Wood plastic composites: Global market continues to grow

23 Dec 2009 • by Natalie Aster

Global output of wood plastic composites (WPC) currently exceeds 1.5m t/y, with North America by far the largest market, accounting for around 1m t/y, followed by China (200,000 t/y), Europe (170,000 t/y) and Japan (100,000 t/y). Within Europe, Germany spearheads WPC production and is also the leading machinery manufacturer. Although overall volume remains comparatively low, the global growth rates of the WPC market are impressive. Germany for example now produces over 70,000 t/y of WPC products, up from around 20,000 t/y in 2007.

The most important WPC applications are automotive (interior) and decking, where WPC is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to tropical and other high-quality timber.

Source: Plastics Information Europe