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Plastic Product Manufacturing in the UK - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2025-2029)

John Griffin John Griffin London, United Kingdom Last Updated: June 2025 SIC UK-C222

Revenue

£421.4bn

2025-26

£436.9bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

£XX.Xbn

Employees

2m

Businesses

96,484

Wages

£XX.Xbn

Plastic Product Manufacturing in the UK industry analysis

The Plastic Product Manufacturing industry encompasses a huge range of plastic products, from packing goods to construction supplies to plastic plates, sheets, tubes and profiles, which means it supplies many industries. The plastic product market is heavily susceptible to changing downstream conditions and climate policies, given the environmental damage plastics can bring. EU recycling regulations are playing a huge role in plastic producers’ operations, with companies placing growing emphasis on producing recyclable products or manufacturing goods using recycled plastics to reduce their environmental impact.

Trends and Insights

  • The food and beverage industry fuels demand. Sales to the ready-to-eat meals market play an important roles, in determining plastic product manufacturers’ revenue.
  • Plastic packing good sales edge downwards thanks to intense international competition. Foreign production of plastic bags and sacks, especially from China, is putting severe pressure on prices.
  • A big range of products keeps concentration low. This means no single manufacturer has a substantial hold on the market. The largest manufacturers tend to focus on plastic packaging.
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Top Questions Answered in this Report

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What is the market size of the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?

The market size of the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is £421.4bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?

There are 96,484 businesses in the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.9 % between 2020 and 2025.

Has the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 3.7 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.

What does the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom include?

Plastic plates, sheets, tubes and profiles and Plastic packing goods are part of the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.

How competitive is the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?

The level of competition is high and steady in the Plastic Product Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.

Everything you need in one report

  • Reliable market estimates from 2015-2030
  • Competitive analysis, industry segmentation, financial benchmarks
  • Powerful SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and risk management frameworks
  • Online membership platform with PDF, Word, Excel and PPT exports

Table of Contents

External Environment

Highlights

Trends
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key Takeaways

Plastic product manufacturers have to keep pace with a constantly evolving regulatory environment. The Plastic and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is set to transform the industry, with proposals including a mandate for all packaging to be recyclable by 2030.

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External Drivers

Analysis

What demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the Plastic Product Manufacturing in the UK industry?

Financial Benchmarks

Highlights

Trends
  • Profit Margin
  • Average Wage
  • Largest Cost

Key Takeaways

Rampant supply-side inflation drags up purchase costs. Supply chain disruptions drove up plastic producers’ purchase costs in 2021 and 2022; despite edging back downwards since, input costs remain above historic averages.

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Cost Structure

Charts
  • Share of Economy vs. Investment Matrix
  • Industry Cost Structure Benchmarks:
    • Marketing
    • Depreciation
    • Profit
    • Purchases
    • Wages
    • Rent
    • Utilities
    • Other
Analysis

What trends impact cost in the Plastic Product Manufacturing in the UK industry?


Key Ratios

Data tables
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)

Country Benchmarks

European Leaders & Laggards

Data Tables

Top and bottom five countries listed for each:

  • Revenue Growth (2025)
  • Business Growth (2025)
  • Job Growth (2025)

European Country Performance

Data Tables

Rankings available for 37 countries. Statistics ranked include:

  • IVA/Revenue (2025)
  • Imports/Demand (2025)
  • Exports/Revenue (2025)
  • Revenue per Employee (2025)
  • Wages/Revenue (2025)
  • Employees per Establishment (2025)
  • Average Wage (2025)

Structural Comparison

Data Tables

Trends in 37 countries benchmarked against trends in Europe

  • Concentration
  • Competition
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Buyer Power
  • Supplier Power
  • Volatility
  • Capital Intensity
  • Innovation
  • Life Cycle

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Methodology

Where does IBISWorld source its data?

IBISWorld is a world-leading provider of business information, with reports on 5,000+ industries in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe and China. Our expert industry analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build an accurate picture of each industry.

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and IBISWorld's proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights. 

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