Plastic Products Manufacturers NAICS 3261

May 27, 2025 - Top Colleges for Plastics Engineering

• Makers of plastic products looking to hire college graduates will want to consult Plastics Today’s list of The Best US Colleges for Plastics Engineering Degrees, published in May. PT notes that advances in manufacturing technologies and sustainable practices are revolutionizing the plastics industry, making the need for skilled workers more critical than ever. PT’s list of the nation’s most distinguished academic programs preparing the next generation of plastics industry leaders includes: Penn State Behrend; Auburn University; Pennsylvania College of Technology; Univ. of Massachusetts Lowell; Western Washington Univ.; Univ. of Wisconsin, Stout; Ferris State Univ.; New Jersey Institute of Technology; Case Western Reserve Univ.; and the Univ. of Mass Amherst. According to PT, these 10 programs represent the gold standard in plastics education, offering comprehensive curricula that blend traditional processing techniques with emerging technologies and sustainable manufacturing practices.
• Reversing his predecessor’s attempt to reduce consumption of non-biodegradable single-use plastics, President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at encouraging the federal government and consumers to buy plastic drinking straws, Reuters reports. The US government is the biggest buyer of plastic straws. Trump’s EO directs federal agencies to make sure that “paper straws are no longer provided” in agency buildings. The alternative – paper straws – according to the president “don’t work.” Trump has also rescinded a Biden administration policy to end the use of all single-use plastic products on federal lands by 2032.

• On his first day in office, President Trump renewed his promise to impose tariffs on imports to the US, saying he planned to put a 25% tariff on products from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods on February 1, The New York Times reports. The US is a net importer of plastic products, with China, Canada, and Mexico accounting for about 64% of plastic product imports and 66% of US exports. Tariff hikes would make it more expensive for manufacturers to import needed components and raw materials, particularly from China and disrupt supply chains for US manufacturers. If the US’s three largest trading partners respond with retaliatory tariffs, it would make US exports more expensive and less attractive on the global market. However, it’s not clear if Trump will follow through on his tariff threats or what products would be affected.
• Employment by plastics manufacturers was flat in March compared to a year ago, while average wages at plastics and rubber product manufacturers rose 3.9% year over year in April to a new high of $25.30 per hour, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Producer Prices for plastic products manufacturers have been relatively flat amid rising sales. Plastic and rubber products industry sales rose 4.1% year over year in the fourth quarter and were up 5.4% from Q3, according to the Census Bureau. Looking ahead, sales for the US plastic products manufacturers industry are forecast to grow at a 2.24% compounded annual rate from 2025 to 2029, slower than the growth of the overall economy, according to the latest forecast by the Interindustry Economic Research Fund.