Ian Chisanll
Product Manager ‑ Polyolefins
Packaging Price Know-how
May 2026
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Overview
May has seen a settling in the pricing of packaging polymers with the panic of March and April easing and a more considered approach to purchasing. We still see disruption both to the supply of polymers and to the availability of finished films from some regions with the continued conflict in the Middle East.
Feedstocks have risen significantly with C3 Propylene monomer contract up by an additional €120 / MT after the record increase in April. Whilst Polypropylene prices are still very high, it appears at this stage that not all of this increase will be passed through. Monoethylene Glycol (MEG) one of the building blocks of PET is up by €65 / MT, though we are seeing some moderation in PET pricing as demand slips at these prices.
Outlook is for some price corrections in the coming months depending on feedstock costs and the supply demand balance. Some analysis suggests that oil inventories are reaching critically low levels and unless the conflict is resolved this month, we could see oil prices increase.
Monomer Price Movement
Feedstock
Price per Tonne
Change (contract) Since Last Month
C2 (Ethylene)
£1,475.93
£87.08
C3 (Propylene)
£1,380.15
£104.49
SM (Styrene Monomer)
£1,695.36
£47.89
Benzene
£926.48
£27.86
Brent Crude (monthly average)
£573.85
£23.73
Exchange Rates
€
1.15
$
1.36
€/$
1.18
Oil Prices
Exchange Rates
UK Economic Data
Topic
Item
Date
Change
Trend
GDP
Real GDP (Q on Q)
Q4 2025
£706,067
PMI
UK Manufacturing PMI
April 26
53.7%
UK Output
Manufacturing Index
Q4 2025
101.1%
Sales
Retail Sales (Y on Y)
March 26
108%
Labour
Unemployment Rate
Dec 25 – Feb 26
4.9%
Prices
CPI (Y on Y)
March 26
3.3%
Prices
RPI (Y on Y)
March 26
4.1%
Interest Rates
Bank of England Base Rate
April
3.75%
Packaging Materials
PET
PET film pricing is a little volatile and it depends on the region of production and the pricing level of April. Pricing is up, down and rollover.
BOPP / CPP
PP films are settling around the new pricing levels achieved in April. Some producers in Europe are still seeking increases on the back of increased propylene costs and higher cost of production. The biggest production region of PP films (Asia Pacific) are starting to moderate their price expectations but we may not feel the benefit for a few months due to the shipping lag.
Polyolefins Feedstocks
£/Metric Tonne by month
Sustainable Films
rPET is up a little as some market participants anticipate stronger demand for rPET in the coming months, currently trading at a reasonable premium over virgin.
Films based on Sustainable feedstocks (Bio and Bio Circular) are also up as the premiums rise in line with petrochemical derived monomers.
Insights
For further inquiries or additional information, please feel free to explore our Insights page for guidance and advice on key issues concerning the packaging industry.
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A trusted, go-to resource for over a decade, Packaging Price Know-how is produced by the experts at leading distributor, Plastribution with data from Plastics Information Europe.
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