Latest News

• PLAST 2026 is taking place in Milan from 9–12 June 2026.
• KraussMaffei is presenting its PX electric injection moulding machine series.
• Engel is showcasing digital manufacturing solutions powered by AI and automation.
• Fanuc introduces the new Roboshot SC series with improved energy efficiency.
• BASF highlights advanced material solutions and its commitment to the European market.
• Energy efficiency, digitalisation and automation are among the key themes driving innovation in the automotive plastics sector.

• PLAST 2026 opens today, 9 June, at Fiera Milano Rho — runs until 12 June 2026
• Over 1,000 exhibitors, 44% international, from more than 109 countries
• Total exhibition area exceeds 40,000 m² across six halls
• Three satellite shows: RUBBER, 3D PLAST and PLAST-MAT
• Key themes: recycling technology, energy-efficient machinery, bio-based and recycled polymers, automation and AI
• Major exhibitors present include BASF, Krauss

Major Italian recyclers have stopped collecting bales from sorting centres
• Sorting centres risk reaching maximum storage capacity and halting acceptance of mixed plastic waste
• Industry association Assorimap is calling for urgent measures, including bringing forward mandatory recycled content requirements to 2027
• Italy's €450/tonne single-use plastics tax has been postponed for the eighth time, now to January 2027
• High energy costs and competition from non-EU imports of virgin and recycled plastic

- PE prices in April moved up by approximately 660 €/tonne, bringing total 2026 increases to around 990 €/tonne
- PP suppliers seek additional non-monomer price increases of 88–220 €/tonne on top of rising PGP contract settlements
- PS prices driven up by sharply higher benzene and butadiene feedstock costs
- PVC and PET also record increases, supported by plant shutdowns and raw material cost pressure
- Iranian conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruptions continue to impact global energy and feedstock supply chains

• Plastics Europe has published the 2026 edition of The Circular Economy for Plastics – A European Analysis.
• The report reviews the evolution of the European plastics system during the 2022–2024 period.
• Circular plastics production in Europe reached 8.7 million tonnes in 2024.
• Annual growth in circular plastics production slowed significantly, from 13.6% in 2022 to just 1.2% in 2024.
• 70.4% of collected plastic waste in Europe was still sent to incineration or landfill.

138 companies and industry organizations have asked the European Commission to postpone certain PPWR requirements scheduled to apply from 12 August 2026.
Signatories include Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Kraft Heinz, Heineken and other major food and packaging companies.
Industry representatives cite unresolved technical and regulatory issues, including PFAS testing methodologies, recyclability requirements and definitions of single-use packaging.
More than 160 environmental and health organizations have urged the Commission to keep the current timeline unchanged.
No official postponement of the PPWR implementation schedule has been announced by the European Commission.

• The European recycled plastics market remains volatile in May 2026
• rPE (recycled polyethylene) prices show moderate increases in certain segments
• rPET and rPP continue to face limited availability and cautious demand
• Processors are still closely comparing recycled versus virgin material costs
• Regulatory pressure regarding recycled content targets is increasingly influencing purchasing strategies

• L-Boxx Contractor won at Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2026
• Product contains more than 70% post-consumer recycled polypropylene (PCR)
• Material originates from end-of-life vehicles and large household appliances
• Product still meets Bosch requirements for impact and drop resistance
• Example of mechanical recycling integrated into a demanding technical application

On 18 May 2026, on the eve of Plastpol at Targi Kielce, Poland, more than 100 representatives of the plastics industry gathered for the Plastics Industry Meeting to address three structural pressures reshaping the sector: geopolitical instability, rising costs and an increasingly complex regulatory environment. The central question was how Europe can maintain a level playing field in the global plastics market without weakening its own industrial base.

The countdown is on: on 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, Regulation EU 2025/40) becomes mandatory across all EU member states, with no national transposition. With fewer than 80 days to the deadline, Europe's packaging industry is navigating compliance pressure, implementation uncertainties and a failed last-minute attempt by single-use packaging producers to delay the regulation.

A pilot run by the Global Impact Coalition — a coalition of BASF, Covestro, LG Chem, LyondellBasell, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, SABIC, Suez and Syensqo — confirms that plastics from end-of-life vehicles can be technically recovered and processed. The main barrier, however, is not technology: it is economic coordination and the absence of a functioning value chain across all actors involved.

The Global Impact Coalition (GIC), a CEO-led organisation of major chemical companies, has published the results of the first phase of its "Automotive Plastics Circularity" project in May 2026: plastics from end-of-life vehicles can be technically recovered and processed at scale, but commercial viability remains the industry's primary challenge.

• Arburg continues expanding digital platforms for plastics manufacturing control and monitoring.
• Demand for electric injection molding machines and integrated automation keeps growing.
• The company focuses on real-time monitoring, traceability, and energy efficiency.
• Solutions are developed for automotive, medical, packaging, and technical applications.
• Smart factories and integrated production cells are becoming the new industry standard.

• ENGEL continues expanding its smart factory and automated production solutions.
• The company is focusing on digitalization, energy efficiency, and traceability.
• Medical, automotive, and technical components remain key target sectors.
• Demand for integrated “ready-to-produce” manufacturing cells is increasing.
• Automation and real-time production monitoring are becoming increasingly important across the European plastics industry.

• Nouryon a prezentat la PRSE 2026 o tehnologie nouă pentru îmbunătățirea proprietăților polipropilenei reciclate.
• Soluția utilizează peroxizi speciali pentru modificarea controlată a structurii PP reciclat.
• Tehnologia este destinată în special aplicațiilor unde PP reciclat degradat are limitări mecanice sau de procesare.
• Industria automotive și sectorul ambalajelor sunt printre domeniile vizate.
• Subiectul vine într-un moment în care UE crește presiunea pentru utilizarea materialelor reciclate în produse noi.

• Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2026 took place during PRSE 2026 in Amsterdam
• The awards highlighted innovative technologies, products and projects from the plastics recycling industry
• Solutions for recyclable packaging, PCR integration and recycling automation were among the winners
• The event gathered recyclers, converters, machinery producers and packaging companies from across Europe
• The 2026 edition focused strongly on practical circularity and high-quality recycled materials

China continues expanding petrochemical and polyolefin capacities
• New investments are increasing pressure on European producers
• The global market is facing oversupply and shrinking margins
• Asian imports continue to impact the competitiveness of the European plastics industry

Automotive & Plastics Industry Trend 2026

The automotive industry is expanding the use of closed-loop recycling systems for plastics
• Production scrap and materials recovered from End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) are being reintroduced into new automotive components
• Automakers are targeting lower carbon footprints and higher circularity levels
• Plastics remain essential for vehicle lightweighting and efficiency
• Demand for high-quality recycling and material traceability continues to grow across the automotive sector

The European Union is easing proposed recycled content requirements for plastics used in automotive applications
• The new proposed overall target is 20% recycled content
• Out of this, 15% should come from End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) recycling streams
• Main reason: Europe’s recycling and supply infrastructure is not yet sufficiently developed
• Industry stakeholders warn about shortages in sorting and high-quality recycling capacities for automotive plastics