When it comes to plastic, there is so much we are yet to learn. In fact, you will be surprised by some of the facts about plastic that not too many people know.
Here are some interesting plastic manufacturing facts from around the world.
Interesting Plastic Facts
The word plastic comes from the Greek word plastikos, which translates to “capable of being shaped and folded”. Since WWII, the plastics industry has been on a continuous rise. In fact, plastic has been so prominent that we use more than 300 million tons of it in a year globally.
Countries That Manufacture Plastic
Plastic is seen as one of the more important commodities in the world’s economy. Each year, our consumption of plastic globally increases by around 5%. But who are the biggest manufacturers of plastic? You may be surprised.
America
In the USA, the plastics industry is the 3rd largest manufacturing industry. In fact, the industry is so strong that the world relies on America’s plastic manufacturing. There are plastics facilities in all 50 states, and in 2012, these manufacturers shipped more than $373 billion in goods worldwide.
The industry in America doesn’t seem to be slowing down either, as the average plastics manufacturing rate keeps going up. The centre of the plastics manufacturing industry is Erie, Pennsylvania.
China
The biggest booming economy in the world, China is also the biggest exporter of plastics globally. In 2015, China made up 27.2% of all plastic goods exports, globally, which was around $18 billion in exported goods shipped around the world.
Germany
One of the strongest countries in the world, it is no surprise that Germany is in the top 3 manufacturers. In 2015, the country had exported nearly 12% of the world’s plastic goods. Coming second only to China in 2015; Germany accumulated more than $7.8 billion in exported goods.
One of the largest plastics manufacturers in Germany is Lanxess, a specialty chemicals company in Cologne. With more than 16,700 employees, the company is worth $7.9 billion annually.
Italy
Italy is not just famous for its landmarks, cars and cuisine. Making up almost 4% in the world’s plastic exports, Italy is slowly on the economic rise in plastics manufacturing. Though the country’s economy remains volatile, the plastics manufacturing industry is worth around $2.6 billion. Not bad for a country where the economy relies heavily on its food exports.
Plastics Manufacturers
Countries are not the only ones reaping the rewards of the plastics industry; the manufacturers themselves are doing very well too. The largest of these companies is Exxon Mobil, estimated to be worth more than $236 billion annually. In 2016, it ranked 6th in Forbes Magazine for sales and 17th for profit.
If you found these facts about plastic interesting, we’re interested in helping you. Dolphin Plastics & Packaging is your home-grown plastic manufacturing team. For more about how we can help your business, call us today on (07) 5493 4133. Our team will happily assist you with all enquiries.
