From the CEO
Hi folks,
We're back! This Market Update is replacing the former Matium Monday newsletter. Providing market commentary and aggregated industry news to help the network buy and sell better, it will be sent out on the 1st and 15th of each month. Comments, suggestions, and ideas are encouraged - this newsletter and network are yours.
On October 15th, we are opening the market for all companies on Matium to buy and sell for free. To better support our ecosystem, I would like to invite folks to our first 30-minute webinar in the Matium Demo Series (Friday Oct 17, 2025 03:30 PM ET). I will cover a bit of Matium's founding story, a platform overview, and tips for leveraging the tool in the current market.
The timing of releasing "The Facebook Marketplace of Plastics", as people at Pack Expo called it, is one of opportunity. As many of you know, the materials industry is facing challenges. Due to an oversupply of virgin, tightening capital markets, and decreasing consumer demand, the recycling industry is a bloodbath. A few weeks ago, industry veterans were comparing it to 2008. This week, they were saying it is worse.
There is opportunity out there, but no one is really sure of where it is and how to find it. That is where we think we can help. Beyond freely listing materials or demand to the 800+ companies in the industry on Matium, paid subscribers now have access to our most powerful feature yet - "AI Leads". This is our first step into bringing high-precision targeted marketing to the industrial space.
"AI Leads" has already identified over 5000 companies in the industry, the materials they buy, the materials they sell, the processing capabilities they have, all of their locations, and their sales/procurement contacts. Now, Matium's patent-pending matching algorithm will match you to both active supply/demand on the platform and thousands of customers off-platform.
Thank you,
Bailey Robin - Cofounder/CEO
Key Indicators
| Indicator | Current | MoM | QoQ | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Funds Rate, % | 4.33 | 0.00 | 0.00 | -0.81 |
| PPI - Plastics and Resin | 316.30 | 1.20 | -4.00 | -0.30 |
| PPI - Trucking Rate | 186.90 | 2.10 | 0.40 | 1.70 |
| PMI - Manufacturing | 48.70 | 0.70 | -0.40 | 0.90 |
| US Plastics Imports, $B | 6.31 | 0.75 | 0.52 | -0.11 |
| US Plastics Exports, $B | 6.45 | -0.23 | -0.20 | -0.03 |
| US Plastics Production Index | 97.05 | -0.65 | -2.17 | -2.37 |
Sources: FRED, ISM, US Census.
Markets & Trade
1. 2025 Size and Impact Report: U.S. Plastics Industry Remains Robust, Impactful, And Vital
Source: Plastic Industry Association
The 2025 Size and Impact Report from the Plastics Industry Association highlights the U.S. plastics industry's robust economic contributions, with over 1 million direct jobs and $550.7 billion in shipments in 2024.
Including the plastics supply chain, employment rises to 1.71 million and shipments to $754.5 billion, underscoring the industry's broad economic footprint.
Plastics manufacturing employment has grown at 1.3% annually from 2014 to 2024, outpacing overall manufacturing employment growth, demonstrating resilience amid economic challenges.
The plastics industry maintains a nationwide presence, ranking as the eighth largest U.S. industry by gross output in 2023 and leading employment in states like Texas, Ohio, and Michigan.
2. Weekly Chemistry and Economic Trends (09-19-25)
Source: American Chemistry Council
Chemical production declined by 0.6% in August following a similar drop in July, with increased output in organic chemicals, basic inorganic chemicals, industrial gases, and plastic resins offset by declines in coatings, specialty chemicals, synthetic rubber, manufactured fibers, and agricultural chemicals; chemical capacity utilization slipped to 80.4%, slightly above last year's 80.1%.
Chemical import prices fell by 0.5% in August, marking the third consecutive monthly decline, and were down 2.7% year-over-year; conversely, chemical export prices increased 0.4% monthly and were up 2.6% year-over-year, suggesting shifting pricing dynamics in international trade.
Industrial production rose marginally by 0.1% in August while manufacturing output grew modestly by 0.2%, with capacity utilization steady at 77.4%, below last August's 77.9%; autos and light trucks assemblies increased to a 10.77 million SAAR, the second highest since March 2024, impacting demand for related plastics.
Housing starts, a key indicator for construction-related plastic demand, fell 8.5% in August to 1.31 million units (lowest since May), with chemistry-intensive single-family starts down 7% due to a slump in the South, multifamily starts down 11%, and building permits decreasing 3.7% for the fifth consecutive month, signaling weaker near-term plastic consumption in construction sectors.
3. Plastic Bale Prices Continue to Fall
Source: Resource Recycling
Post-consumer plastic bale prices, including PET, HDPE, PP, and film grades, have continued to decline nationally in September compared to previous months and one year ago.
PET beverage bottles and jars saw a significant year-over-year price drop from 18.34 cents to 4.66 cents per pound, indicating a substantial decrease in market value.
HDPE prices from curbside collections remain stable year-over-year at around 44 cents per pound for natural HDPE but color HDPE prices have dropped notably from 9.31 to 2.66 cents.
Overall, the downward trend in plastic bale prices reflects ongoing challenges in the secondary plastics market, affecting valuation and demand for recycled materials across multiple resin types.
Business & Corporate Strategy
1. News from ADS, AMP Robotics and PolyFlex
Source: Resource Recycling
Advanced Drainage Systems acquired the water management business of Germany's Norma Group SE for about $1 billion, significantly expanding its footprint in water management solutions.
AMP Robotics enhanced its recycling capabilities through the acquisition of the Portsmouth operations of recycler RDS of Virginia, strengthening its position in automated recycling technology.
PolyFlex, under Sweden's Nefab Group, is opening a 137,000-square-foot thermoforming and recycling facility in Tennessee, marking a strategic expansion in sustainable plastic packaging manufacturing and recycling.
2. WM Opens 2 New Recycling Facilities
Source: Recycling Today
WM has opened two new advanced recycling facilities in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, and Portland, Oregon, investing approximately $95 million combined to increase processing capacity and improve recycling quality through AI, optical sorters, and volumetric scanners.
The Grand Central facility in Pennsylvania can process up to 120,000 tons annually and specifically targets hard-to-recycle plastics like polypropylene, aiming to reduce contamination and produce higher-quality recyclable commodities.
The Portland facility supports Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act by enhancing the state's recycling infrastructure with a capacity of 38 tons per hour, reflecting WM's commitment to sustainability and modern technology deployment.
Both openings are part of WM's broader $1.4 billion investment plan through 2026 to add 2.8 million tons of annual recycling capacity across North America, strengthening its position in managing recycled materials and expanding recycling access.
3. Axium Adds to Plastics Recycling Capacity in Ontario
Source: Recycling Today
Axium Packaging opened a new 227,000-square-foot facility in Brampton, Ontario, expanding its plastics recycling capacity with a focus on postconsumer resin (PCR) materials.
The facility features advanced equipment with more than 45 packaging lines and storage for PCR plastics, enabling Axium to increase PCR content beyond its current 30 percent in packaging products to meet growing sustainability demand.
This expansion enhances Axium's ability to serve Canadian and North American consumer product sectors, including personal care, food, pharmaceutical, and health products, with faster and more sustainable packaging solutions.
4. Closed Loop Invests $10M In Recycler Greenmantra
Source: Resource Recycling
Closed Loop Partners has invested $10 million in GreenMantra Technologies to increase molecular recycling capacity by 50% and expand specialty additive production at its Branford, Ontario MRF facility.
GreenMantra's technology converts low-grade polyethylene and polypropylene waste, irrespective of color or contamination, into specialty waxes and polymer additives used in roofing and road construction, offering improved energy efficiency over legacy recycling methods.
The investment marks Closed Loop's third funding round for GreenMantra in ten years, reflecting sustained confidence in the technical viability and scalability of GreenMantra's selective depolymerization process.
5. Resynergi Moving Operations Out of California
Source: Resource Recycling
Chemical recycling startup Resynergi is relocating its operations from Northern California to another state due to stronger-than-expected community opposition and regulatory challenges around its proposed chemical recycling plant.
The CEO cited a combination of factors including regulatory environment, economic incentives, community fit, and potential for scale as key reasons for the move, with the company targeting to finalize the new location by the end of 2025.
Resynergi's Continuous Microwave Assisted Pyrolysis technology breaks down hard-to-recycle plastics into pyrolysis oil using microwave energy, offering faster processing and a smaller footprint; however, its pilot plant has not yet operated due to permitting delays.
Innovation & Product Development
1. Honda Develops New Chemical Sorting Technology For Plastics
Source: Recycling Today
Honda has developed a new chemical sorting technology that significantly improves the separation and extraction of reusable plastics from waste automotive parts containing solid contaminants.
The technology achieves a contaminant separation rate exceeding 99%, a major improvement over previous methods capped at 80%, enabling high-purity resin recovery and closed-loop recycling for automotive materials.
Honda plans to build a pilot plant with a 350-ton annual processing capacity by 2026 and aims for practical industrial application by 2029, focusing on scalability, continuous operation, and reduced maintenance.
The innovation reduces capital and process costs by simplifying the sorting process, enhances recycling yield, and is expected to extend to other materials including engineering plastics, advancing resource circulation efforts in automotive mobility.