The past month has brought a mix of disruption, investment and innovation across the plastics sector, with recycling and sustainable packaging at the heart of developments.
The ongoing unrest in Iran and the wider Middle East region is causing ripples through global supply chains, affecting the cost and availability of materials for plastics packaging manufacturing.
Companies reliant on imports from the region are already reassessing sourcing strategies to safeguard continuity, while tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have blocked shipments of essential feedstocks. Attacks on petrochemical facilities and related logistics infrastructure have further intensified supply concerns.
Elsewhere, meanwhile, innovation in recycling technology is gaining momentum. Researchers at the University at Buffalo, New York, have developed a method that combines laboratory testing with artificial intelligence to distinguish recycled plastics from virgin material.
The technique, tested on PET and other packaging, achieved more than 97 per cent accuracy for products containing up to 50 per cent recycled content.
Plans are underway to integrate this approach into a portable device, enabling real-time verification of recycled material in packaging and helping companies comply with tightening global regulations.
Virgin plastics reduction
Corporate action on reducing virgin plastics use is also advancing. Mondelēz International claims to have cut its use of virgin plastics in Europe by roughly 1,000 tonnes per year, incorporating around 80 per cent rPET into trays for chocolates and biscuits across multiple markets.
Mechanical and chemical recycling are central to these efforts, with digital watermarking trials underway in Germany to support the recovery of food-grade recycled plastics.
Expansion and investment in recycling infrastructure continues to shape the European market. PureCycle Technologies has secured a €40 million ($46.1m) EU grant to fund a PP dissolution recycling plant in Antwerp, with capacity for 59,000t of rPP annually.
The facility forms part of the broader ASTRA PP (Advanced Solvent-based Technology for Recycling in Antwerp for Polypropylene) project and is expected to support the European Green Deal’s circularity and decarbonisation objectives, providing local brand owners with scalable, circular alternatives to virgin PP.
At the same time, GreenDot has strengthened its European footprint through the acquisition of French LDPE recycler RG Group, giving it additional capacity in France and enhancing its ability to supply high-quality recyclates to converters and brand owners.
The recycling sector is not without its challenges, though. Belgian facility Fromto Houthalen filed for insolvency, citing pressure from cheap virgin plastics and imports from China, becoming the latest European recycler to close.
Its closure is part of a broader trend of declining recycling capacity across Europe, which has lost more than 900,000t since 2023, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of the recycling market even as demand for recycled content rises.
Collection systems
On a more positive note, efforts to improve collection systems are underway, with Alpla Group opening the first permanent public plastics bottle collection point in Mexico City.
The initiative, which aims to recover more than 200,000 bottles annually, reflects a broader shift towards physical recycling infrastructure, complementing environmental education campaigns, and supporting the development of circular systems in regions with rapidly growing consumption.
Industry organisations are actively expanding their international presence to promote collaboration and share expertise across the plastics value chain. For example, the Plastic is Fantastic Association has appointed Sandy Lin as cluster director for Asia and will make its debut at Chinaplas in Shanghai.
The association aims to place discussions around plastics on a fact-based foundation, with a focus on circular economy solutions and innovative material applications in one of the world’s most dynamic regions for plastics manufacturing and recycling.
Regulatory change remains a key industry driver. Newly created company UK Packaging PRO has been appointed to oversee the country’s Extended Producer Responsibility recycling scheme.
The body will work with governments, local authorities, and industry stakeholders to improve packaging design, collection and recycling efficiency, ensuring producers meet their obligations under the reformed system.
On top of this, enforcement measures are increasing across the industry, with regulators targeting compliance failures to ensure recycled content targets are met. In England, an individual was arrested in Birmingham in connection with a suspected £2 million ($2.65m) packaging export credit fraud, highlighting ongoing concerns around the integrity of waste recycling and export systems.
Authorities are investigating whether credits were issued and sold without the corresponding movement or processing of materials, demonstrating the complexities regulators face in policing international recycling chains.
On the industrial and manufacturing side, Alpla has opened its first Philippine plant, combining injection stretch blow moulding, extrusion blow moulding, and compression moulding under one roof.
The facility strengthens the company’s presence in Asia-Pacific and offers a high level of vertical integration for global and local customers.
Legacies
The past month sadly also included the passing of two notable figures in plastics packaging. Charles K Sewell, founder of CKS Packaging, and Robert Chapman, former chief executive of Barry-Wehmiller, have both left enduring legacies in the sector.
Sewell was a pioneer in blow moulding and container design, while Chapman was renowned for his leadership philosophy and influence on organisational culture at the US-based machinery supplier.
Even as the sector evolves, their influence will remain embedded in the practices and people shaping plastics for years to come.
