Flexible Plastic Packaging Market Trends

Growth Drivers

Cost-Effectiveness and Longer Product Shelf Life - Cost-efficiency and improved product shelf-life has driven the market for large-scale flexible plastic packaging. Owing to busy lifestyles, the market for convenient products has improved, leading to increased demand for flexible packaging. Flexible plastic packaging requires less energy as well as less money spent on the packaging; moreover, it uses 35 percent less retail shelf space, making it cost-effective compared to other packaging types. As per the Flexible Packaging Association statistics, in comparison to the production of rigid clamshell containers, 780 000 flexible pouches use 87% less coal, 74% less natural gas, and 64% less crude oil.
Increasing Focus on Sustainable Food Production – Sustainable food packaging methods should lead to a total saving of almost 10% of Greenhouse gases, or 370 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent.
Rising Demand from the Pharmaceutical Industry – As per flexible packaging association statistics, 9% of flexible plastic packaging includes pharmaceutical and medical uses.
Increasing Adoption of Global Food Products and Beverages - According to PMMI (The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies) statistics, the packaging of snack foods is most frequently made of flexible plastic, although beverages are generally packaged in PET bottles. Both types of packaging are anticipated to increase by tens of billions of units by 2023.

Challenges

Lacking Recycling Solutions in the System - The significant problem facing the plastics recycling industry is the efficient recycling of mixed plastic trash. By extending the post-consumer collection of plastic packaging to include a wider range of materials and pack types, it is possible to recycle a bigger share of the plastic waste stream. Strong potential exists for product design for recycling to support such recycling efforts. According to UK research, between 21 and 40% of the packaging in a typical shopping basket is not possibly be recycled even if it is removed.
Durability Issues Related to Flexing and Abrasion
Lack of Awareness about the Benefits of Using Flexible Packaging Products

Flexible Plastic Packaging Market: Key Insights

Base Year	2024
Forecast Year	2025-2037
CAGR	10.1%
Base Year Market Size (2024)	USD 200.16 billion
Forecast Year Market Size (2037)	USD 698.71 billion
Regional Scope	North America (U.S., and Canada) Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, NORDIC, Rest of Europe) Middle East and Africa (Israel, GCC North Africa, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East and Africa)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

In the year 2025, the industry size of flexible plastic packaging is estimated at USD 216.33 billion.

The flexible plastic packaging market size was over USD 200.16 billion in 2024 and is poised to cross USD 698.71 billion by the end of 2037, growing at more than 10.1% CAGR during the forecast period i.e., between 2025-2037. Cost-Effectiveness & longer product shelf life, increasing focus on sustainable food production, and rising demand from the pharmaceutical industry will boost the market growth.

Asia Pacific industry is expected to hold largest revenue share by 2037, impelled by increasing awareness about environmental concerns and the growing demand for sustainable alternatives such as compostable packaging in the region.

The major players in the market include Syntegon Technology, Constantia Flexibles Group, Sealed Air Corporation, Sonoco Products Company, Mondi Group, Huhtamaki Group, ProAmpac, Berry Plastics Group, Inc., Amcor Limited.

Flexible Plastic Packaging Market Trends