Plastics Industry Association

What Plastics Industry Association does

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1937 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It serves as the unified industry voice for the full U.S. plastics supply chain, with members spanning four primary segments: processors/manufacturers (injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, extrusion), equipment manufacturers and moldmakers, material suppliers (resins, fillers, bioplastics, recycled materials), and recyclers. The association generates revenue primarily through annual membership dues (subscription/recurring) and event revenue (professional services), with the latter anchored by NPE: The Plastics Show, the largest plastics trade show in the Americas held on a triennial cycle.

PLASTICS builds no proprietary product technology; instead, its core offerings are programs and services. Flagship assets include NPE (the triennial trade show — NPE2027 scheduled for May 3-7, 2027, in Orlando, FL, expected to host 2,200+ exhibitors and 51,000 participants from 130+ countries), the National Plastics Conference, Operation Clean Sweep (a plastic resin stewardship program co-administered with the American Chemistry Council, covering 6,000+ companies and 65%+ of U.S. resin capacity), Plastic Sustainability Innovation Awards, the FLiP (Future Leaders in Plastics) networking program, and the Flexible Film Recycling Alliance. The association also publishes the PLASTICS Pulse newsletter, produces Size & Impact reports, and develops codes and standards including machinery safety standards. Marketing and distribution are executed through LinkedIn, multi-platform social media, email, content marketing, the website-based member portal, and large-scale industry events.

The business model is membership-based with tiered, quote-based annual fees that are not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct outreach, industry events (NPE, National Plastics Conference, executive forums), and advocacy-driven engagement to acquire and retain members across the supply chain. The organization is led by President & CEO Matt Seaholm, with a leadership team that includes CFO Wayne Popham, Chief Economist Perc Pineda (PhD), Chief of Staff & VP of Industry Engagement Ashley Hood-Morley, and SVP of Sustainability & Policy Patrick Krieger. The association is actively engaged in federal and state-level regulatory advocacy on tariffs, chemical recycling, packaging regulation, and USMCA-related issues.

Name

Plastics Industry Association

Legal name

Plastics Industry Association Non-Profit Association 501(c)(6)

Website

https://plasticsindustry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1937 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., serving as the unified voice of the U.S. plastics supply chain — processors, equipment manufacturers, material suppliers, and recyclers — through membership dues, the NPE trade show, advocacy, and sustainability programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association & Advocacy Services

NAICS

Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (326), Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)

akta.pro primary industry

Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Post-Consumer Plastics Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF) (IMANAMAA), Plastics Sorting & Reprocessing (PET, HDPE, Film) (BPALADAE)

Keywords

• Plastics industry advocacy
• Trade association services
• Industry trade shows
• Plastics recycling programs
• Manufacturing policy representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: PLASTICS generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees from companies across the plastics supply chain including processors, equipment manufacturers, material suppliers, and recyclers.
2. Event Revenue: The association organizes and hosts major industry events including NPE (The Plastics Show), National Plastics Conference, and various summits, generating revenue through exhibitor fees, registration, and sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PLASTICS is a non-profit trade association that delivers membership-based industry advocacy, economic intelligence, and convening services to the U.S. plastics supply chain. Its core deliverables include representation in trade, sustainability, and regulatory policy; flagship events such as the NPE trade show and National Plastics Conference; stewardship and recycling programs like Operation Clean Sweep; data and statistical services such as PLASTICS Equipment Statistics (CES); and networking/leadership programs including FLiP. Members are processors, equipment manufacturers, material suppliers, and recyclers.

Product overview

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) operates as a trade association organized as a Non-Profit Association 501(c)(6), serving as the voice of the plastics industry in Washington, D.C. The organization offers a portfolio of programs and services rather than a unified software product. Key offerings include NPE (The Plastics Show), a triennial trade show and the largest plastics event in the Americas; the National Plastics Conference with three educational tracks (Make It Agile, Make It Heard, Make It Transformative); Operation Clean Sweep, a plastic resin stewardship program co-administered with the American Chemistry Council; and the Plastic Sustainability Innovation Awards recognizing circular design and material innovations. Additional programs include FLiP (Future Leaders in Plastics) networking, the Flexible Film Recycling Alliance, Plastic Sustainability Executive Forum, Recycling Week, and the Innovation in Bioplastics Award. The association also publishes the PLASTICS Pulse Newsletter and advocates for industry positions through Codes & Standards development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NPE: The Plastics Show: The triennial plastics trade show organized by PLASTICS. NPE2027 is scheduled for May 3-7, 2027, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
• FLiP – Future Leaders in Plastics
• Operation Clean Sweep
• Plastic Sustainability Innovation Awards
• Innovation in Bioplastics Award
• Recycling Is Real
• Positives of Plastic
• PLASTICS Recycling Week

Products and services

• NPE (The Plastics Show) Triennial plastics trade show and the largest plastics trade show in the Americas, bringing together processors, equipment manufacturers, material suppliers, and recyclers with global industry buyers.
• National Plastics Conference Annual industry conference with tracks focused on business agility, regulatory navigation, and emerging manufacturing technologies, serving plastics industry executives and professionals.
• Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) Plastic resin stewardship program co-administered with the American Chemistry Council to prevent pellet, flake, and powder loss, with more than 6,000 participating companies worldwide and OCS members representing over 65% of U.S. plastic resin production capacity.
• Flexible Film Recycling Alliance (FFRA) Alliance focused on building infrastructure for flexible plastic film recycling through collection models, consumer education, verification, and scalable pathways.
• Polystyrene Recycling Alliance Alliance supporting polystyrene recycling, including initiatives such as the Nashville foam recycling program using Foam Cycle densifier technology.
• FLiP – Future Leaders in Plastics Networking and professional development program for emerging leaders in the plastics industry, cultivating next-generation leadership across the supply chain.
• Plastic Sustainability Innovation Awards Annual awards program recognizing innovation across the plastics value chain in five categories: Leadership, Design, Material, End-of-Life, and Social Impact.
• Innovation in Bioplastics Award Annual award honoring outstanding advancements in bioplastics spanning materials, products, or manufacturing processes.
• Plastics Hall of Fame Hall of fame recognizing outstanding individuals in the plastics industry for significant contributions.
• PLASTICS Equipment Statistics (CES) Data and statistics collection program for plastics processing equipment manufacturers, administered through the Committee on Equipment Statistics (C-E-S).
• Codes & Standards Technical codes and standards development service for the plastics industry, including machinery safety standards.
• Plastic Sustainability Executive Forum Executive-level forum co-hosted with Husky Technologies, focused on microplastics and material stewardship for senior leaders from packaging, materials, manufacturing, brand, and regulatory teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million U.S. jobs supported by the plastics industry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• PLAST MilanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2026International collaboration at PLAST Milan trade show, connecting with NPE exhibitors and European industry leaders to promote the global plastics industry and NPE2027.
• Vinyl Sustainability CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2026Collaborates on 2026 Vinyl Week presentations, working together to advance vinyl sustainability initiatives and engage industry stakeholders on best practices and emerging solutions.
• Husky TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Co-hosts the Plastic Sustainability Executive Forum, a small executive-level forum focused on candid discussion around microplastics and material stewardship. The forum brings together senior leaders from packaging, materials, manufacturing, brand, and regulatory teams for peer-level exchange on emerging trends and challenges.
• House Recycling CaucusmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Participated in congressional briefing on PET recycling and circular economy alongside NAPCOR, working to expand access to recycling across the country through policy engagement.
• National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026Partnered on Capitol Hill lunch briefing on PET recycling and the circular economy, highlighting opportunities to strengthen PET recycling infrastructure through collaboration with The Recycling Partnership and Indorama Ventures.
• American Chemistry CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-administers Operation Clean Sweep (OCS), a plastic resin stewardship program focused on preventing pellet, flake, and powder loss. The partnership has over 6,000 participating companies worldwide, 300+ external inspections conducted, and OCS members representing over 65% of U.S. plastic resin production capacity with more than 35,000 workers trained on zero resin loss strategies.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Chemistry Council: Trade association representing the U.S. chemical industry, including plastic resin producers. Directly comparable because it co-administers Operation Clean Sweep with PLASTICS, serves overlapping chemical and resin manufacturer members, and shares policy advocacy around chemical recycling and plastics regulation.
• Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR): Trade association focused on plastic recycling. Directly comparable because it serves the same plastics recycling segment of PLASTICS' member base, conducts advocacy and design-for-recyclability guidance, and partners with PLASTICS on recycling initiatives.
• Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE): Professional society for plastics engineers and scientists. Comparable because it serves the same plastics industry technical community, provides education and networking, and represents plastics professionals across processors, equipment manufacturers, and material suppliers.
• National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR): Trade association for the PET container industry. Directly comparable because it focuses on PET recycling and circular economy advocacy, partners with PLASTICS on Capitol Hill briefings, and represents a specific polymer segment within PLASTICS' broader member base.
• Vinyl Institute: Trade association for the U.S. vinyl industry. Comparable because it represents vinyl manufacturers and converters in policy advocacy, sustainability, and standards development, mirroring PLASTICS' role for the broader plastics industry and working with PLASTICS on Vinyl Week programming.

Emerging players

• Sustainable Packaging Coalition: Industry working group focused on sustainable packaging. Comparable because it addresses overlapping sustainability priorities (recyclability, recycled content, packaging design) that intersect with PLASTICS' sustainability programs and brand-owner member interests.
• BPI - Biodegradable Products Institute: Association for biodegradable and compostable plastics. Comparable because it addresses the bioplastics segment that PLASTICS supports through its Innovation in Bioplastics Award and bioplastics initiatives, representing an adjacent but overlapping member base.

Broad incumbents

• American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA): Trade association for the U.S. forest products industry. Comparable as a peer packaging-materials trade association that competes with plastics for share of packaging applications, with parallel advocacy, sustainability, and recycling programs.
• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): Largest U.S. industrial trade association. Comparable as a peer manufacturing trade association that provides policy advocacy, economic data, and events for member companies, including plastics manufacturers who often hold dual memberships.

Regional players

• Flexible Packaging Association: Trade association for the U.S. flexible packaging industry. Comparable because it represents manufacturers of plastic-based flexible packaging, addressing overlapping member interests in packaging policy, recycling, and sustainability that PLASTICS also advocates on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PLASTICS_US
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SocietyofPlasticsInd
• Facebookfacebook.com/plasticsindustryassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plasticsindustryassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/plasticsindustryassoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plastics Industry Association