Plastic Products Manufacturers NAICS 3261

Nov 27, 2025 - Expanding Plastic Recycling

• A new analysis by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) claims if just 50% of plastics in the municipal solid waste stream were diverted from landfills to recycling facilities, the US could gain an estimated 173,200 jobs, $12.8 billion in annual payroll, and $48.7 billion in additional annual economic output, Recycling Today reports. Together, mechanical recycling for water and laundry detergent bottles and advanced recycling technologies (chemical or molecular) for hard-to-recycle plastics could dramatically expand the types and amounts of plastic that can be recycled by converting used plastics back into gas or liquid raw materials, which can then be remade into brand new plastics for use in virtually any product or packaging type, including food and pharmaceutical-grade plastics, according to the report. More recycled materials could lower manufacturing costs for plastic products makers over time, spur growth in recycled-content product lines, and improve margins.
• California’s attorney general in October sued three plastic bag makers alleging they deceived consumers over whether the bags were ultimately recycled, The Wall Street Journal reports. The AG filed suit against Novolex, Inteplast, and Mettler, alleging violations of environmental marketing claims and false advertising and unfair competition laws, according to WSJ. Meanwhile, California is settling with four plastic bag producers: Revolution Sustainable Solutions, Metro Poly, PreZero US Packaging, and Advance Polybag, resolving allegations that they violated the same laws. As part of the settlement, the companies have agreed to halt plastic bag sales in California and collectively pay more than $1.75 million, per WSJ. California law has specific recyclability standards to reduce plastic pollution and waste: plastic bags are only allowed if they are recyclable, clearly labeled as such, and include instructions for consumers to recycle them.

• Effective as of September 8, imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and recycled PET (rPET) are subject to full tariffs, Plastics Today reports. Previously, the materials, used in packaging and fabrics, were exempt from the heightened tariffs. Now, reciprocal tariffs on PET and rPET range from 15% on Turkey to 35% for Canada, according to business intelligence organization ICIS. The Asia Pacific region faces tariffs in the 20% range and India could face tariffs as high as 50%, according to S&P Global. Over the last three years, the US rPET market has been overwhelmed by international supply, according to ICIS, and one domestic producer it cited said its PET sales volume has dropped 10% year-on-year. As a result of the reciprocal tariffs, imported flake prices could jump 8-10 cents per pound and imported pellets could soar as much as 10-14 cents per pound, per ICIS.
• Producer prices for plastic products manufacturers inched up 0.5% in August compared to a year ago, after rising 1% in the previous August-versus-August annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Producer prices for plastic products manufacturers have stalled despite rising sales. Employment by plastics manufacturers slipped 0.7% year over year in July, while average wages at plastics and rubber product manufacturers continued to climb, up 3.9% YoY in August, to $25.61 per hour, a penny short of their record high in June, BLS data show.