The market analyst says the packaging industry has been working to react to changes in consumer demands like a lack of time, a desire for convenience and attractive and innovative products.
Ceresana analyzed the EU flexible packaging market made from plastics, paper, and aluminum and found that modern filling techniques combined with sterile bags are making it possible for better quality products and a more efficient filling speed.
These not only include consumer good packaging for end customers, but also shrink and stretch films for storage and transport, paper labels, sacks for heavy loads, and flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBC).
According to Oliver Kutsch, CEO of Ceresana; bags are increasingly replacing metal tins and rigid containers and the firm expects "the European market for flexible packaging, i.e. all types of packaging and materials taken together, to reach a market volume of about 19.2 million tonnes in 2021."
Biaxially oriented films doing well
The choice of materials and material layers is determined by the properties and demand that packaging needs to fulfil a specific need. In many segments, flexible packaging made from biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) or PET (BOPET) has become much more important than in the past.
Especially in Western Europe the market for BOPP films performed weakly in recent years.
But demand, according to the market researcher is to recover in the future. Thanks to its positive properties, consumption of flexible BOPET packaging will continue its dynamic development, especially across large areas in Eastern Europe.
More e-commerce needs more packaging
After demand had fallen in 2008 and 2009, consumption of heavy duty and transport packaging is rising again. The market for transport packaging can capitalize on the increasing volume of products traded via the internet.