Report on plastics recycling economics

Bain & Company say plastics recycling could reach cost parity with virgin plastics, but needs €400 billion investment. The report centres on chemical recycling of plastics (gasification, pyrolysis, glycolysis). Recycling is today costly and customers are very price sensitive, but economically viable opportunities do exist. But chemical recycling of plastics will inevitably scale-up, and industry should today be now moving to take key positions in the new recycling value chain, whilst developing flexibility on feedstocks, partnerships and technologies.

“Europe’s chemical recycling requires over €400 billion in cumulative capex to compete with virgin plastics production – who will lead?”, Bain & Company, 27 May 2025 https://www.bain.com/about/media-center/press-releases/20252/europes-chemical-recycling-requires-over-400-billion-in-cumulative-capex-to-compete-with-virgin-plastics-production--who-will-lead/
“Chemical Recycling: Plastics Firms Must Move Now or Miss Out”, Bain & Company, 27 May 2025 https://www.bain.com/insights/chemical-recycling-plastics-firms-must-move-now-or-miss-out/