According to the association, the downward trend slowed noticeably in 2025, but a turnaround has not yet been achieved.

Plastics processing in Germany saw a further decline in turnover and volume of materials processed in 2025, according to the TecPart Verband Technische Kunststoff-Produkte (Association for Technical Plastic Products). According to the figures, total turnover fell by 0.9 per cent to 69 billion euros. The technical plastics products segment was particularly hard hit, with a 2.4 per cent decline in turnover, representing a loss of around 0.5 billion euros. The volume processed across the entire plastics processing sector fell from 12.3 to 12.2 million tonnes in 2025, according to the figures. For technical parts, the volume processed fell from 3.02 to 2.98 million tonnes, according to TecPart. The use of recycled materials increased slightly. The volume of recycled materials rose by 1 per cent to 2.42 million tonnes, and the recycled material ratio from 19.5 to 19.7 per cent.
 
According to TecPart, the business climate in the key customer sectors for technical plastic products presents a mixed picture. The automotive industry would remain under pressure, but was showing initial signs of stabilisation in order intake and production. The mechanical engineering and electrical and electronics industries were cautiously optimistic about the future, though they continued to view the current situation negatively. The chemical industry would continue to suffer from high energy costs, low capacity utilisation and price pressure. TecPart sees additional uncertainties arising from current geopolitical developments, particularly the Middle East conflict, which was straining the supply of raw materials and could lead to rising material prices.
 
According to TecPart, the industry expects the situation to bottom out overall in 2026 – though a noticeable recovery may still be some time away. With economic indicators for 2026, such as gross domestic product, capital expenditure and the unemployment rate, would be pointing to a slight improvement, sentiment in the plastics processing sector had also improved, albeit from a low base, and an association survey suggests that increased momentum is expected over the coming six months. According to the survey, more than 80 per cent of companies expect turnover to remain stable or increase. Some companies would have also recorded sharp rises in demand and, as a result, improved production capacity utilisation. At the same time, spare capacity and displacement effects are said to be evident in individual stages of the value chain, and the order situation had been too weak for over 24 months to trigger major investments across the board. The trend in employment is said to be positive: the proportion of companies planning to cut staff is falling significantly. The majority expect employment to remain stable.
 
TecPart is calling on policymakers to swiftly establish reliable framework conditions for the plastics processing industry, so that the current signals can lead to a robust turnaround and circular economy ambitions can be realised. “If Europe makes the circular economy mandatory for vehicles and electrical and electronic products, we need a course of action that works in practice: lower electricity prices, increase incentives for the use of recycled materials, and significantly reduce or postpone reporting requirements,” emphasises Michael Weigelt, Managing Director of TecPart.
 
Sources:

• TecPart press release (27.3.2026)
• Photo: © TecPart