We are number 1

PRCC recycles #1 PET (polyethylene terephthalate) beverage containers and ensures stable markets and increased value for PET collected in California.

We broker PET Bales

PRCC offers transparent pricing, reliable volumes, and better service.

Recycling Matters

We help increase recycling awareness and changes in consumer behavior.

4,383,729,463

Pounds of recycled PET sold and 72,832,755,030 bottles returned since 1995!

Our Bales are Best

Our full-time quality inspector travels the state to ensure our PET bales are the best.

What’s Happening ...

Sally Houghton, PRCC Executive Director

2025 Plastics & PET Recycling Market Snapshot

California plastics and PET recycling markets faced extreme volatility throughout 2025, driven by weak demand, low virgin resin prices, global competition, and ongoing policy uncertainty. The year began with tight PET supply and rising prices as minimum recycled-content requirement increased from 15% to 25%. However, cheap virgin resin and imported recycled material quickly undercut domestic producers. Mexican and Southeast Asian buyers competed for material early in the year, often outbidding local reclaimers.

By midyear, the market entered a sharp correction. Export buyers exited, bale supply loosened, freight rates fell, and prices for PET, HDPE, and PP declined rapidly. Several recyclers reduced operations or shut down entirely, and by fall the industry was facing its most challenging conditions since 2008. PET bale prices reached historic lows, while demand remained weak across beverage and packaging markets.

The year ended flat, with little recovery. An estimated one million tons of global recycling capacity was lost in 2025, and California reclaimers were operating at roughly 50% capacity. Policy uncertainty — around tariffs, recycled-content mandates, and market support programs — continued into 2026.

What This Means for California’s Circular Economy

California’s circular economy depends on stable, in-state recycling capacity. The events of 2025 made clear that recycled-content mandates alone are not enough to sustain domestic markets when virgin resin is cheaper and imports face fewer constraints.

Without targeted market support, California risks losing the very infrastructure needed to meet SB 54 goals, recycled-content requirements, and broader climate commitments. Reclaimers cannot operate through prolonged market downturns without mechanisms that stabilize demand, offset cost disparities, and keep recycled material competitive.

A resilient circular economy requires:

  • Strong domestic end markets for California-generated material
  • Policies that recognize the true cost of recycling in California
  • Continued investment in market-stabilizing tools, such as the Plastic Market Development Payment (PMDP)

Maintaining and strengthening California’s recycling infrastructure is essential—not just to weather market cycles, but to ensure the state’s environmental policies can be successfully implemented.