The Spanish plastics sector: €29 million euros turnover and 2% of GDP

The plastics industry in Spain consolidates its weight as a strategic pillar of the economy. According to the Equiplast 2026 Study, presented today at the Fira de Barcelona trade show, the sector has a turnover of close to 29,000 million euros, which is equivalent to 2% of national GDP and 5.22% of industrial production. Between 2021 and 2024, it has registered a growth of 18%, demonstrating its ability to adapt in the midst of the transition to circular economy models.

The business fabric is made up of 3,633 companies, mostly concentrated in the Mediterranean arc. Catalonia and the Valencian Community account for nearly half of the activity in a sector that employs more than 107,000 people.

The main driver of this industry is the transformer subsector, which brings together 3,259 companies and generates 93% of the total business (26,815 million euros). Its activity is based on tractor markets such as packaging, automotive and construction, the latter with a significant growth of 39% in the last three years in the use of plastic.

The recycling sector, on the other hand, has 184 companies and a turnover of 1,454 million euros. Although Spain occupies a prominent position in installed capacity, this segment operates at only 69% of its potential due to the pressure of low-cost virgin plastic imports.

As for the machinery, moulds and equipment segment, made up of 190 companies, it reaches a turnover of 622 million euros and has a marked export vocation. With high technological intensity, it has consolidated markets such as Mexico, India and the United States as main destinations.

Regulatory pressure and global uncertainty

The plastics industry is going through a complex period marked by intense regulatory pressure. Of particular note is the Spanish tax on non-reusable plastic packaging and the new European Packaging and Waste Regulation (PPWR), which require the transformation of the eco-design of products and increase the administrative burden.

Added to this is the geopolitical instability resulting from the conflicts in the Middle East, which has raised the price of raw materials by more than 30% and intensified competition from imports from countries such as China and Turkey, whose sales in Spain have increased by up to 150% in the last decade.

These tensions raise production costs, generate shortages of critical supplies and make it difficult to finance operations, with a direct impact on the profitability of a sector with already tight margins.

Spain leader in recycling

The report places Spain as one of the European benchmarks, especially in recycling. The country concentrates 15% of the total capacity of the European Union (2.0 million tonnes), only behind Germany (19%) and ahead of Italy (12%), the United Kingdom (10%) and France (9%).

Compared to the plant closures recorded in other countries due to the profitability crisis, Spanish industry is showing greater resilience. However, raw material production in Europe remains practically stagnant (0.4% growth compared to 4.1% globally), reducing its weight to 12% worldwide.

The study stresses that, although Europe maintains a competitive advantage in technology and capital goods, the study points to the need to ensure a level playing field against imports from third countries.

In this sense, looking to the future, the adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics or digital twins will be key to improving efficiency, optimising processes and accelerating adaptation to new materials, while consolidating recycling as a strategic industrial infrastructure for supply sovereignty.

Equiplast 2026

As a leading trade fair in the Iberian plastics market, Equiplast plays a key role in this transformation. By bringing together the entire value chain – from machinery and raw material manufacturers to recyclers and technology centres – the show, which is being held until 5 June at the Gran Via venue next to Expoquimia, is consolidated as a space to promote innovation and the exchange of knowledge.

In this context, the show organised by Fira de Barcelona claims that the future of plastic does not lie in its replacement, but in its evolution towards fully circular models.

Barcelona, June 3, 2026

Maria Dolors Herranz – Josep Lluís Mérida
Tel. 93 233 25 41 -2114
[email protected]
[email protected]