PRSE 2026 highlighted a fragile but cautiously optimistic recycling market, shaped by Middle East disruptions, weak demand, and regulatory uncertainty.
Across mechanical, chemical and emerging sectors, investment and long-term targets persist, but near-term capacity, demand visibility, and policy clarity remain key challenges.
Join ICIS recycling editors and analysts as they recap their conversations from the event and the main takeaways from the two days in Amsterdam.

Helen McGeough: International players remain committed to Europe long term, investing in rPET and polyolefins despite weak demand, while flagging certification complexity and the growing role of EPR-driven demand globally.

Mia McLachlan: Polyolefins markets show cautious optimism, with Middle East disruption boosting recycler demand but exposing LDPE capacity shortages and highlighting the gap to meet 2030 PPWR targets.

Nazif Nazmul: Chemical recycling faces a worsening mismatch between sustainability targets and financial backing, with weak offtake commitments and insolvencies (e.g. Plastics Energy) signalling risk to capacity growth.

Carolina Perujo Holland: Textile recycling is emerging but complex, with major regulatory drivers (WFD, EPR, Ecodesign) and challenges in sorting, traceability and economics requiring strong value-chain collaboration.

Matt Tudball: rPET outlook is highly uncertain, with tight bale supply, volatile virgin PET prices and possible summer feedstock shortages, but stronger buyer–seller relationships are stabilising the market.

Sam Lovatt: Rising virgin polyolefin prices are supporting recycled markets, but recyclers cannot fully pass through increases due to cost-sensitive end uses, limiting margin recovery and demand resilience.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is having a severe and unprecedented effect on fertilizer supply because so much production is concentrated in the Middle East.

- If war drags on, danger of two-tier food economy developing with lower tier suffering shortages

- Poorer countries may be priced out of the fertilizer market

- Food impact will be seen later this year and into 2027

- Unique situation because fertilizer supply is very concentrated around the Strait of Hormuz, so the effect is amplified

- Global ammonia, sulphur markets heavily impacted by the Iran war

- Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) applies carbon tax on EU imports

- It will replace free allocations under Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)

- As imports become more expensive, downstream sectors argue they suffer raised raw material costs

- Proposal to suspend CBAM on fertilizers

In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews ICIS ammonia reporter Sylvia Tranganida, ICIS ammonia analyst Bee Lin Chow, ICIS sulphur reporter Manuja Pandey, ICIS phosphatic fertilizer reporter Chris Vlachopoulos and ICIS data analyst Grégoire Ladouce.

The Iran war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered the worst crisis in the Middle East since the 1979 oil crisis, according to regional chemical producer and distributor Servochem.

- Dubai’s Jebel Ali port is within the Strait of Hormuz and is unable to export

- Other ports in Oman and Saudi Arabia cannot handle large volumes, or very hazardous products

- Each week of Strait closure will add one month of post-war disruption when it finally reopens

- Companies would willingly pay a toll to resume use of Strait of Hormuz

- UAE inflation, unemployment is rising

- Servochem can only export 20% of usual pre-war levels

- Customers are slowing production as costs rise and demand is uncertain

- “We have lost 2026”

- Raw material and shipping costs have spiked

In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews Yogesh Dodani, director at Dubai-based chemical distributor and manufacturer Servochem.