The SMX Opportunity: When Virgin and Recycled Plastic Are Close to Even ELEMENT-- Back to the Newsroom The SMX Opportunity: When Virgin and Recycled Plastic Are Close to Even NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire/ March 25, 2026 / For decades, the economics of plastics have been deceptively simple: virgin resin-derived from oil and gas-has been cheaper, more reliable, and easier to scale than recycled alternatives. Recycling, while environmentally desirable, has largely depended on policy support, corporate c ...