Polymer demand growth in Europe for 2013 is expected to be static compared with 2012, according to Applied Market Information Ltd. AMI calculates that the market for thermoplastics in Europe is currently 36.5 mln tons, a volume that is still nearly 4 mln tons less than the peak it hit in 2007. Although during 2010, and into 2011, the industry made a modest recovery from the devastating effects of the global downturn of 2008 and 2009, by the last quarter of 2011 the recovery was beginning to run out of steam in the face of the looming Eurozone crisis. Although the drop in demand over 2012 and 2013 has been far less severe than in 2008-2009, polymer producers and processors alike have been more savvy about managing their inventories and have not got caught out as they did in 2008 - the decline in government spending, manufacturing and consumer confidence still resulted in an overall contraction of polymer demand of just over 1% in 2012. However, while the market has undoubtedly been tough over the past five years, most companies have come through the downturn and continue to thrive and grow through the use of innovative technologies, material developments and new application gains. The discipline of the downturn has made companies cut costs, preserve cash and be judicious in their investments. Those that are surviving are increasingly thriving. Furthermore, AMI views the industry now at the bottom of the cycle with demand expected to pick up again for 2014. Germany, the engine of the European chemicals and plastic industry, has been the strongest of the West European markets. Although polymer consumption was down marginally in 2012, current market demand of around 8.2 mln tons is only fractionally off the demand levels of 2007. The market has been sustained by the strength of its small and medium sized processors which have often developed leading roles in niche markets. Central Europe also continues to show positive growth, even if some of the smaller countries remain vulnerable to external shocks. Poland is the only country in Europe which has not technically gone into recession since 2007. Although polymer demand growth has weakened, it is still managing to show some positive trends for appliance manufacturing and consumer packaging, even though automotive production in 2012 contracted substantially. However, automotive production has helped to sustain demand in other Central and East European countries, particularly Slovakia and to a lesser extent, Hungary.

在申请级别包装需求到2012年持续稳定，核对欧洲所有聚合物的近一半，但下一步，轻量化和增加使用的循环利用影响对原始树脂的总体需求影响。但是，材料替代和新产品开发中仍存在机会，例如，用于替换玻璃瓶的酒精饮料包装的宠物瓶;屏障板和多层刚性和柔性结构更换玻璃和锡罐;塑料一件封闭件更换两件式封闭件和金属顶部。虽然市场预计明年将恢复增长，但AMI承认这一效果是拼凑的，欧洲塑料行业将继续成为赢家和失败者。南欧国家将继续看到随着经济体的结构重新调整的需求萎缩，而德国和北欧市场（英国北部市场）被认为是更经济的声音，这应该有助于至少符合其增长GDP。由于塑料行业的成功将依赖于西方的增长，中欧欧洲国家仍然有望表现出良好的增长。然而，体积增长将继续抵消轻质和降级的趋势，这意味着聚合物需求增长不太可能超越GDP增长率。 As a result it is likely to be 2020 or beyond before the industry see demand back at its 2007 level again.

塑料材料的需求在2012年占地3.7毫升，根据塑料协会，代表欧盟27个成员国的贸易协会。出于这种需求，包装花了44.3％，建筑和建筑19.2％，汽车5.9％。即便如此，与2011年，原发性塑料产量减少了6.3％。该报告显示，全球化合物年增长率约为8.7％。这是一个复苏的恢复，因为经过50年的持续增长，2008年经济危机期间的全球塑料生产下降。整个欧洲的图片在欧洲的积极效力不那么积极。2012年欧盟27个国家对塑料材料的估计需求为45.5毫升，比2011年低3.2％。包装申请占40.2％，建筑和建筑的最大比例，20.8％，汽车占8％。欧盟使用塑料的总体回收率，包括回收和能源回收率为59.6％：英国的速度增加到27.3％。对于循环回收，英国的平均欧洲率为25.1％，19.9％。