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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.

• Mai multe organizații europene cer ca obiectivele UE privind conținutul reciclat să favorizeze materialele produse în Europa
• Industria avertizează că importurile ieftine de material reciclat pot afecta investițiile europene în reciclare
• Propunerea vizează în special viitoarele ținte obligatorii din regulamentul PPWR
• Reciclatorii europeni solicită condiții egale pentru materialele importate și cele produse în UE
• Tema devine strategică pentru industria europeană a maselor plastice și reciclării

• 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

Comisia Europeană analizează controale suplimentare pentru importurile de plastic reciclat
• Reciclatorii europeni reclamă presiunea materialelor low-cost din afara UE
• Se discută audituri și verificări stricte privind trasabilitatea și conținutul reciclat
• Industria europeană cere protejarea capacităților locale de reciclare

👉 More than 30,000 jobs are being affected across European automotive suppliers
👉 Major companies such as Bosch, Continental AG and ZF Friedrichshafen have announced restructuring measures
👉 Electrification and declining orders are accelerating the shift
👉 Direct impact on the industrial supply chain, including plastics

Dow anunță o majorare semnificativă a prețurilor pentru polietilenă în America de Nord, crescând ajustarea planificată de la 10 cenți/lb la 30 cenți/lb. Decizia vine pe fondul blocării Strâmtorii Hormuz în contextul tensiunilor din Orientul Mijlociu, generând un efect imediat asupra pieței globale a materiilor prime plastice.

The International Automotive Recycling Congress (IARC) 2026, starting on March 25 in Hamburg, highlights the growing importance of recycling in the European automotive industry. Bringing together up to 300 industry decision-makers, the event marks a critical step toward circularity, with an increasing focus on plastic materials.

The sharp increase in virgin polymer prices in March 2026 is now directly impacting the recycled materials market. Recyclates are becoming more expensive, while strengthening their strategic role in the supply chain, driven by regulatory pressure and rising production costs.

• The European packaging and recycling industry is calling for recycled material to originate from Europe
• The measure is linked to upcoming mandatory recycled content targets
• The objective is to protect EU recycling capacities

Europe’s plastics industry is facing a rapid loss of global competitiveness, driven by high costs, regulatory pressure and increasingly aggressive global markets.

The report “Plastics the Fast Facts 2025”, published by PlasticsEurope in October 2025, shows that the European plastics industry continues to face significant structural pressure, despite a modest stabilisation in production following the sharp downturn in 2023.

Europe’s plastics market ends 2025 under continued pressure, with weak demand, cautious purchasing behavior and limited pricing power for key polymers such as PP, PE and PS, according to a recent market analysi

According to recent industry analysis, declining demand and production adjustments in 2025 have led to lower virgin polymer prices in Europe, increasing pressure on recycled plastics markets—particularly rPP and rPE segments that compete directly with virgin materials.

Europe’s plastics recycling sector is experiencing its sharpest downturn in recent years, with capacity losses and plant closures continuing into 2025, according to industry data.

The European polyolefin market continues to face downward pressure in November, with weak demand, ample supply and limited price support from monomer markets. Processors and recyclers are navigating a volatile environment that affects margins, competitiveness and planning.

European prices for standard recycled materials (R-PET, R-HDPE, R-PP) continued to fall in October 2025, marking the third consecutive month of decreases as industrial demand remains weak.

Plastics Recyclers Europe estimează că între 2023 și sfârșitul lui 2025 se va pierde ~1 milion tone de capacitate de reciclare, din cauza închiderilor accelerate ale fabricilor de reciclare.

The EU energy crisis has boosted demand for US-origin polyethylene.