Polymers
Overview
Global polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) supply and demand dynamics are in transition. Supply is increasing much faster than demand and international trade is shifting due to political and economic events. About 40% of the US polyethylene production is exported, mainly to Asian markets, whereas only about 10% of the polypropylene production is exported, mainly to LATAM markets.
Ethylene prices in Asia and Europe are tied to naphtha whereas ethylene prices in the US are impacted by natural gas and ethane supply. Asia is also self-sufficient on PP whereas they must import 25% of their PE demand.
The impacts of other ethylene and propylene derivatives such as PVC or propylene oxide also require assessment.
Our polymer experts will help you determine what trends to track and how to stay competitive in today’s ever-changing global markets.
Latest polymers news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global polymers industry.
WM expands US recycling capacity in 1Q
WM expands US recycling capacity in 1Q
Houston, 29 April (Argus) — Waste Management (WM) increased its US recycling processing capacity by 300,000 metric tonnes (t) in the first quarter, following the opening of new plants in Detroit and the Canadian province of Ontario and upgrading automation at its south Florida site, now its largest single-stream facility. The additional capacity allows WM to target growth in domestic recycling demand, with 80pc of recycled material remaining in the US and Canada, the company said. Recycling prices averaged $65/t in the first quarter, down from $88/t a year earlier, but volumes rose by 9pc and operational efficiency increased. WM said it remains on track to complete the sustainability capital expenditure program announced in 2023, which includes construction and upgrades of 43 recycling facilities and forms part of a four-year, $2.2bn investment program aimed at expanding capacity and improving material recovery rates. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) -enabled quality controls have helped offset lower prices by improving material quality and reducing processing costs. Geopolitical disruptions have not affected recycling operations, but WM is monitoring freight disruptions, which have not yet affected demand for its products. One of the AI automations highlighted by the company was the use of "smart trucks", which capture 300mn images a year during collections. This data is used to assess contamination, recyclability and pricing, and improved material routing. By Dona Davis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
BioBTX picks BlueAlp as pyrolysis partner
BioBTX picks BlueAlp as pyrolysis partner
London, 22 April (Argus) — Dutch pyrolysis technology provider BlueAlp will provide a pyrolysis unit to serve as part of BioBTX's planned facility at Delfzijl in the Netherlands, which is intended to produce aromatic petrochemical intermediates from non-fossil feedstock. An investment decision has been taken on the pyrolysis unit, which is under construction, and is expected to be transported and integrated into the Delfzijl site from December this year, BlueAlp chief executive Valentijn De Neve told Argus . Start-up is planned for 2028. The unit will have an input capacity of around 20,000 t/yr. The primary feedstock will be plastic waste, which will be pyrolysed in the BlueAlp unit. The output from the pyrolysis unit will then be fed into a catalytic unit developed by BioBTX to be converted into a benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) mixture. This mixture contains "key chemical building blocks used in industries such as automotive and advanced materials", the companies said. The use of BioBTX's technology to produce aromatics, bypassing the steam cracker step of the petrochemical chain, may allow increased flexibility to pyrolyse organic biomass feedstocks, De Neve said, although plastic waste will be the main feedstock used. Organic feedstocks are typically avoided by pyrolysis producers, because they lead to more oxygenates and nitrogenates in the pyrolysis oil that are undesirable in material destined for further processing in steam crackers, he said. The main focus of pyrolysis chemical recycling industry has been on supplying circular plastics for packaging, particularly polyolefins. But there are specific "niches" of demand for circular aromatics, particularly xylene and toluene, De Neve said. He attributed this partly to the EU's End-of-life Vehicles Regulation (ELVR), which will mandate recycled content in automotive plastics from six years after its expected official adoption this year, as well as voluntary commitments from other industries, including pharmaceuticals. The BioBTX approach is a "low-capex, low-energy" way of producing circular aromatics, as it avoids the need for cooling and reheating of pyrolysis oil, De Neve said. And, as an on-purpose route, it has a higher yield of circular aromatics than processing pyrolysis oil through a steam cracker. The pyrolysis technology for Delfzijl matches that which BlueAlp licensed to Italian waste management company Recupero Etico Sostenibile, which is being installed at the firm's site in Pettoranello del Molise, Italy. Construction of the plant is progressing, with start-up expected by the end of this year, De Neve said. By Will Collins Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
LyondellBasell sustainable polymer sales rise in 2025
LyondellBasell sustainable polymer sales rise in 2025
London, 15 April (Argus) — Chemicals producer LyondellBasell produced and marketed roughly 206,000t of recycled and renewable-based polymers in 2025, slightly higher than the 203,000t the company reported for 2024 . The company aims to produce and market 800,000 t/yr of recycled and renewable-based polymers by 2030. This target was revised down in February 2026 from a previous goal of 2mn t/yr. Part of the progress towards the target will come from the start-up of its first MoReTec pyrolysis plant in Wesseling, Germany, which will have a capacity of 50,000 t/yr, the firm said. LyondellBasell also expects regulatory frameworks, increased consumer focus and voluntary commitments from brands to support stronger demand. But it said that "greater clarity on how chemically recycled content can be attributed to products, including the use of mass-balance accounting, is an important next step for EU policymakers to strengthen certainty and drive investment in chemical recycling". Chief executive Peter Vanacker said that "durable demand signals and willingness to adopt circular and lower-carbon materials are needed to justify large-scale infrastructure and technology deployment across the value chain". In December 2025 , LyondellBasell said it had paused plans to build a plastic recycling hub in Knapsack, Germany, "due to the broader economic environment". It also deferred a final investment decision on a second MoReTec pyrolysis plant in Houston, Texas, until market conditions improve. The company said in its latest report that the deferral reflected "capital discipline, and the expected pace of demand growth". "This provides us more time to engage with regulators, customers and brand owners in North America," it said. LyondellBasell highlighted stronger demand for circular plastics from the automotive sector. "Most of our automotive customers have introduced circular solutions, actively staying ahead of upcoming end-of-life vehicle mandates," said Torkel Rhenman, executive vice-president of the company's Advanced Polymer Solutions segment. Sales of mechanically recycled polymers marketed under the Circulen Recover brand to the automotive industry tripled in 2025 compared with 2024, Rhenman said. By George Barsted and Will Collins Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
WM opens Indianapolis recycling facility
WM opens Indianapolis recycling facility
Houston, 15 April (Argus) — US company Waste Management (WM) opened its fourth new recycling facility this year with the startup this month of a $60mn materials recovery facility (MRF) in Indianapolis, adding upstream sorting capacity as US recycled plastics demand remains uneven. The Indianapolis facility can process up to 200,000 metric tonnes (t)/yr of recyclables and forms part of WM's plan to invest more than $1.4bn between 2022 and 2026 to expand and modernize recycling infrastructure across North America. The opening of the Indianapolis site follows facility openings earlier this year in Orange, California; in Pembroke Pines, Florida, and in Ontario, Canada, according to the Houston-based company. The Indianapolis site uses optical sorting technology for plastics and fiber, upgraded glass recovery systems, and fire-detection equipment, according to the company. As an MRF, the Indianapolis site expands upstream sorting capacity rather than producing recycled resin. The facility is designed to sort and bale recyclable materials for downstream recycling markets, with any increase in recycled resin supply dependent on reclaimer run rates rather than sorting capacity alone. WM has not disclosed specific bale grades that will be produced at the site. The expansion comes as recycled plastics pricing has been driven largely by cost pressure rather than demand growth, with higher freight and operating costs supporting bale prices while downstream buying remains cautious, market participants said. Several sources cautioned that while improved sorting and bale quality are supportive for the system, additional MRF capacity alone does not resolve downstream challenges such as weak end-market demand, margin pressure, and limited incentives for reclaimers to increase run rates. Infrastructure investments of this scale are more likely to benefit vertically integrated or contracted supply chains, while independent reclaimers may remain constrained by margin pressure and uneven demand, market participants said. The facility is intended to strengthen recycling infrastructure and supply chain resilience in Indiana, WM said. In 2024, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management awarded Waste Management of Indiana a $500,000 grant toward glass recycling equipment, which is expected to recover and divert about 23,400 t/yr of glass. The opening of the Indianapolis facility was welcomed by manufacturing groups in the state. "The opening of the WM Indianapolis Recycling Facility is a significant milestone for Indiana's manufacturing ecosystem," said Andrew Berger, president and chief executive officer of the Indiana Manufacturers Association. "By investing in advanced optical sorting and glass recovery technology, WM is providing our state's manufacturers with a reliable, local source of high-quality recycled materials," Berger said. "This facility strengthens supply chain resilience and helps Indiana companies meet growing global demand for sustainable production." WM's expansion follows other recent investments in recycling infrastructure by large waste haulers, including Republic Services' expansion of its Peabody recycling center in greater Boston announced earlier this month. The investments suggest large operators are positioning for longer term growth in recycling volumes despite near-term weakness in recycled plastics markets, market participants said. WM declined to comment further ahead of its upcoming quarterly earnings call on 29 April. By Dona Davis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
