Which plastic types (PET, HDPE, LDPE, PVC, polystyrene) have the highest and lowest recycling rates globally in 2025?
Executive summary
Available sources show global plastic recycling remains very low in 2025 (commonly cited around 9% globally) and that recycling performance varies sharply by resin: PET and HDPE repeatedly appear as the better‑recycled plastics, while PVC, LDPE (films/film‑type PE) and polystyrene (PS) show the weakest recovery in reporting (examples: PET/HDPE higher; LDPE/PS/PVC lower) [1] [2] [3].
1. What the headline numbers say: global recycling still under 10%
Multiple 2024–2025 analyses and press summaries conclude that only a single‑digit share of global plastics is recycled — most pieces quote about 9% to “under 10%” recycled overall — and that trend was described as “stagnant” in 2025 reporting [1] [4] [5]. That macro figure frames any resin‑level comparison: very little of total plastic demand is met with recyclate [4].
2. PET and HDPE: the relative winners, driven by bottle streams
Across EU and US studies and industry reporting, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and HDPE (high‑density polyethylene) show the highest recycling and recovery rates among common resins because structured collection (bottles) and existing reprocessing markets favour them; examples include higher recovery rates in EU PPW data and specific PET/HDPE bottle recovery figures cited by recyclers [2] [3] [6]. Regional PET bottle collection targets and mandates in Europe reinforce PET’s relative strength [7].
3. LDPE, PS and PVC: consistently the laggards
Film‑type LDPE (bags, wraps), polystyrene (including EPS foam) and PVC are repeatedly flagged as difficult and low‑value streams. Studies of EU recovery and national analyses show films (often LDPE) and PS have low recovery; PVC is called “not widely recycled” and in some sources recycled at rates near or below 1% where measured [2] [8] [9].
4. Numbers behind “highest” and “lowest” — what sources actually report
Sources do not publish a single, consistent 2025 global table by resin. But sector and academic reporting give ranges: PET bottle recycling rates are often cited substantially above many other resins (examples: EU/US bottle streams with recovery rates in the tens of percent in some datasets), HDPE is usually second‑best, while LDPE film rates can be single digits and PVC/PS recovery is minimal — sometimes reported <1% for PVC or ~2–5% for LDPE/film in specific national studies [3] [2] [9] [10].
5. Geographic and product biases shape the picture
Recycling performance is not purely polymer‑dependent; it depends on product form and regional systems. Bottles (mostly PET and HDPE) are easier to collect and sort; films and mixed plastics are harder. The same resin can have very different fate across regions: the EU’s packaging performance and bottle‑collection targets give PET/HDPE an edge there, while other regions lack collection and markets [7] [2].
6. Why the data cannot deliver a single global ranking for 2025
No single source among the results provides a definitive 2025 global ranking of PET, HDPE, LDPE, PVC and PS by recycling rate. Instead, the literature presents repeated themes: PET and HDPE generally score highest where measured; LDPE (films), PS and PVC repeatedly score lowest or are “not widely recycled.” A precise, single global percentage per resin for 2025 is not present in the supplied reporting (available sources do not mention a single global resin table for 2025).
7. Competing interpretations and hidden agendas
Academic studies emphasize an economic and infrastructure gap that keeps overall recycling low and point to “stagnant” global rates (~9%) [4] [1]. Industry pieces highlight targets and investment in chemical recycling and recycled content mandates and may portray faster progress in specific value chains [7] [11]. These different framings reflect real tensions: researchers focus on measured fate of materials; industry emphasizes policy targets and technology potential. Readers should note industry sources may stress planned capacity and targets, not current achieved global recycling rates [11].
8. Bottom line for 2025 — practical takeaways
For 2025 reporting across the supplied sources: PET and HDPE are the best‑recycled common resins in practice, largely due to bottle collection systems; LDPE (film), polystyrene and PVC are the weakest performers and often scrape single‑digit or near‑zero recycling rates in studies cited [2] [3] [9]. However, exact global percentage ranks by resin for 2025 are not published in a single authoritative table in the current sources (available sources do not mention a consolidated global resin‑by‑resin 2025 ranking).