Saudi Arabia’s waste plastic recycling market set to double to US$748M by 2034 under vision 2030 push – IMARC

SAUDI ARABIA – Saudi Arabia’s waste plastic recycling market has surged from US$411.4 million in 2025 to a projected US$748.0 million by 2034, expanding at a robust 6.87 percent CAGR as Vision 2030 unleashes a wave of AI-powered sorting and chemical recycling across the Kingdom.

The numbers are staggering.

Saudi Arabia generates approximately 7 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with per capita generation reaching 1.7 kilograms per day.

Under the National Waste Management Strategy, the Kingdom targets diverting 81 percent of waste from landfills by 2035.

The Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) is spearheading infrastructure across more than 65 cities, with projected processing capacity hitting 35 million tonnes per annum by 2035.

By the Numbers

According to IMARC Group, the market is charging toward US$748.0 million by 2034.

Mechanical recycling dominates with 78 percent market share, while pyrolysis holds 32 percent of the treatment segment.

PET leads material streams with 25 percent market share, and packaging represents the largest application at 40 percent.

AI and Technology Revolution

Artificial intelligence is transforming Saudi recycling.

AI-powered optical sorting systems now achieve efficiency exceeding 90 percent, accurately identifying PET, HDPE, and PP polymers. SIRC deploys machine learning to optimize collection routes for 7 million tonnes of annual waste.

Computer vision systems ensure higher purity recycled streams, critical for producing food-grade rPET.

Chemical Recycling Gains Momentum

In July 2025, MVW Lechtenberg launched a joint venture with SIRC to process approximately 3 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, achieving estimated CO₂ emissions reductions of 1.79 million tonnes per year.

SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE initiative has launched the Kingdom’s first circular packaging program, producing certified polymers from plastic pyrolysis oil.

The government has allocated SAR 1.3 billion (approximately US$350 million) to enhance recycling infrastructure.

What This Means for Recycling

For packaging manufacturers across the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s transformation signals a seismic shift.

The Kingdom’s 2030 vision positions it as a regional hub for sustainable waste management, creating robust end markets for recycled polymers.

As Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks take shape and mandatory recycled content requirements loom, Saudi Arabia is engineering a high-tech recycling ecosystem where early entrants will claim the front-row seat to the region’s most ambitious circular economy transformation.

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