Page 43 - Plastics News February 2026
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BUSINESS NEWS
Bank alone invested USD 10.6 billion across 66 ing startups, including Austria-based Carbon
companies, while major private and commercial Cleanup, which develops AI-powered robots for
banks—including BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, Bank carbon-fiber recycling; Sweden’s WindowGlass
of America, Goldman Sachs, and Citi—have each Recycling, focused on automated window ma-
allocated billions toward recycling technologies terial recovery; Germany’s Primobius, specializ-
and circular economy projects. ing in lithium-ion battery recycling plants; India’s
Saheb Fibre, producing recycled polyester from
Emerging Trends Shaping the Sector
post-consumer PET bottles; and Australia’s Sim-
The report identifies several sub-segments driv- bl, a consumer-facing recycling incentive plat-
ing the industry’s evolution: form.
Outlook for 2026 and Beyond
Bioplastics, encompassing around 1,800 compa-
nies and 122,500 employees, recorded annual Looking ahead, the global waste recycling ser-
growth of 2.83 percent, reflecting gradual inte- vices market is projected to reach USD 109.8 bil-
gration of biopolymer solutions into packaging lion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 6.1 percent,
and manufacturing.
Energy from Waste, supported by over 770
companies, continues to attract interest as a
complementary solution for non-recyclable ma- while the plastic recycling market alone is ex-
terials, growing at 1.71 percent annually.
pected to reach USD 101.6 billion by 2034, with
Recycling Robots, though smaller in scale, post- an 8.1 percent CAGR.
ed the fastest growth at 6.63 percent, as auto- Industry analysts note that recycling companies
mation gains traction in sorting, quality control,
and contamination reduction. are increasingly adopting automation, digital
material tracking, and modular reuse systems to
Startup Innovation Highlights manage complex waste streams. As regulatory
pressures intensify and sustainability goals be-
The report also highlights innovation from emerg-
February 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 43
