Plastics Industry M&A Activity Tracking
Global Plastics M&A recorded 39 deals in October, which was the highest level of monthly activity in 2023 and was the third consecutive month with over 30 deals announced. Transaction volumes were driven by strategic buyers, which recorded over 25 transactions for the first time since 2021. Private equity add-on buyers remained active, but platform transaction volumes fell after recording several months of increased deal activity. Overall, Global Plastics M&A activity has picked up over the last several months after a slow start to the year.
- Strategic buyer activity surged in October, with over 67% of the deals in the month attributable to strategic buyers. Comparatively, strategic buyers have only accounted for 51% of the year-to-date transaction volume
- Private equity add-on buyers remained active in October, posting nine deals for the second month in a row. Four platform deals were announced in the month, which marked an end to several months of above-average deal activity from platform buyers
- The Medical end market recorded a significant uptick in transaction activity, posting five deals and recording its third-highest month on record
- The Injection Molding, Film, and Specialty subsectors led all subsectors from a transaction volume standpoint and were key drivers in October being the most acquisitive month of 2023
After a strong Q3 2023, the Global Plastics M&A market remained highly active in October. Elevated deal volumes in October were an encouraging sign for the sector, which had been down to start the year. Despite increased transaction activity over the past few months, the outlook for plastics M&A remains uncertain due to swings in activity levels amongst the different buyer types. If you are a plastics company considering a merger, acquisition, sale, or recapitalization in the short or longer term please consider leveraging PMCF’s transaction planning and execution expertise to best position your company in a transaction.
Sources: Capital IQ, PitchBook, Thomson Reuters, Company Reports, PMCF. Data as of October 31, 2023
Plastics M&A By Subsector
Total Plastics M&A By End Market
Plastics Transactions By Buyer Type
Notable M&A Activity
Public Entity Performance
Major News
- The Improbably Strong Economy (The Wall Street Journal)
- Despite Economic Risks, Companies Are Hanging On to the Workers They Have (The Wall Street Journal)
- Plastics Still Recovering from Pandemic but Poised for Growth (Plastics News)
- International Buyers Bring Opportunities to Domestic Plastics Firms (Plastics News)
- Newsom Blocks Bill Aimed at Preventing ‘Regrettable’ Plastics Replacements (Plastics News)
Download Plastics M&A Update – October 2023
Packaging M&A Update – February 2026
Global Packaging M&A tapered in February as 20 deals were announced in the sector, down more than 30% from prior month and prior year levels.
Plastics M&A Update – February 2026
Global Plastics M&A cooled off in February following a record-setting January with 31 transactions – down 21 from the prior month and seven from last February.
Packaging M&A Update – January 2026
Global packaging M&A maintained steady volume to open 2026 with 30 deals in January, which was in-line with historical levels for January but below the record 45 transactions announced in January 2025.
Plastics M&A Update – January 2026
52 global plastics M&A transactions were recorded in January 2026, which represented one of the most active months for plastics M&A since PMCF began tracking the sector.
Plastics M&A Update – December 2025
Global Plastics M&A posted 34 transactions in December, one deal fewer than both November and the 2025 monthly average.