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PLASTICS IN THE WORLD
IN 2020, PLASTINDIA, DELHI 2003
Françoise Pardos, Pardos Marketing, February 2006
Past, present and future plastics consumption
statistics
Table 1 shows the comparative and closely linked figures of per
capita plastics consumption and Gross National Income, GNI, per capita
in various countries and areas in the world. Of course this is based
on fairly rough estimates, but it is illustrative of the present
relative situation of the world plastics markets, as correlated to
the economic wealth, which is a truism of course.
Table 2 summarizes the consumption of the various plastics, commodity,
engineering and specialty in the world from the figures known for
2000, extrapolated to 2010, as the ten-year span appears as relatively
reliable, less bold than twenty years.
Table 3 shows the forecast plastics consumption in various parts
of the world, illustrating the strong emergence of new country and
area markets.
Table 1. Plastics consumption, by major world areas, in
kg and GNI dollars per capita
| Europe W, C, E |
40 000 |
450 |
90 |
18 000 |
| Eurasia, Russia, others |
4 000 |
285 |
14 |
1 600 |
| North America |
45 000 |
310 |
145 |
32 000 |
| Latin America |
11 000 |
500 |
22 |
3 500 |
| Middle East, incl. TR |
4 000 |
200 |
20 |
2 500 |
| Africa, North & South |
2 500 |
190 |
13 |
2 000 |
| Other Africa |
500 |
610 |
<1 |
300 |
| China |
19 000 |
1285 |
14 |
800 |
| India |
4 000 |
1025 |
4 |
450 |
| Japan |
11 000 |
125 |
90 |
35 000 |
| Other Asia Pacific, rest |
13 000 |
1120 |
11 |
600 |
Table 2. Plastics consumption in the world in 2000, in thousands
of tons
| Commodity |
148 000 |
% |
33 985 |
| PVC |
26 000 |
4 |
5 700 |
| PE LD |
17 000 |
-1 |
4 700 |
| PE LLD |
14 000 |
10 |
2 150 |
| PE HD |
23 000 |
3 |
4 520 |
| PP |
30 000 |
11 |
7 100 |
| PS |
10 500 |
5 |
2 200 |
| EPS |
2 600 |
6 |
765 |
| ABS |
3 800 |
5 |
700 |
| Other styrenics |
1 000 |
7 |
200 |
| PET bottles |
6 700 |
8 |
1 400 |
| PET film, other |
1 500 |
5 |
385 |
| PUR |
8 500 |
6 |
2 700 |
| PMMA |
1 000 |
4 |
300 |
| UP |
1 000 |
5 |
700 |
| Thermosets |
400 |
1 |
215 |
| Epoxy |
1 000 |
4 |
250 |
| Engineering |
5 510 |
|
1 555 |
| PA |
1 800 |
6 |
690 |
| PC |
1 500 |
10 |
375 |
| POM |
600 |
5 |
170 |
| PPE |
310 |
3 |
90 |
| PBT PET |
500 |
10 |
110 |
| Alloys |
800 |
7 |
120 |
| Specialty |
213 |
|
68 |
| PTFE |
70 |
3 |
30 |
| Other FP, PVDF |
30 |
7 |
8 |
| PPS |
54 |
15 |
15 |
| PSU |
27 |
8 |
7 |
| PES |
5 |
12 |
2 |
| LCP |
18 |
10 |
2.5 |
| PEEK , PAEK |
1.5 |
10 |
0.3 |
| PEI |
6 |
7 |
1.5 |
| PI |
5 |
5 |
1 |
| All other |
1 |
8 |
0.3 |
*Average annual rate of growth
Sources, updated estimates from Pardos Marketing, from study Plastics
in the world 2000-2010
This summarized consumption table shows the difference between the
commodity plastics, altogether about 148 million tons worldwide,
the engineering plastics, close to 6 million tons in the world and
the specialty plastics, around 200 000 tons, all in 2000, the base
year with a round figure.
Comparative growth forecast to 2010, average annual rate of growth,
shows that, among commodity plastics, only PELLD, PP, and to lesser
extent, PET for bottles, enjoy overall rates of growth well above
5 %.
The fast growth of PELLD is due to the replacement of PELD. The
fast growth of PP is due to the great versatility of this polymer,
the wide range of grades and of uses. The still relatively fast growth
of PET for bottles is explained by the broad volume applications
still to come in less developed countries, as well as hoped-for entry
into beer packaging and small PET bottles.
It is of interest to note that the AARG, of 10 % at most, for the
next ten years, are not what they used to be in the early days of
plastics, in the 1955-1975 period, when the combined demand of the
US, Western Europe and Japan, that were then the only users, kept
the overall growth at an annual rate of 15 %. However fast growing,
huge markets like Asia, China, India, South America, are not matching
the story of the golden age of plastics.
Among engineering plastics, the fastest growing are PC and PBT,
PC essentially because of new applications, in the audio visual telectronics
and as sheet for building, car lights and glazing, and PBT as a part
substitution of other plastics, nylon mainly.
Except for PTFE that is an old product, and relatively difficult
to convert, all the specialty plastics will continue with rates of
growth over 5 %, up to 15 %.
Another category associated with specialty plastics is that of high
composites, made of a matrix of epoxy, or high performance
thermoplastics, and carbon fibers. Global demand for carbon fibers
is currently estimated at 14 000 tons, and expected to double to
28 000 by 2005, at least 15 % growth.
Yet, with the possible exception of PC, none of the engineering/specialty
plastics is expected to reach commodity status by 2010, or even by
2020.
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