Plastics Industry Association

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Flexible Film Recycling Alliance (FFRA), a national organization dedicated to advancing the recovery and recycling of plastic film and flexible packaging, has announced the launch of two first-of-their-kind commercial recycling pilot programs in California.

Perc Pineda, PhD Chief Economist, Plastics Industry Association Consumer Spending Remains a Source of Strength U.S. consumers kept the economy chugging along during the first six months of 2026. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Advance Monthly Retail Trade report, retail sales totaled $4.4 trillion in the first half of the year, a 5.1% increase from the same period in 2025. In June alone, seasonally adjusted retail sales reached $768.6 billion, up 6.7% year-over-year (YoY).

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) President and CEO Matt Seaholm today issued the following statement: “As we reach today’s milestone in the review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the Plastics Industry Association supports continued engagement among the United States, Mexico and Canada to preserve and strengthen an agreement that has become foundational to North American manufacturing.

Perc Pineda, PhD Chief Economist, Plastics Industry Association In March 2026, the USTR initiated an investigation of 60 U.S. trading partners under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The agency examined whether those countries had failed to enact or effectively enforce laws preventing the importation of goods produced with forced labor.

Perc Pineda, PhD Chief Economist, Plastics Industry Association The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) includes a provision requiring the three countries to jointly review the free trade agreement six years after it enters into force. Since USMCA took effect on July 1, 2020, the first scheduled review will take place this year. On May 28 and 29, the United States and Mexico had its first round of talks in Mexico City.

Washington, D.C. – The Polystyrene Recycling Alliance (PSRA), a North American coalition advancing scalable solutions to recycle polystyrene (PS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS), today announced a new collaboration with Foam Cycle and the Nashville Department of Waste Services (NWS), to significantly expand EPS recycling to keep it out of landfills and return it to the circular economy as an essential, reusable material.

Washington D.C.— The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has released the Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) report for the Fourth Quarter of 2025, authored by PLASTICS Chief Economist Dr. Perc Pineda. The report finds shipments of primary plastics machinery in North America rose for the third consecutive quarter, reaching an estimated $327.0 million, up 7.8% from the third quarter and 7.0% year-over-year.

Washington, D.C. — The Space Selection and Planning event for NPE: The Plastics Show®, produced by the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), demonstrated strong early momentum, with 906,194 total square feet of committed space.The figure represents one of the largest early sales totals in show history, reflecting continued demand for participation in the industry’s largest plastics trade show in the Americas.

Perc Pineda, PhD Chief Economist, PLASTICS Tayce Shamamian Research Assistant In 2024, the U.S. plastics industry employed over a million people, according to PLASTICS’ 2025 Size and Impact Report[1]. When suppliers to the industry are included, total employment rises to more than 1.7 million. The downstream employment impact of plastics manufacturing extends even further.

Washington D.C. — The Orange County Register has featured an op-ed by Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) Western Region Director of State Government Affairs, Ivy Brittain, highlighting the importance of strengthening California’s commitment to recycling. In the piece, Brittain explains that recycling is a technology-driven industry that supports hundreds of thousands of American jobs and generates billions in economic activity.