Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Source (Bottles, Non-bottle Rigid), By Type (Polypropylene, Polystyrene, Polyethylene, others), By End User (Packaging, Building & Construction, Automotive, Electronics and Others), By Region and Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 67.81 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	4.91%
Fastest Growing Segment	Packaging
Largest Market	Asia Pacific
Market Size (2031)	USD 90.41 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics Market will grow from USD 67.81 Billion in 2025 to USD 90.41 Billion by 2031 at a 4.91% CAGR. Post consumer recycled plastics consist of material diverted from waste streams, such as household packaging, that is reprocessed into new resin. The market is primarily driven by strict government regulations mandating recycling targets and corporate sustainability pledges aiming for circularity. Additionally, growing consumer pressure forces manufacturers to integrate reclaimed materials into their products. According to the National Association for PET Container Resources, in 2025, the North American PET bottle collection rate was 39.2% for the prior year. This statistic underscores the substantial scale of recovery efforts supporting the sector.

However, a major challenge impeding expansion is the cost competitiveness of recycled resins compared to virgin plastics. The high expenses involved in collecting and purifying waste often result in higher prices for recycled output, especially when global oil prices drop. This economic disparity creates demand volatility and hampers infrastructure investment. Consequently, achieving price parity while maintaining material quality remains a significant hurdle that limits broader market adoption.

Key Market Drivers

Implementation of stringent government regulations and plastic waste mandates acts as the primary catalyst propelling the Global Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics Market. Legislative frameworks, such as the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), differ from voluntary goals by imposing legally binding requirements on recycled content percentages, thereby creating a guaranteed market for recycled resins. These mandates compel packaging producers to secure long-term supply contracts for post-consumer resin (PCR) to avoid non-compliance penalties, effectively decoupling demand from the volatile economics of virgin plastic pricing. According to the Association of Plastic Recyclers, May 2025, in the '2025 Plastic Recycling Capacity' report, mechanical recyclers in the U.S. and Canada currently possess the infrastructure to process an additional 2 billion pounds of plastic annually, a capacity surplus that underscores the industry's readiness to meet these escalating regulatory requirements.

Increasing corporate commitments to circular economy and sustainability goals further accelerate market growth as major consumer packaged goods companies strive to meet public environmental pledges. Multinational corporations are aggressively integrating PCR into their supply chains to satisfy environmentally conscious consumers and reduce their carbon footprint, often setting targets that exceed minimum legal requirements. This shift transforms recycled plastic from a cost-saving alternative into a premium commodity essential for brand reputation. According to The Coca-Cola Company, September 2025, in the '2024 Environmental Update Report', the corporation successfully increased the rate of recycled content in its primary packaging globally to 28%. Consequently, this corporate demand drives infrastructure scale; according to Plastics Recyclers Europe, November 2025, the total installed plastics recycling capacity across Europe reached 13.5 million tonnes in 2024.

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Key Market Challenges

The cost competitiveness of recycled resins compared to virgin plastics stands as a formidable barrier to market expansion. Recycled materials incur substantial production expenses arising from the logistical complexities of collection, sorting, and intensive purification processes required to meet industrial quality standards. In contrast, the price of virgin plastics is closely linked to global oil markets, allowing raw material producers to lower prices significantly during periods of falling crude oil rates. This economic disparity creates an unstable demand environment where manufacturers frequently switch back to cheaper virgin feedstocks to protect their margins, thereby undermining the financial stability of recycling operations.

This lack of price parity directly discourages the capital investment necessary for scaling infrastructure and improving processing capabilities. When recyclers face fluctuating demand and thin profit margins, they are often forced to reduce capacity or halt operations entirely. According to Plastics Recyclers Europe, in 2024, the total volume of recyclates produced declined to approximately 7.5 million tonnes due to severe market pressures and high operational costs. Such statistical evidence highlights how economic unviability actively constricts the supply chain and prevents the sector from achieving the consistent growth required for widespread adoption.

Key Market Trends

The integration of advanced chemical recycling technologies is transforming the market by enabling the conversion of complex, mixed-waste streams into virgin-quality resins. This process overcomes the limitations of mechanical recycling, such as polymer degradation and contamination, allowing for the production of high-value, food-grade materials from previously non-recyclable feedstocks. According to Eastman, August 2024, in the '2024 Sustainability Report', the company’s new molecular recycling facility in Tennessee achieved the capacity to process 110,000 metric tons of hard-to-recycle plastic waste annually, validating the commercial viability of depolymerization infrastructure.

The adoption of AI and robotics for enhanced sorting precision is simultaneously revolutionizing material recovery facilities by automating quality control and maximizing feedstock purity. Advanced computer vision systems now enable the identification of specific resin types, brands, and food-grade distinctions at high speeds, significantly reducing contamination levels compared to traditional optical sorting methods. According to Greyparrot, December 2024, in the 'What We Learned by Detecting 40 Billion Waste Objects in 2024' report, the company’s artificial intelligence analyzers successfully characterized over 40 billion waste objects globally in a single year, underscoring the massive scale at which digital sorting solutions are being deployed to optimize recovery rates.

Segmental Insights

The packaging segment currently represents the fastest-growing category within the global post-consumer recycled plastics market, primarily driven by stringent regulatory frameworks and escalating corporate sustainability mandates. Governing bodies such as the European Commission have implemented rigorous directives requiring minimum recycled content in packaging materials, compelling manufacturers to transition away from virgin plastics. Additionally, the heightened demand for food-grade recycled resins, supported by safety guidelines from agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, further accelerates adoption across the food and beverage sector. This regulatory pressure combined with consumer environmental awareness ensures the segment’s rapid expansion.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific commands the leading position in the Global Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics Market, primarily driven by its vast manufacturing sector and the rapid expansion of end-use industries such as packaging, automotive, and construction. This industrial scale creates immense demand for recycled materials to support sustainable production goals. The region’s dominance is further reinforced by rigorous regulatory frameworks, including the enforcement of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates in major economies like India and China. These government-led initiatives have compelled a structural shift toward domestic waste management and circular economy infrastructure, ensuring a consistent supply of quality feedstock for recycling operations.

Recent Developments

• In June 2024, Borealis launched a glass-fiber reinforced polypropylene compound containing 65% post-consumer recycled polymer content, specifically designed for demanding automotive applications. The new material was first utilized in the center console carriers of the new Peugeot 3008, marking a significant milestone in using high-content recycled plastics for semi-structural vehicle parts. Developed in partnership with a thermoplastic injection specialist and an automotive original equipment manufacturer, the compound addressed requirements for the upcoming European end-of-life vehicle regulations. This product expansion demonstrated the viability of mechanically recycled polyolefins in maintaining high performance and quality standards for the automotive sector.
• In May 2024, Dow and SCG Chemicals signed a memorandum of understanding to transform 200,000 tons of plastic waste annually into circular products by 2030 in the Asia Pacific region. The partnership intended to accelerate technology development across the value chain, enabling both mechanical and advanced recycling methods to convert a broader range of plastic waste into high-value applications. Initial phases focused on establishing a value-growth partnership for post-consumer recycled materials with suppliers and developing waste sorting solutions. This collaboration supported the company’s sustainability targets to commercialize three million metric tons of circular and renewable solutions annually by 2030.
• In February 2024, TotalEnergies and Bericap collaborated to launch a new closure for 20-liter lubricant packaging that incorporated 50% post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR). This initiative marked the first time in the European lubricants industry that a cap was designed using such recycled materials while strictly complying with DIN 60 standards. The new closures were produced using mechanically recycled polyethylene from the company's circular polymer range, aiming to reduce virgin plastic consumption and lower carbon footprints. The product maintained the same shape and properties as virgin alternatives but weighed 25% less, demonstrating that sustainability could be achieved without compromising technical performance.
• In February 2024, LyondellBasell acquired mechanical recycling assets containing rigid plastics processing lines from PreZero, a global waste management service provider, in California. The transaction included the lease of a processing facility with a production capacity of approximately 50 million pounds per year for recycled materials. The company announced plans to operate this facility to manufacture post-consumer recycled resins under its CirculenRecover brand, utilizing plastic waste feedstock. This strategic expansion aimed to strengthen the firm's presence in the United States and support the growing demand for sustainable, recycled polymer solutions on the West Coast, advancing its circular economy goals.

Key Market Players

• DS Smith Plc
• Veolia Environnement SA
• Suez SA
• Waste Management, Inc.
• Republic Services, Inc.
• Waste Connections, Inc.
• Biffa plc
• Clean Harbors, Inc.
• Stericycle, Inc.
• Remondis SE & Co. KG
• Plastipak Holdings Inc.

By Source	By Type	By End User	By Region
Bottles Non-bottle Rigid	Polypropylene Polystyrene Polyethylene others	Packaging Building & Construction Automotive Electronics and Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics Market, By Source:

• Bottles
• Non-bottle Rigid

• Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics Market, By Type:

• Polypropylene
• Polystyrene
• Polyethylene
• others

• Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics Market, By End User:

• Packaging
• Building & Construction
• Automotive
• Electronics and Others

• Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE