Virginia Manufacturing Depends on Plastic
From Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads, manufacturers rely on high-performance and recycled plastics to deliver safe, affordable products that Virginians use every day. Plastic supports innovation across Virginia’s economy—from food packaging to logistics and advanced manufacturing.
Plastic’s Role in Virginia’s Economy
Plastic plays a critical role in Virginia’s manufacturing and consumer product supply chains, supporting jobs, investment, and innovation across the Commonwealth.
Manufacturing Innovation: Made in Virginia
Virginia is home to many of the world’s most recognized consumer brands that use plastic, recycled plastic, or bioplastic to bring us many of our favorite products, including Nestlé, Ferrero, Mondelez International, Amazon, and LEGO (coming to VA soon).
Strengthening Virginia’s Recycling Infrastructure
According to The Recycling Partnership, Virginia’s residential recycling rate is only about 15%, highlighting gaps in access, infrastructure, and system investment…and opportunity.
Designing Plastic Products and Packaging for Recycling
Companies are designing plastic products and packaging that are easier to collect, sort, and recycle, helping ensure plastic products can be recovered, reused, and remade.
Made in Virginia: Circ and Advanced Recycling Innovation
Virginia is home to innovators deploying advanced recycling technologies that push circularity forward. For example, Circ uses a cutting-edge process to recover and repurpose textiles (polyester/cotton blends) that would otherwise end up in landfills. The company is helping keep valuable resources in use and advancing circular solutions in the Commonwealth.
Want to go deeper on advanced recycling and how it supports circularity and cutting-edge manufacturing?
Listen to our Sustainably Speaking conversation on innovation and circularity with Circ’s Chief Scientific Officer.
Made-in-Virginia Industries Rely on Plastic
Plastic isn’t just a supporting player—it’s pivotal to Virginia’s biggest industries.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Lightweight plasic packaging helps keep food safe and fresher longer for brands based here in the Commonwealth, including Smithfield Foods, Danone, and Sabra.
- One of the largest contributors to the state economy
- $28.4 billion in production; employing 43,700 Virginians
Motor Vehicles & Parts Manufacturing
Automakers cannot operate without plastics. Supporting a robust and reliable supply of plastics is critical for Virginia’s auto manufacturing and innovation.
- Plastic enables air bags, seat belts, and safety glass, plus bumpers and components that protect passengers every day, including fiber-reinforced plastic components that absorb multiple times the crash energy of steel.
- Lightweight plastic helps improve vehicle fuel-efficiency, reducing emissions along the way.
- 10.9 billion in production from Virginia vehicle and part manufacturers such as Volvo and Morgan Olson.
Shipbuilding
In shipbuilding, plastics are vital for reducing weight, enhancing corrosion resistance, and improving efficiency due to their durability, low maintenance, and ability to meet strict fire/sound standards.
- Virginia shipbuilding is worth $10.3 billion in production, employing 30,700 Virginians.
- The largest shipbuilder in the U.S., Huntington Ingalls, is headquartered in Virginia.
Virginia Manufacturing Depends on Plastic
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