Plastic and rubber industries suffer from weak support and strict control measures, said Alaa Abu Khazneh the sector's representative at the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI).

Abu Khazneh told a press conference on Sunday that the sector, which holds a total of 641 factories; Of which 70 are Amman-based recycling plants and 40 others spread out across Jordan, is an essential supplier for various types of industries, including structural and engineering plastics, packaging materials, agricultural and medical plastics, household appliances, furnishings, and cleaning tools.

The chamber, he noted, is committed to developing recycling factories, which are filled with opportunities that can be leveraged if all obstacles are removed.

He pointed out that there is misinformation about the plastic industries sector, explaining that plastic as a raw material is the safest food packaging and the best environmental option in terms of collection, cleaning and recycling compared to other materials. Plastic, he indicated, is an important element in supplying a number of sectors, such as the chemical industries, sterilization, agriculture, transportation, malls, supermarkets, construction, and others.

Pointing to some of the challenges facing the sector and recycling efforts, Abu Khazneh said they include the lack of qualified workers, the difficulty of recruiting foreign workers, the absence of investment incentives for the sector, the high costs of electricity, the fierce competition with neighboring countries and the high prices of land and sea freight.

"The chamber is working to establish support industries to develop more advanced products, which qualifies Jordan to be a regional and international recycling hub," he said, pointing to a skills council dedicated to plastic industries, with the aim of increasing job opportunities in the sector and empowering the workforce through soon-to-be-released specialized training programs.

He pointed out that the chamber is also looking to increase and enable factories to participate in specialized international exhibitions to raise their export capabilities and tap into new non-traditional markets.

The sector exports its products to about 38 countries around the world, with a total production volume of about JD658 million, or 4 percent of the total industrial output, contributing 0.6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and employing more than 12,200 direct workers, he added. The sector's exports in 2022 amounted to JD305 million, a growth of 31 percent.