Virgin plastic is new plastic resin produced directly from petrochemical raw materials, oil and natural gas, that has never been used or processed into a product before. It is also called prime or virgin resin.
Virgin resin is made in large petrochemical plants and offers very consistent properties, colour and purity, which is why it has long been the default raw material. Its drawbacks are its dependence on fossil resources and its carbon footprint, which is several times that of mechanically recycled plastic. Its price follows the oil market, so the cost gap with recycled material changes over time. Many products now blend virgin resin with recycled granules to reach a recycled-content target while keeping performance, and India’s EPR rules require brands to replace part of their virgin plastic with recycled material.
