Top 9 Plastics Manufacturers in the U.S.

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As of October 2022, there are currently 8,284 manufacturers of plastic products in the United States employing 455,192 U.S. workers, according to MNI, compiler and publisher of the industrial data that powers IndustryNet.

The outlook for the plastics industry is optimistic, with some experts predicting a compound annual growth rate for the global plastics market of 3.7% between 2022 and 2030.

Here are a few additional facts on U.S. plastics manufacturers, based on data collected by MNI:

• 38% distribute their products internationally
• 17% import raw materials to make their products
• 7% are publicly-owned.
• 2% are women-owned
• 38% operate in the Midwest

Innovation in Mitigation

Plastics are so popular, they've become a victim of their own success because their usefulness and durability becomes a problem when disposing of them.

Researchers estimate that more than 9 billion tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s. Of that total, only 9% had been recycled as of 2015, illustrating the challenge in plastic waste-management.

To counteract that lack, companies recently renewed research into using plant or food-based polymers, commonly known as bioplastics.

In other research, living organisms are being studied to see if they can safely break down oil-based plastics.Wax worms can eat polymers at a slow, but steady pace.

It takes 100 worms about a month to consume a single-use polyethylene plastic shopping bag. The byproduct they leave behind is ethlyne glycol, essentially the same substance used in automotive antifreeze.

Power from Plastic

On a different note, plastic can be used to create energy. Organic solar cells use carbon-based materials to produce electricity from sunlight.

The cells are less expensive to construct and don't use toxic substances in their design, as silicon-based cells do. Because of their flexibility and ruggedness, they can be used in hundreds of applications.

Largest Plastics Manufacturers in the U.S.

To illustrate the industry's massive size, we profile the nine largest plastics companies, ranked by number of employees.

About the largest Plastics Manufacturers

1. Berry Global Group

Location: Evansville, IN
Employees on site: 2,000

Operating out of a 3.3 million square-foot facility in Evansville, Berry Global Group produces injection-molded plastic products, including drinking cups, bottles, closures, tubes, prescription containers, stretch films and more. The company serves multiple industries including health care, personal care, food and beverage, agricultural and construction industries. 

2. Elwyn, Inc.
Location: Elwyn, PA
Employees on site: 1,800

Adding value to medical products such as FDA-approved field-dressing and bandages, the Elwyn Industries Product Group division of Elwyn is the contract services portion of the Elwyn, Inc., non-profit group.

3. Formosa Plastics Corp., Texas
Location: Point Comfort, TX
Employees on site: 1,800

Plastic resin and petrochemical distribution have helped Formosa reach more than $5 billion in annual revenues. It offers a complete line of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene and polypropylene resins.

4. Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc.
Location: Saline, MI
Employees on site: 1,600

Faurecia makes plastic and vinyl interior components such as door trims, floor consoles, dashboards and instrument panels for the transportation and automotive industry.

5. Silver Line Building Products, LLC
Location: North Brunswick, NJ
Employees on site: 1,400

Silver Line produces custom windows and doors for new and existing homes, and a line of windows and doors resistant to high-speed debris, required in hurricane-prone regions.

6. Atrium Windows & Doors, Inc.
Location: Welcome, NC
Eployees on site: 1,300

Founded in 1946, Atrium produces vinyl windows and patio doors.

7. Bemis Manufacturing Co.
Location: Sheboygan Falls, WI
Employees on site: 1,200

Operating out of a 2.3 million square-foot facility in Sheboygan Falls, Bemis Manufacturing produces plastic and enameled wooden toilet seats, as well as fluid & air management products and large part injection-molded products, including caps, gages & sensors.

7. Sealed Air Corp. (US)
Location: Charlotte, NC
Employees on site: 1,200

An attempt to use thin sheets of plastic enclosing air bubbles as a type of wall covering didn't work out the way Sealed Air intended back in 1957.

The material found a far better use as bubble wrap, the ubiquitous packaging material. The company continues the tradition of innovation in packaging material and product protection to this day.

8. Fedex Supply Chain
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Employees on site: 1,200

When GENCO was acquired by FedEx in 2015, FedEx Supply Chain was born. With a history of groundbreaking logistics and reverse logistics processes, the company also provides contract kitting and packaging of electronic components.

For More Information

IndustryNet keeps you abreast of developments and trends in the plastics industry. The free resource provides detailed information on 400,000 manufacturers in every industry.

Providers can improve their visibility with our marketing solutions, while industrial buyers can get several quotes at the same time. If you want to find the right customer or the right manufacturer, visit IndustryNet today.

Article Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-42973529

https://news.energysage.com/organic-solar-cells-what-you-need-to-know/

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/19/the-world-has-made-more-than-9-billion-tons-of-plastic-says-new-study.html

https://www.shiniusa.com/2019/06/28/innovations-happening-in-the-plastics-industry-right-now/

https://www.greenbiz.com/article/5-innovations-could-end-plastic-waste

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/04/wax-worms-eat-plastic-polyethylene-trash-pollution-cleanup/

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in August of 2019. It has been updated to reflect the latest statistics.