Plastic Industry Outlook 2025: Trends and Opportunities for Manufacturers

As we move through 2025, the plastic industry continues to evolve, presenting both challenges and opportunities for injection molders, thermoformers, and plastic manufacturers. Here’s a look at the current landscape and emerging trends that are shaping the future of plastics.

Market Growth and Economic Outlook

The global injection molded plastics market is experiencing steady growth, with projections indicating an increase from $335.4 billion in 2024 to $439.4 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.6%. This growth is driven by increasing demand across various sectors, including automotive, healthcare, and packaging.

In the United States, the plastics manufacturing industry is showing signs of recovery and growth. Revenues are projected to increase by 4.2%, with a 5.2% rise in capital expenditures. This positive trend is supported by recent Federal Reserve decisions to lower interest rates, which is expected to sustain manufacturing activity and encourage investment.

Technological Advancements

Integration of 3D Printing

One of the most exciting developments is the integration of 3D printing with traditional injection molding processes. This hybrid approach allows for faster prototyping, reduced lead times, and the ability to offer customized products without compromising production speed.

Automation and Robotics

Automation continues to revolutionize the industry, with robots now performing tasks such as part removal, assembly, and quality checks. AI-powered cameras and sensors are providing real-time defect detection, ensuring higher-quality outputs with minimal waste.

The plastic industry is poised for growth and innovation. Manufacturers who embrace new technologies, focus on sustainability, and adapt to changing market demands will be well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunities ahead. Stay informed, invest wisely, and remain flexible to navigate the evolving landscape of the plastics industry.

As we navigate the evolving landscape of the plastics industry in 2025, it’s crucial for manufacturers to partner with reliable plastic scrap brokers who can help manage waste streams efficiently and provide access to recycled raw materials. Domino Plastics Company stands out as a trusted partner in this arena, offering valuable services to plastic injection molders, thermoformers, and manufacturers.

Domino Plastics Company, with over 40 years of experience in the industry, specializes in purchasing post-industrial plastic scrap from manufacturers and selling recycled raw materials. Our comprehensive services include:

  1. Competitive pricing for a wide range of plastic scrap materials, including HDPE, LDPE, PP, ABS, PVC, PET, and many more.
  2. Fast and reliable pickup services across the USA, thanks to strategically located warehouses.
  3. Expert knowledge in handling various forms of plastic scrap, from regrind and film scrap to off-grade pellets and purge.
  4. A commitment to sustainability by diverting plastic waste from landfills and supporting recycled plastic innovations.
  5. Financial stability and a long history of payment integrity, providing peace of mind to their partners.

By working with Domino Plastics Company, manufacturers can not only optimize their waste management processes but also contribute to a more sustainable plastics industry. For competitive quotes and reliable service, contact Domino Plastics at (631) 751-1995 or email Joe@domplas.com with details of your materials.

What to know about the plastic pollution treaty talks in South Korea

What to know about the plastic pollution treaty talks in South Korea

via APNews

A last round of negotiations on a legally binding treaty to address the global scourge of plastic pollution has opened in Busan, South Korea. Here’s what to know about it:

Nations are deciding what actions they’ll take

National delegations still have a lot to hammer out before there is a treaty. Most contentious is whether there will be a limit on the amount of plastic that companies are allowed to produce.

Read the full story here: https://apnews.com/article/plastic-pollution-treaty-negotiations-united-nations-south-korea-870c2dce64527f9de2ff91e423b48aba

plastic scrap

What Makes Domino Plastics the Top Choice for Plastic Manufacturers

What Makes Domino Plastics the Top Choice for Plastic Manufacturers

Domino Plastics stands out as the top choice for plastic manufacturers due to several key factors:

  1. Extensive Experience: With 40 years in the business, Domino Plastics has a proven track record in the plastic recycling industry, offering reliable and trustworthy services to manufacturers across the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
  2. Comprehensive Service: As a full-service plastic recycling company, Domino Plastics handles a wide range of post-industrial plastic scrap, including HDPE, LDPE, PP, PVC, PET, ABS, and more. We buy various forms of plastic waste such as regrind, film scrap, lumps, reprocessed pellets, and obsolete inventory.
  3. Strategic Logistics: The company’s strategically located warehouses ensure fast and efficient pickup services nationwide, minimizing downtime and maximizing convenience for manufacturers.
  4. Competitive Pricing and Fast Quotes: Domino Plastics offers competitive prices for scrap plastic and provides quick quotes, ensuring that manufacturers get the best value for their materials.
  5. Reliable Payments: Known for our payment integrity, Domino Plastics has a long history of making timely and reliable payments, backed by strong bank and trade references.

These attributes make Domino Plastics a trusted partner for plastic manufacturers looking to efficiently manage their plastic scrap and recycling needs.

Contact Domino Plastics today to sell your scrap plastic. Call (631) 751-1995, text (516) 972-5632, email Joe@domplas.com

A Strange Plastic Rock Has Ominously Invaded 5 Continents

A Strange Plastic Rock Has Ominously Invaded 5 Continents

via Popular Mechanics

plastic rockPlastics are now  infecting the Earth’s geology—so much that experts are now calling to formally recognize a new kind of sedimentary rock: plastistone. Deyi Hou, an associate professor at Tsinghua University in China, and his colleague Liuwei Wang recently wrote a paper about the emergence of this new plastic-rock fusion.

Read the full story here: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a46181945/plastistone-sedimentary-rock/

Countries meet in Kenya to thrash out global plastic pollution treaty

Countries meet in Kenya to thrash out global plastic pollution treaty

Government delegations will gather in Nairobi, Kenya, to hammer out details of what could be the first global treaty to tackle the plastic pollution crisis.

A key focus for the discussions on Monday will be whether targets to restrict plastic production should be decided unilaterally or whether states should choose their own targets; this is, say environmentalists, the “centre of gravity” for the treaty’s ambition.

Read the full story here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/12/countries-meeting-nairobi-kenya-global-plastic-pollution-treaty

The future of recycling could one day mean dissolving plastic with electricity

The future of recycling could one day mean dissolving plastic with electricity

via Phys.org

 

recycle plastic

Chemists at CU Boulder have developed a new way to recycle a common type of plastic found in soda bottles and other packaging. The team’s method relies on electricity and some nifty chemical reactions, and it’s simple enough that you can watch the plastic break apart in front of your eyes.

The researchers described their new approach to chemical recycling in the journal Chem Catalysis.

Read the full story here: https://phys.org/news/2023-07-future-recycling-day-dissolving-plastic.html

Plastic-eating superworms with ‘recycling plant’ in their guts might get a job gobbling up waste

Plastic-eating superworms with ‘recycling plant’ in their guts might get a job gobbling up waste

via SCMP Scientists from Australia’s University of Queensland have discovered that a type of beetle larvae called Zophobas morio can consume and break down polystyrene. Research published in the scientific journal Microbial Genomics on June 9, 2022, says the superworms possess special gut enzymes that can break down plastic. The researchers say they now hope to study the enzymes to engineer ways the substance could be used to break down and dispose of plastic waste in the future.

Scientists unveil bionic robo-fish to remove microplastics from seas

Scientists unveil bionic robo-fish to remove microplastics from seas

via The Guardian

Scientists have designed a tiny robot-fish that is programmed to remove microplastics from seas and oceans by swimming around and adsorbing them on its soft, flexible, self-healing body.

Microplastics are the billions of tiny plastic particles which fragment from the bigger plastic things used every day such as water bottles, car tyres and synthetic T-shirts. They are one of the 21st century’s biggest environmental problems because once they are dispersed into the environment through the breakdown of larger plastics they are very hard to get rid of, making their way into drinking water, produce, and food, harming the environment and animal and human health.

Read the full story here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/22/scientists-unveil-bionic-robo-fish-to-remove-microplastics-from-seas

plastic scrap

Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time

Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time

via Phys.org

Microplastic sperules in tooth paste, about 30 µm in diameter. Credit: Dantor (talk) 20:55, 18 November 2013 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Scientists have discovered microplastics in human blood for the first time, warning that the ubiquitous particles could also be making their way into organs.

The tiny pieces of mostly invisible plastic have already been found almost everywhere else on Earth, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains as well as in the air, soil and food chain.

Read the full story here: https://phys.org/news/2022-03-scientists-microplastics-blood.html

Visible ocean plastics just the tip of the iceberg

Visible ocean plastics just the tip of the iceberg

Simulations find the majority of ocean plastics may be on the seafloor or otherwise difficult to monitor, with vastly more plastic waste likely trapped on land

Simulating a half century of movement and degradation of plastic waste in the ocean, a new study estimates that nearly two-thirds of ocean plastics are outside the reach of current monitoring methods. Furthermore, the study suggests that the estimated 25.3 million metric tons of total ocean plastics may represent only 5% of all mismanaged plastic waste to date, with the rest still on land.

Read the full story here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220318092128.htm

plastic scrap