Contract Packaging, General, Innovation, Preformed Pouches, Sustainable Packaging / December 31, 2018
Over the past 7 years, the flexible packaging market has generated impressive growth—and the statistics to match. Transparency Market Research crunched the numbers between 2013-2019:
Looking ahead to the next few years, that growth is likely to increase, fueled by growing consumer demand for sustainable products, increased industry adoption of flexible packaging, and the explosion in popularity of stand-up pouches in particular.
While pouches have grown prominent on shelves in recent years, the overall flexible packaging industry is mature and meets the needs of numerous industries from food and beverages to personal care and cosmetics products to pharmaceuticals to industrial supplies and more. Materials include a variety of plastics, paper, aluminum, and biodegradable films (like cellulose). The name “flexible” comes from the physical properties of the packaging, but it is also appropriate especially with the various pouch formats which can be flexibly customized to meet the needs of the manufacturer—and the product contained within. Consumers appreciate the convenience and the responsible stance of companies that adopt such packaging. Manufacturers embrace significant production and shipping savings, so growth isn’t surprising.
Poised to drive further growth in the industry are the food and beverage sectors and pharmaceuticals. Food and beverage are the biggest users of flexible packaging and have a large footprint in the industry. Flexible packaging adoption in pharmaceuticals, however, is growing at a much faster rate than other sectors and is predicted to account for $11.09 billion of the near-$100 million industry this year.
The full report from Transparency Market Research breaks down the data according to regions (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the Global economy). Asia Pacific nations, spurred by a rapidly growing economy, generated the most demand for flexible packaging in 2012 and are expected to be the fastest growth mover. Economic development growth is a factor in other regions, including Brazil in South America.
The rapid expanse of the industry means you need to select your supplier with care. With food and pharmaceuticals at the fore, you’ll need a supplier that can guarantee quality and safe handling practices, as well as one experienced with helping you select the right solution to protect both consumers and the integrity of your product. As a supplier that has reached the highest level of SQF certification for safety and quality, give us a call or contact us to get started.