Governments must do much more to protect recycled polymer producers in the West as rising oversupply in virgin markets, led by China, threatens to undermine their business model.
- Europe recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) producers face existential threat
- Feedstock prices soar while subdued demand, price of virgin, caps selling prices
- Growing global overcapacity depresses prices, margins for virgin plastic producers
- Recycler margins threatened, prospect of closures or bankruptcies
- EU’s single use plastics directive targets are not compulsory
- Lack of clarity on EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
- More trade barriers needed to protect polymer recycling sectors
ICIS - chemical podcasts