The European plastics industry was in a much healthier position at the end of 2015 than 12 months previously with growing sales and increased investment, according to a survey by the European Plastics Distributors Association (EPDA).
EPDA's recent ‘State of the Nation' survey of its members found that 76 percent of companies had reported that sales had risen compared to the same period in 2014.
This boost in demand was reflected in the amount invested in capital equipment, EPDA said. Almost 53 percent of the association's members said they had increased expenditure on machinery compared to the same time the previous year.
There was also positive news on the employment front for the plastics industry. The survey revealed that 82 percent of EPDA members had either taken on more people or staffing levels were the same as the end of 2014.
Despite the economic slowdown in China and ongoing problems within the euro zone, EPDA members said they believed the underlying positive momentum in the plastics industry would continue during the year ahead, with 58 percent of those surveyed optimistic about the future outlook.
