Resin Reset 2026: The Procurement Power Shift
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Show Notes
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