36EN PRIMER PLANO I IN THE FOREGROUND analysis by market. Packaging, automotive, and construction are the markets that account for nearly 78% of the sector’s revenue. While packaging leads in the number of companies, automotive stands out for its larger average company size and its economic weight within the value chain. In the recycling sector, Spain has achieved a recycled plastic usage rate of 22.4%, higher than the European average (15.4%). However, this activity experienced a year-on-year contraction of nearly 24% in revenue in 2024 compared to 2023. The promotion of the circular economy is one of the opportunities identified in the sector’s strategic analysis, which has been updated for this edition of the study. Among the main challenges identified are the need to strengthen European industrial competitiveness, promote technological innovation, and attract qualified talent. INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF PLASTIC RAW MATERIALS The start of the war in Iran has generated a storm in the global economy that directly affects oil and its derivatives, as well as national and international transport. Since then, companies that manufacture plastic products have seen the price of their raw materials rise by around 30%. These are the findings of a survey conducted by ANAIP among its members, plastic processing companies that purchase granules in any of their formats—pellets, flakes, or powder—to manufacture essential products for all types of sectors: packaging, construction, pipes and fittings, plastics for agriculture, automotive, healthcare, etc. 51.7% of respondents report experiencing raw material price increases of more than 30%, and almost 14% have seen increases of 50% or more. Maritime transport costs have also risen, with 41% of companies registering increases exceeding 20%, in addition to the increased cost of energy, both electricity and fuel. Adding to the rising costs is a growing uncertainty about the duration of the conflict. In fact, what worries companies most is that the war will drag on and cause disruptions in the supply chain. Europe is not self-sufficient in many plastic raw materials and relies heavily on supplies from the Middle East and Asia, increasing the sector’s vulnerability to disruptions in international markets. “Any restrictions on international trade or exports from these regions will create additional supply chain tensions, which may force some companies to temporarily halt production lines, ” says Isabel Goyena, CEO of ANAIP. Sixty percent of the companies participating in the survey report already experiencing delays in raw material supplies, with 21% indicating that the delays are severe. Given this situation, ANAIP recently contacted the Ministries of Economy, Industry, and Labor to request that they consider the sector when designing potential support measures for industry in this context. ANAIP believes it is essential to make progress in reducing energy costs, especially through a review of taxes applied to electricity and energy consumption. In the fiscal and regulatory sphere, they believe it is advisable to review certain burdens, such as specific taxes, including possible modifications to the tax on non-reusable plastic packaging. They also consider it necessary to enable extraordinary labor flexibility mechanisms, such as specific temporary layoff schemes (ERTEs) for the sectors most affected by supply chain disruptions. Finally, they believe it is essential to closely monitor the supply of strategic raw materials for the processing industry. GLOBAL PLASTICS PRODUCTION In 2024, global plastics production reached 430.9 million tons, according to the report “Plastics the Fast Facts 2025” by Plastics Europe, based on information from Eurostat, Conversio Market & Strategy GmbH, and nova-Institut. The evolution between 2018 and 2024 shows a progressive growth from 339.4 Mt in 2018. The vast majority of production is fossil-based (89.8%). Mechanically recycled (post-consumer) plastics represent 9.5%, bio-based and bio-attributed plastics 0.6%, chemically recycled plastics 0.1%, and carbon-captured plastics less than 0.1%. By polymer type, PP (19.0%), PE-LD/LLD (13.9%), PE-HD/MD (12.1%), PVC (12.8%), and PET (6.2%) stand out, among others. Regarding regional distribution, China leads production with 34.5%, followed by the rest of Asia, North America, and the EU27+3 (12%). EUROPEAN PRODUCTION In 2024, the European plastics industry comprised approximately 50,650 companies and 1.5 million employees. Turnover reached approximately €398 billion. Europe’s share of global production is 12%. In 2024, European plastics production stood at 54.6 million tons. Of this total, 79.3% is of fossil origin, 14.1% corresponds to postconsumer mechanical recycling, 5.3% to pre-consumer recycling, 1.1% to bio-based plastics, and 0.2% to chemical recycling. The trend since 2018 shows a general downward decline from values close to 60 million tons to 54.6 million tons in 2024. By material type in Europe, PP (15.6%), PE-LD/LLD (13.2%), PE-HD/MD (8.2%), PVC (8.4%), and other thermoplastics (11%) stand out. Germany is the leading producer in Europe (21.0%), followed by Belgium (15.4%), the Netherlands (11.1%), France (10.9%), and Spain (8.8%). In post-consumer recycled plastics, Germany also leads (22.2%), followed by Italy (14.5%) and Spain (12.8%). Germany accounts for 44.8% of bio-based plastics production. Finally, in terms of exports and imports, the main trading partners include the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Turkey, and Switzerland. China stands out as the primary source of imports in several segments.
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