📈 Plastics Demand Sees Largest Monthly Gain in a Year
🤝 Welcome New Members
📅 Mark Your Calendar
📊 2025 Size & Impact Report Now Available
Last week, we released our flagship 2025 Size & Impact Report, highlighting the industry’s continued resilience and positive contributions to the U.S. economy.
Presented during a live-stream event Economic Executive Briefing by Chief Economist Dr. Perc Pineda, the report provides a comprehensive look at key indicators, including employment, shipments, investment, and production capacity.
Key Findings
🏭 1+ Million Jobs: The U.S. plastics industry directly supported 1,066,500 jobs and $550.7 billion in shipments in 2024.
🔗 Extended Impact: With suppliers included, plastics-related jobs reached 1.71 million and shipments totaled $754.5 billion.
📈 Employment Growth: From 2014–2024, plastics manufacturing employment grew 1.3% per year, outpacing total manufacturing growth of 0.5%.
📊 Top U.S. Industry: Plastics products ranked as the 8th largest U.S. industry by gross output in 2023.
🌎 Nationwide Presence: The industry operates in all 50 states. Texas led employment in 2024, followed by Ohio, Michigan, California, and Pennsylvania.
The findings show that despite economic challenges, the plastics industry continues to grow, innovate, and play a vital role in the U.S. economy.
Join the Future Leaders in Plastics (FLiP) community for our next Book Club discussion on Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi.
We’ll explore the power of building meaningful relationships and networking for personal and professional success.
📅 When: Friday, October 3 🕑 Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
FLiP offers young professionals across the plastics value chain — typically under the age of 40 — opportunities for networking, mentorship, and career development. Through programs like the Book Club, FLiP helps empower the next generation of leaders in plastics.
📈 Plastics Demand Sees Largest Monthly Gain in a Year
The Plastics Industry Association’s July 2025 Plastics Demand Estimate shows U.S. plastics demand climbing 4.5% from June to reach $23.3 billion—the largest monthly increase in the past 12 months. Compared to July 2024, demand was up 0.6%. After adjusting for inflation, real demand rose 4.5% month-over-month but remained flat year-over-year, with demand averaging $22.8 billion per month over the past year.
While domestic shipments grew just 0.5% in July, imports surged 18.4% and exports declined 5.4%, highlighting how global trade flows continue to shape the U.S. plastics market.
Headquartered in Suzhou, China, CAI Machine is a premier manufacturer specializing in dry-offset cup printing machines for plastic container decoration. With a product line that serves a wide array of applications, from yogurt and milk tea cups to food barrels and flower pots, CAI Machine is committed to delivering high-performance solutions tailored to customer needs.
Leveraging years of industry experience and a deep understanding of international technology standards, CAI Machine has developed a reputation for innovation, reliability, and technical excellence. The company holds multiple patents and has made significant advancements in printing stability, quality, and efficiency.
📣 September 22–25 | National Plastics Conference | Orlando, FL | The
exclusive event built by industry, for industry returns. Register now.
📚 October 3 | 2:00–3:00 PM ET| Join the Future Leaders in Plastics (FLiP) Book Club for a discussion of Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi. Register here.| FLiP connects young professionals—typically under the age of 40—across the plastics value chain through mentorship, career development, and networking opportunities like this book club. Learn more.
🌐 October 15–17 | OCS CON 2025 | Indianapolis, IN | Hosted by Operation Clean Sweep®, OCS CON brings the full plastic value chain together in efforts towards eliminating the loss of plastic to the environment. Register now.
♻️ Plastics Sustainability Executive Forum | November 3–4 | New York, NY|
Request an invitation to join senior sustainability professionals to explore real-world solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. This fall’s forum will focus on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Learn more.
📅 Vinyl Week 2025 | December 9–12 | New Orleans | This one-of-a-kind gathering brings together the Vinyl Compounders Conference and the Vinyl Sustainability Summit for four days of leadership, networking, and forward-looking insights. Register today.
🗓️ March 2–6, 2026 | NPE2027 Space Selection & Planning Event | Orlando, FL | NPE2027 exhibitors will convene to select exhibit booth space, plan for exhibit success, and explore opportunities to maximize the NPE2027 investment. Learn more.
Plastics Industry Association
1425 K Street NW Suite #500 | Washington, DC, 20005 United States
+1.202.974.5200
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