Recorded live from Fort Worth, the ResinSmart by RTI team kicks off 2026 with a candid roundtable discussion on the forces shaping resin markets this year.
With resin prices near multi-year lows, procurement teams face a new challenge: proving value when the market did most of the work in 2025.
In this episode, Michael Workman, Brian Balboa, Kevin Mekaru, and Tyler Wheeler discuss:
- What polyethylene overcapacity means for buyers
- How Non-Market Adjustments reset pricing baselines
- Why tariff volatility has calmed — but risk hasn’t disappeared
- Engineered resin disruption following major divestitures
- How dual sourcing drives real leverage
- Why traditional consulting RFP models fall short in resin markets
- What private equity firms often overlook in resin diligence
- The shift from price reduction to risk management
This is a practical, strategy-focused discussion for procurement leaders, CFOs, and private equity operators in plastics manufacturing.
Key Takeaways
Low prices create leverage — but only if you act
NMA drift should be addressed before contract reset
Producers are hungry — now is the time to qualify alternates
Procurement credibility matters more in a down market
Resin strategy is central to EBITDA in plastics businesses
If you want to understand how these market dynamics impact your specific resin portfolio, visit us today at ResinSmart.ai
What is The Plastic Resin Buyer Brief?
If you buy plastic resin for a living, this podcast is your edge. Hosted by the experts behind ResinSmart, The Plastic Resin Buyer Brief gives you fast, focused updates on the market forces moving resin prices—and the strategies that smart buyers are using to save money, reduce risk, and make better decisions.
No fluff. No filler. Just the information you actually need—delivered by sourcing pros who’ve managed billions in resin spend.
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