]
  • 37.96 million tonnes of plastic waste were recycled globally after collection and sorting, while 30.66 million tonnes went to incineration.[57]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 72.8% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing moved business functions to other EU countries during 2021–2023.[63]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 34.1% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing cited labour-cost reduction as a motivation during 2021–2023.[63]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 43% of customer respondents actively drove onshoring projects with suppliers and achieved some success in 2025.[64]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 100% of customer respondents allocated only 0–25% of company capital expenditure to reshoring projects in 2025.[64]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents were actively pushing onshoring projects in 2025.[64]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing pressure and margin signals are tied to resin competition, with June 2026 Europe assessments and assumptions like $1,300 per tonne future virgin PET in U.S. scenarios.

Pricing strategy in the recycled plastics industry

  • $1,300 per tonne was the future virgin PET price assumed in the U.S. recycled-PET pricing scenarios for 2025–2035.[65]
  • 200–300% higher than prime resin was the price of natural recycled HDPE in the United States, reflecting limited post-consumer supply and brand willingness to pay, in 2024.[66]
  • 33% was the increase in recovered PET imports into the United States in 2023, increasing competitive pressure on domestic recycled-resin pricing.[67]
  • 20% recycled content was the level associated with a PureCycle and Amcor packaging collaboration announced in 2026.[68]
  • 40% was the decline in U.S. recycled LDPE pricing, from about $0.21 to $0.12 per pound, reported in 2020.[69]

Cost reduction in the recycled plastics industry

  • 15–25% was the estimated reduction in labor cost per unit from automation and reduced manual intervention in a plastic-recycling process case study.[70]
  • 10–20 cents per pound was the estimated processing cost for recycled plastic resin in an EPA technology fact sheet.[71]
  • 90% of required testing was expected to be performed in-house after a recycled-resin producer invested in a new laboratory in Indianapolis in 2023.[67]
  • 100,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste per year was the planned feedstock use for Eastman’s Kingsport molecular-recycling facility, improving scale-related unit economics.[72]
  • 62–92% was the estimated process-energy requirement for recycled PET flakes relative to virgin resin production in a European plastics-recycling guide.[73]

Profitability in the recycled plastics industry

  • $4.546 billion was Republic Services’ 2024 adjusted EBITDA for its recycling-and-waste subtotal, compared with $4.935 billion in 2025.[74]
  • $2.7 million was PureCycle Technologies’ fourth-quarter revenue in 2025 from recycled polypropylene operations.[68]
  • 27.8% was the increase in recycling sales revenue from $51.0 million in fiscal 2024 to $65.2 million in fiscal 2025.[75]
  • $4.0 billion was Republic Services’ 2025 adjusted EBITDA for its recycling-and-waste subtotal, which includes recycling operations.[74]
  • 7.5 million pounds was PureCycle’s record fourth-quarter 2025 production of recycled polypropylene at its Ironton facility.[68]

Financial planning in the recycled plastics industry

  • 837,000 tonnes was Indorama Ventures’ installed annual post-consumer PET bale-input capacity in 2025.[18]
  • $1.5 billion was Indorama Ventures’ committed investment in closed-loop PET-recycling infrastructure since 2011.[18]
  • 24 recycling sites is Indorama Ventures’ planned global network size by 2027, up from 20 sites in 2024.[18]
  • $250 million was raised through municipal bonds and debt offerings to fund PureCycle’s second commercial plant phase in Ohio in 2020.[30]
  • 458,500 tonnes was Indorama Ventures’ direct and indirect post-consumer PET bale input in 2025.[18]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product-level constraints link recycled content to applications and packaging flows, including 42% of plastic packaging waste recycled in the EU in 2023.

Product development in the recycled plastics industry

  • 5% to 7% was the estimated recycled-content proportion in existing products from Interzero Product Cycle GmbH, Germany.[76]
  • 29% of U.S. Plastics Pact business members sold no items on the pact’s problematic and unnecessary materials list in 2024, United States.[77]
  • 3.58 million metric tonnes was the total weight of plastic placed on the U.S. market by U.S. Plastics Pact members in 2024, United States.[77]
  • 10% of commercially produced PET in the United States was used for products other than fibers and bottles, according to a published PET material-flow analysis.[78]
  • 60% of commercially produced PET in the United States was converted into fibers, according to a published PET material-flow analysis.[78]

Product lifecycle in the recycled plastics industry

  • 37% of recovered plastic products and packaging in Australia was PET in 2023–24, Australia.[79]
  • 19% of PET packaging was recycled in the United States and Canada in the study year, North America.[80]
  • 23% of HDPE packaging was recycled in the United States and Canada in the study year, North America.[80]
  • 96% of plastic packaging waste sent for recycling through formal systems was rigid plastic in 2025, globally.[81]
  • 11% was the plastic-packaging recycling collection rate in the United States and Canada in the study year, North America.[80]

Value proposition in the recycled plastics industry

  • 66 million tonnes was the projected 2030 demand for high-quality recycled plastics in packaging, consumer electronics and automotive applications, globally.[82]
  • 48% of Americans said a company’s sustainability goals were a strong factor in purchasing decisions in 2025, United States.[83]
  • More than 30% price premiums were associated with increased customer sensitivity to lower-cost substitutes for recycled plastics in 2023–24.[84]
  • More than 10% premiums were observed for high-intrinsic-viscosity recycled PET between 2010 and 2022, according to McKinsey’s recycled-materials analysis.[82]
  • 77% of Americans reported that they currently recycle in 2025, United States.[83]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability metrics span recycling rates and carbon footprint comparisons, including a cited 0.9 tonnes CO2-equivalent emitted per tonne of plastic recycled in the OECD assessment.

Sustainability in the recycled plastics industry

  • 12% was the global post-consumer plastics recycling rate in 2023.[85]
  • 94% of U.S. plastics recovered for recycling in 2024 were processed by reclaimers in the United States, Canada or Mexico.[67]
  • 37 million metric tons of post-consumer plastics were recycled globally in 2023.[85]
  • 5.13 billion pounds of post-consumer plastic were recovered for recycling in the United States in 2024.[67]
  • 2,694.7 million pounds of plastic bottles were recovered for recycling in the United States in 2024.[67]

ESG in the recycled plastics industry

  • 7.14 million tonnes of material were reported by ReSource member companies in 2023.[86]
  • More than 160 companies and organizations joined Holy Grail 2.0 to test digital watermarking for improved packaging sorting and recycling.[87]
  • 650,000 or more metric tons of P&G manufacturing waste were diverted from landfill during fiscal year 2024–25.[87]
  • 4,250 companies mapped plastics in their value chains in 2025, up from 1,233 in 2023.[88]
  • Eight companies reported data to the ReSource program in 2023.[86]

Ethics in the recycled plastics industry

  • 73% of plastic collected for recycling globally was attributed to the informal sector in the 2016 assessment.[89]
  • Waste pickers represented a median 0.2% of urban populations in the reviewed global studies.[57]
  • 0.5–1% of the global workforce was engaged in waste collection and recycling occupations in the latest estimate.[90]
  • 19–24 million people worldwide earned livelihoods through collecting and recycling waste in the latest estimate.[90]
  • Plastics represented a mean 30% of material collected by waste pickers in the reviewed studies.[57]

CSR in the recycled plastics industry

  • $9,420 in tax revenues were associated with every 1,000 U.S. tons of recyclables collected and recycled in the EPA model.[91]
  • $5.5 billion in tax revenues were generated by U.S. recycling and reuse activities in 2012.[91]
  • $65,230 in wages were associated with every 1,000 U.S. tons of recyclables collected and recycled in the EPA model.[91]
  • 43% of wage impacts in the EPA recycling model came from indirect effects.[91]
  • 1.17 jobs were associated with every 1,000 U.S. tons of recyclables collected and recycled in the EPA model.[91]

Circular economy in the recycled plastics industry

  • 51 million metric tons of post-consumer plastic waste were collected for recycling globally in 2023.[85]
  • 97 million metric tons of post-consumer plastics went to managed landfill globally in 2023.[85]
  • 300 million metric tons of post-consumer plastic waste were generated globally in 2023.[85]
  • 9% was the share of recycled plastics used in manufacturing plastic products globally in 2023.[85]
  • 71% of global plastic waste was environmentally sound managed in 2023.[85]

Carbon footprint in the recycled plastics industry

  • 15 tonnes of CO2-equivalent per kilogram was the cited carbon footprint for gold, compared with polypropylene in the same comparison.[92]
  • 2.3 tonnes of CO2-equivalent were emitted per tonne of plastic incinerated, according to the OECD assessment.[61]
  • 0.9 tonnes of CO2-equivalent were emitted directly per tonne of plastic recycled, according to the OECD assessment.[61]
  • A 1-liter bottle made from 100% recycled PET had an estimated footprint of about 0.15 kilograms CO2-equivalent.[61]
  • A 1-liter non-returnable glass bottle had an estimated footprint of about 0.43 kilograms CO2-equivalent.[61]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Cross-border flows and production footprint data quantify international trade and output, including 41.2 million tonnes of post-consumer mechanically and chemically recycled plastics produced globally in 2024.

Globalization in the recycled plastics industry

  • 41.2 million tonnes of post-consumer mechanically and chemically recycled plastics were produced globally in 2024.[100]
  • 139,894 metric tonnes of U.S. recycled plastics were exported to Canada in 2024.[32]
  • 1.9 million tonnes of plastic waste and scrap were traded to non-OECD Asia in 2024.[101]
  • North America accounted for 19.1% of global post-consumer mechanically and chemically recycled plastics production in 2024.[100]
  • 86,391 metric tonnes of U.S. recycled plastics were exported to Mexico in 2024.[32]

Cultural adaptation in the recycled plastics industry

  • 9.9% was the recycled-content share for Australian business-to-consumer plastic packaging in 2021–22.[79]
  • Italy represented 14.5% of European post-consumer mechanically and chemically recycled plastics production in 2024.[102]
  • 68.5% of participating European recycled-plastics output recorded by RecoTrace in 2022 was PVC.[103]
  • 85% of participating European converters’ recycled-plastic output was sold on the European market in 2022.[103]
  • 10.5% was the recycled-content share for Australian built-environment plastic products in 2021–22.[79]

Supplier management in the recycled plastics industry

  • 7 contracts with cardboard traders supported Valipac’s traceability system in 2023.[104]
  • 14 ALPLA recycling plants, including five joint ventures, operated across ten countries in 2025.[105]
  • 301 recycling and conversion plants in 23 European countries recorded data in RecoTrace in 2021.[106]
  • 99,000 tonnes of ALPLA’s annual PCR capacity was rHDPE in 2025.[105]
  • 19,051 metric tonnes was Plastic Pool Europe’s annual polymer-production volume in 2024.[107]

Stakeholder management in the recycled plastics industry

  • 253,000 tonnes of plastic waste were recovered for valorisation by Alliance-supported projects since 2019.[108]
  • 10% was the average PCR share among food-sector signatories in 2023.[12]
  • 14% was the increase in recycled-plastics volumes reported by Global Commitment recycler signatories in 2023 versus 2022.[12]
  • Global Commitment business signatories represented 20% of plastic packaging produced globally in 2024.[109]
  • 9.6 million tonnes of virgin plastic were avoided collectively by Global Commitment signatories from 2018 through 2023.[109]

Distribution channels in the recycled plastics industry

  • 75% of PET waste generated in the EU was recycled in the same country where it originated in 2024.[10]
  • 28,137 tonnes of mapped industrial and commercial plastic-packaging waste went to the Far East in the 2023 operating year.[104]
  • 15.3% of mapped industrial and commercial plastic-packaging waste went to the Middle East in the 2023 operating year.[104]
  • More than 98.7% was the overall traceability level achieved for mapped plastic-packaging waste in the 2023 operating year.[104]
  • 28,099 tonnes of mapped industrial and commercial plastic-packaging waste went to Europe in the 2023 operating year.[104]

Key questions about the recycled plastics industry

What is the global recycled plastics market size in 2025, and what does 2026 imply for growth?
The global recycled plastics market was valued at $60.8 billion in 2025 and is estimated at $66.1 billion in 2026.
How fast is the market expected to grow from 2026 to 2033?
The forecast CAGR for 2026–2033 is 10.4%, with the market forecast to reach $132.3 billion by 2033.
Which companies lead the recycled plastics industry?
Paprec leads Gitnux's 2026 recycled plastics ranking with an Overall score of 9.3, with 12 recycling sites collecting about 300,000 tonnes of plastic annually. Plastipak is the highest-ranked PET recycling and packaging operator at 9.1, with five recycling sites and over 550 million pounds of recycled resin used.
What technology shifts are most visible in recycling throughput and sorting performance?
AI sorting is linked to higher throughput in surveyed cases: 10 tons per week after installing an AI sorting system in Pennsylvania in 2026, and 35–40 tons per hour at Peabody after automated sorting equipment.
How is the industry structured across processes and polymers?
The industry is segmented by polymer, source, process, application and region; common processes include mechanical and chemical recycling, and common products include recycled PET, PE, PP, PVC and polystyrene.
What pricing pressure should market participants expect in Europe for recycled plastics?
European recycled-plastics prices remained under pressure in June 2026: recycled PP black pellets were assessed at €960–€970 per metric ton, with rPET flakes at €1,331–€1,341 and pellets at €1,718–€1,728 in northwest Europe.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Recycled Plastics Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/recycled-plastics-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Recycled Plastics Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/recycled-plastics-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Recycled Plastics Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/recycled-plastics-industry-statistics.

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