Plastics manufacturing[1] is among the largest U.S. manufacturing industries with nearly 670,000 employees and $48.6 billion in payrolls. American manufacturing depends on plastics. From medical instruments and appliances to furniture, batteries and motor vehicles, plastics are a vital component of many manufacturing supply chains. Plastics are used to make components that are part of the final product and in processing and packaging of finished goods. In fact, nearly 27% of U.S. manufacturing output is in industries reliant on plastics[2]. Those industries employed 4.8 million people (38% of the manufacturing workforce) and paid $391.2 billion in wages used to support household spending in local communities.
The chart below shows how plastics flow through the U.S. economy.
[1] Plastics manufacturing includes NAICS 325211 (plastics materials and resin manufacturing), NAICS 325991 (plastics compounding), and NAICS 3261 (plastic products manufacturing).
[2] Manufacturing industries where plastics account for 5% or more of materials (from the agriculture, mining, construction and manufacturing sectors) inputs are considered to be highly reliant on plastics. Nearly all manufacturing industries rely on plastics in some form or another.
Plastics Used in Manufacturing
Plastics have a number of advantages over other materials, including durability, versatility, lightweight, and cost-effectiveness. Below are some examples of how plastics are used in manufacturing of other goods, either as components in the finished good, or used in processing.
Data and Methodology
An industry is considered to rely on plastics if plastics account for 5% or more of the intermediate inputs used for that industry. The analysis was conducted using the 2017 Benchmark Use of Commodities by Industry Table from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In this analysis, plastics commodities include NAICS 325211 (plastic resins and materials) and NAICS 3261 (plastics products). Data on NAICS 325991 (custom compounding of purchased resins) was not separately broken out, so it is not included.
Appendix – Detailed list of manufacturing industries for which use of plastics accounts for 5% or more of material (agriculture, mining, construction, and manufacturing) inputs.
| DURABLE MANUFACTURING | |||
| Wood Products | |||
| 321200 | Veneer, plywood, and engineered wood product manufacturing | 6.7% | |
| 3219A0 | All other wood product manufacturing | 8.0% | |
| Fabricated Metal Products | |||
| 332200 | Cutlery and handtool manufacturing | 11.0% | |
| 332913 | Plumbing fixture fitting and trim manufacturing | 10.6% | |
| 33299A | Ammunition, arms, ordnance, and accessories manufacturing | 5.2% | |
| Machinery | |||
| 33331 | Commercial and service industry machinery | 11.7% | |
| 333415 | Air conditioning, refrigeration, and warm air heating equipment manufacturing | 6.6% | |
| 333511 | Industrial mold manufacturing | 10.1% | |
| 333618 | Other engine equipment manufacturing | 9.2% | |
| 333912 | Air and gas compressor manufacturing | 6.0% | |
| 333914 | Measuring, dispensing, and other pumping equipment manufacturing | 14.9% | |
| 333991 | Power-driven handtool manufacturing | 13.4% | |
| Computers & Electronics | |||
| 334118 | Computer terminals and other computer peripheral equipment manufacturing | 5.0% | |
| 334290 | Other communications equipment manufacturing | 5.1% | |
| 334510 | Electromedical and electrotherapeutic apparatus manufacturing | 17.3% | |
| 334516 | Analytical laboratory instrument manufacturing | 6.8% | |
| 334610 | Manufacturing and reproducing magnetic and optical media | 52.0% | |
| 33441A | Other electronic component manufacturing | 6.0% | |
| 33451A | Watch, clock, and other measuring and controlling device manufacturing | 8.5% | |
| Electrical Equipment | |||
| 335120 | Lighting fixture manufacturing | 6.4% | |
| 3352 | Appliances | 14.8% | |
| 33591 | Battery manufacturing | 9.6% | |
| 335920 | Communication and energy wire and cable manufacturing | 8.8% | |
| 335930 | Wiring device manufacturing | 8.8% | |
| Transportation Equipment | |||
| 336320 | Motor vehicle electrical and electronic equipment manufacturing | 9.3% | |
| 336360 | Motor vehicle seating and interior trim manufacturing | 11.5% | |
| 336370 | Motor vehicle metal stamping | 6.3% | |
| 336390 | Other motor vehicle parts manufacturing | 8.4% | |
| 336413 | Other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment manufacturing | 5.9% | |
| 336611 | Ship building and repairing | 5.7% | |
| 336612 | Boat building | 6.7% | |
| 336999 | All other transportation equipment manufacturing | 11.7% | |
| Furniture | |||
| 337 | Furniture and related products | 12.6% | |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing | |||
| 3391 | Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing | 19.4% | |
| 339920 | Sporting and athletic goods manufacturing | 8.5% | |
| 339930 | Doll, toy, and game manufacturing | 21.3% | |
| 339940 | Office supplies (except paper) manufacturing | 15.9% | |
| 339950 | Sign manufacturing | 27.8% | |
| 339990 | All other miscellaneous manufacturing | 10.8% | |
| NONDURABLE MANUFACTURING | |||
| Food & Beverages | |||
| 311910 | Snack food manufacturing | 13.3% | |
| 311920 | Coffee and tea manufacturing | 37.5% | |
| 311940 | Seasoning and dressing manufacturing | 28.4% | |
| 311990 | All other food manufacturing | 5.4% | |
| 312110 | Soft drink and ice manufacturing | 18.8% | |
| 31151A | Fluid milk and butter manufacturing | 5.4% | |
| Textiles & Leather Products | |||
| 313200 | Fabric mills | 13.8% | |
| 313300 | Textile and fabric finishing and fabric coating mills | 7.8% | |
| 314900 | Other textile product mills | 7.5% | |
| 316000 | Leather and allied product manufacturing | 5.7% | |
| Paper | |||
| 322220 | Paper bag and coated and treated paper manufacturing | 16.3% | |
| 322230 | Stationery product manufacturing | 7.1% | |
| 322291 | Sanitary paper product manufacturing | 18.7% | |
| Printing | |||
| 323110 | Printing | 8.8% | |
| Chemicals | |||
| 325510 | Paint and coating manufacturing | 26.3% | |
| 325520 | Adhesive manufacturing | 20.0% | |
| 325610 | Soap and cleaning compound manufacturing | 11.5% | |
| 325620 | Toilet preparation manufacturing | 25.9% | |
| 325910 | Printing ink manufacturing | 13.0% | |
| 3252A0 | Synthetic rubber and artificial and synthetic fibers and filaments manufacturing | 28.0% | |
| 3259A0 | All other chemical product and preparation manufacturing | 17.7% | |
| Rubber Products | |||
| 326220 | Rubber and plastics hoses and belting manufacturing | 6.6% | |
| 326290 | Other rubber product manufacturing | 7.2% | |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Products | |||
| 327200 | Glass and glass product manufacturing | 19.4% | |
| 327390 | Other concrete product manufacturing | 7.6% | |
| 327993 | Mineral wool manufacturing | 5.7% | |
