Germany’s waste plastics market continued to struggle in October. Demand from plastic converters remained lacklustre, while recyclate and film scrap were readily available. Many recyclers reported slack order intake and further price cuts.
"We’re running on fumes. Our margins have all but vanished," one market player said, describing the mood. Many recyclers consider the year to be as good as over and are focusing on reducing inventories and preserving liquidity.
At the same time, the primary commodity plastics market also remained weak, with prices continuing to decline in October. This negative trend has been affecting the recycling sector for some time.
The ban on exporting plastic waste from the EU to non-OECD countries slated to go into effect on 21 May 2026 is creating additional uncertainty. Insiders expect that the export restriction introduced as part of the EU Waste Shipments Regulation will lead to a build-up of significant amounts of waste plastics on the German domestic market. This material may then have to be sent for energy recovery due to a lack of buyers.
Read the complete monthly market report for waste plastics in Germany covering polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and PVC grades and access price charts and graphing tools here:
