News

European plastics makers are turning to a broader range of suppliers, notably in the Middle East, for raw materials, according to a new report.

AMI Consulting, which does market research for the plastics industry, said plastics processors and some packaging manufacturers would increasingly turn to middlemen – polymer distributors – to get the materials they need.

The report identified new supplies of polyolefins – common plastics like polyethylene and polypropelene – coming from the Middle East.

Report author Kerry Satterthwaite predicted a “massive expansion”.

“They’re building a lot of petrochemical plants out there. It’s much cheaper to do that in the Middle East so that should mean cheaper materials,” she said.