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Having successfully supported diverse applications across demanding industries, polymers and composites have emerged as key enablers of innovation in product design and manufacturing. Their exceptional physical and chemical properties, coupled with ease of processing and lower cost, render them ideal for a diverse set of applications across industries, such as packaging, automotive, electrical and electronics, furniture, building and construction, and consumer goods.

Nearly 370 million tonnes of plastic were consumed in 2019, and overall plastic waste collection volumes were estimated to be 45% to 50% of the total consumption. However, the grim reality of the existing shortfall in plastic waste handling is that only under a third of the plastic waste collected is recycled while two-thirds of the volume is either sent to landfills or incinerators or to energy recovery. Packaging accounts for more than 40% of overall plastic consumption and composes more than 55% of total global plastic waste; less than 15% of the plastic packaging waste so generated is collected for recycling.

In the wake of ever-rising pressure, from both consumers and government bodies, leading brand owners and OEMs across diverse sectors have adopted ambitious targets to integrate sustainability and circularity into their business activities.