Global Recycled Plastics Market Size, Segments, Outlook, and Revenue Forecast 2022-2028: Ken Research

The Global Recycled Plastics Market is expected to record a positive CAGR of ~9% during the forecast period (2022-2028) and expected to reach a revenue of ~US$ 75 Bn by 2028, owing to the growing acceptance of recycled plastics in the textile industry and the shift of the packaging industry from virgin plastics to recyclable materials.

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Key Growth Drivers

• Increasing demand for recycled plastic products from the packaging industry is expected to boost the growth of the recycled plastic market worldwide. Eco-friendly packaging products are becoming more popular as most of the key players in the market are opting for sustainable packaging designs. The most common type of plastic used in the packaging of food products is PET, which is known for showing the highest recycling rate, followed by HDPE, PP, and others.
• According to Plastics for Change, an organization for informal waste collectors, 36% of all the plastic produced in a year goes into various sorts of packaging, from food and drinks to medicines and drugs.
• In coordination with the UK Plastics Pact, various leading brands, retailers, governments, and NGOs have joined forces to make all plastic packaging contain a minimum of 30% recycled plastic by 2025.
• For instance, in 2022, the U.S.-based multinational food and beverage company Mondelez has planned to move its Cadbury Dairy Milk sharing bars into 30% recycled plastic packaging.
• Growing usage of recycled plastics in the textile industry is one of the factors driving the growth of the market in developing countries. Recycles PET (rPET) is the most widely recycled resin in fiber applications. The clothes made of recycled plastics not only provide high quality and texture but also, help in contributing to a sustainable environment.
• For instance, the designer brand Gucci is one of the first luxury fashion brands to use ECONYL, nylon yarn, 100% regenerated from recycled fishing nets. In 2015, the company shifted from virgin plastic to recycled plastic products in its textiles.
• The preference for virgin plastics over recycled alternatives acts as a restraint in the growth of the market. Virgin plastics have a significant advantage in terms of quality due to which these are highly preferred in applications requiring specific compositions of chemicals and additives, which is expected to hamper the market growth.
• The market was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, owing to the strict regulations in several countries that temporarily halted waste collections in some municipalities. The global pandemic affected the production of plastics due to a complete ban on imports-exports that disrupted the supply chain, work stoppages, and labor shortages, thereby hampering the market. All the major end-user industries such as textiles, automotive, building & construction, and packaging were completely shut which shifted the demand temporarily to single-use plastics. For instance,
• According to Waste Today, a magazine on the solid waste industry in North America, in 2020, 34% of the total recycling companies were partially or completely closed in the U.S.
• In 2020, as a response to European government restrictions and deteriorating market conditions, many plastic recycling companies temporarily shut their production activities.

Key Trends by Market Segment

By Product Type:  Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) segment held the largest market share in the global recycled plastics market in 2021, owing to its large-scale usage for food packaging and bottling application.

• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is the only plastic resin used in the packaging of almost all types of beverages. According to Petcore-Europe, an organization working on recycling PET bottles in Europe, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is used to package 70% of carbonated soft drinks, fruit juices, dilutable drinks, and bottled water.
• PET is light in weight, durable in nature, and has easy recyclability, due to which bottled water and beverage manufacturers from several countries across the world have shifted from virgin PET to recycled PET. For instance, as per the PET Resin Association, the Europe PET recycling rate is 52% followed by the U.S. with a 31% recycling rate.

Polypropylene (PP) is expected to be the fastest-growing type of recycled plastic during the forecast period, due to its wide area of usage in packaging, labeling, automotive components, medical devices, and various other products.

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By Source: Plastic Bottles segment held the largest market share in the global recycled plastics market in 2021, as bottles are the most recycled post-consumer plastics and have a better network for collection and sorting.

• Many developing countries are entering into the recycling business and will depend on bottles as a source of recycled plastics due to their easy availability.
• According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), a U.S. Government body responsible for the development and enforcement of environmental regulations, in 2018, 910,000 tons of PET bottles and jars were recycled in the U.S.
• According to a study carried out by a joint Swiss-German under the EUROENVIRON-DIMO project, about 50% of waste food-grade PET bottles are used for recycling in food packaging applications.

By End-User: The packaging segment held the largest market share in the global recycled plastics market in 2021, due to the high demand for recycled PET for manufacturing bottles and other packaging products such as films and wraps.

• Construction segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period as there is a huge demand for recycled polymers in the production of various building materials such as wall panels, flooring, pipes & fittings, and others.
• The Union Environment Ministry of India has made the regulation for companies to collect and recycle at least 25% of their plastic packaging material and further enhance the target to 70%.

For instance, all the Coca-Cola trademark brands (Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Flavors), announced to include 100% recycled PET (rPET) plastic in all the 13.2-oz bottles. It represents a 20% reduction in the company’s use of new plastic.

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By Region: Asia Pacific held the largest market share among all other regions within the global recycled plastics market in 2021.

• Asia-Pacific represents the growing packaging industry and technological advancements in the industry. The growth of the packaging industry in the region is driven by the high demand for building & construction products, consumer goods, and electrical & electronics, especially from China, India, and Southeast Asia.
• Rising electronics expenditure in countries, such as China, India, and Japan are boosting the market for recycled plastic products. For instance, the presence of various electronic product manufacturers in the Asia Pacific region, including ASE Electronics Malaysia, Foxconn Technology Group, Honeywell International Inc., SAMSUNG, Lenovo, and Bajaj Electronics, which are involved in R&D activities are helping the market to grow.

According to the Plastic Waste Management Institute (PMMI), India has the highest plastic recycling rate of 84% in the Asia Pacific region. The country recycles 23% of its plastic waste through mechanical recycling, 4% through chemical recycling, and the rest through thermal recycling by burning the plastic to produce energy.

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Competitive Landscape

The Global Recycled Plastics Market is highly competitive with ~500 players, including globally diversified players, regional players, and many country-niche players. Most of the country-niche players are the manufacturers of PET recycled plastics products used in various end-user industries.

Country-Niche players constitute 60% of the total competitors, while regional players hold the second largest share. Some of the major players in the market include B. Schoenberg & Co., Covestro AG, B&B Plastics, Green Line Polymers, KW Plastics, Republic Services, Ultra Poly Corporation, Veolia, Shell International B.V., Custom Polymers, Plastipak Holdings, among others.

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Recent Developments Related to Major Players and Organizations

• In January 2022, Plastipak Holdings completed a major investment and significantly expanded its PET recycling capacity at its manufacturing site in Luxembourg. The new plant converts washed rPET flakes originating from post-consumer bottles into food-grade recycled PET (rPET) pellets.

• In July 2021, Co-op, a food retail business brand in the U.K., launched the most extensive in-store recycling scheme for plastic bags and product wrapping in Europe. The initiative ensured all the Co-op’s food packing is easily recyclable.

• In June 2021, Indorama Ventures Sustainable Recycling (IVSR), a global chemicals producer acquired CarbonLite Holdings as part of the company’s commitment to incease PET recycling capacity.

Conclusion

The Global Recycled Plastics Market witnessed a dip in growth for the year 2020, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a complete ban on imports and export that disrupted the supply chain and hampered the market globally. However, the market condition is expected to get better in 2022, thereby restoring growth over the forecast period. The market is primarily driven by the increasing usage of recycled plastics in textiles, buildings & construction, packaging, automotive, and other industries. Though the market is highly competitive with ~500 participants, country-niche players control the dominant share in the market and regional players also hold a significant share.

Note: This is an upcoming/planned report, so the figures quoted here for a market size estimate, forecast, growth, segment share, and competitive landscape are based on initial findings and might vary slightly in the actual report. Also, any required customizations can be covered to the best feasible extent for Pre-booking clients and report delivered within a maximum of 2 working weeks.

Ken Research has recently published report titled, Global Recycled Plastics Market Size, Segments, Outlook, and Revenue Forecast 2022-2028. In addition, the report also covers the market size for each of the four regions’ Recycled Plastics Market. The revenue used to size and forecast the market for each segment is USD billion.

Market Taxonomy