U.S. Plastic Resin Production Set for Near-Term Growth

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Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Global plastics production continues to grow in response to constant demand, with the U.S. offering more than $22 billion of spending; plastics recycling, however, faces headwinds.

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Polyethylene Spending Soars

Economies rise and fall, wars come and go, but the need for plastics never ends. The U.S. trails only China in its production and consumption of plastics, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and it shows: According to Industrial Info Resources data, more than $22 billion worth of projects for the manufacturing of plastics materials, synthetic resins and nonvulcanizable products are active, or have been proposed, across the U.S., part of a global market with investments totaling more than $325 billion.

Global plastics production reached 435 million tonnes in 2020, nearly double the 234 million tonnes reported in 2000, and it is expected to reach about 740 million tonnes by 2040, according to the OECD.

The U.S. plays a significant role: In 2024, it exported $94 billion worth of plastics and rubber materials, trailing only China ($174 billion), according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), which compiles global trade data. In the same year, the U.S. was the top importer ($114 billion), ahead of China ($74.9 billion).

One of the most closely watched industrial projects related to plastics production is Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP's high-density polyethylene unit additions at its Golden Triangle Polymers Complex in Orange, Texas, which the company co-owns with QatarEnergy. Polyethylene is the most commonly used plastic resin in the world, and the expansion at Golden Triangle is expected to add up to 2 billion pounds per year of production for Chevron Phillips' Marlex brand.

Chevron Phillips also is a minority stakeholder in QatarEnergy's Ras Laffan Petrochemical Complex in Qatar. For more information, the Industrial Info Resources Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Chemical Processing Plant and Project databases offer details--including capacities, investment values and necessary equipment--in profiles of the plants in Texas and Qatar, and reports on the projects in Texas and Qatar.

Among the notable projects for low-density polyethylene is Dow Incorporated's rebuild of its Poly 6 Unit at Plant B in Freeport, Texas. The unit, which produces Dow's AFFINITY and ENGAGE brands of high-performance polyolefin resins, was damaged by an October fire that caused no injuries, but may have released more than 4,000 pounds of gases and hydrocarbons into the air, according to an initial emissions report from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Readers can learn more from a detailed plant profile and project report.

By the Numbers

• More than $22 billion: Total value of active or proposed plastics-production projects across the U.S.
• 740 million tonnes: Estimated global plastics production by 2040
• $94 billion: Total estimated value of U.S. plastics and rubber exports in 2024

Recyclers Fight to Stay Afloat

One segment of the plastics production market that has struggled in the U.S. is recycling, which faces rising expenses and slowing demand. According to an April report from the Association of Plastic Recyclers, the U.S. lost nearly a quarter of its recycling capacity for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics in the previous 15 months.

"Recycling depends on manufacturers using recycled materials, but too many companies are continuing to rely on new virgin plastic instead," the association said in April. "Low prices for new plastic and rising imports of recycled plastic are undercutting North American recyclers, and critical domestic infrastructure."

Nonetheless, Industrial Info Resources is tracking 29 active or proposed plastic-recycling projects across the U.S., totaling more than $4 billion of potential investment. Among the projects likely to be completed later this year are Republic Services Incorporated's new recycling complex in Buckeye, Arizona, and Clean Vision Corporation's expansion of its recycling complex in Belle, West Virginia. The latter project, which completed its first phase in third-quarter 2025, produces material that goes into plastic bottles. Readers can learn more from detailed reports on the Buckeye and Belle projects.

Exxon Mobil Corporation is among the larger companies preparing to open recycling units, with two set be brought online next year at its refinery in Beaumont, Texas, and its chemical complex in Baytown, Texas. The recycled material will be used as feedstock for the facilities coker and olefin units, respectively. Readers can learn more from detailed reports on the Beaumont and Baytown projects.

The Industrial Info Resources GMI Project and Plant databases offer a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and a full list of related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources also offers a full list of reports for projects to manufacture plastics materials, synthetic resins and nonvulcanizable products that are active, or have been proposed, across the U.S.

Key Takeaways

• The U.S. trails only China in its production and consumption of plastics.
• The Golden Triangle Polymers Complex in Texas is set for a major polyethylene production expansion.
• The plastics recycling sector is facing significant headwinds in the U.S.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news, and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing, and energy-related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified, and verified plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).