Industry consolidation varies per region and there is a hive of M&A activity. This in-depth analysis serves to highlight opportunities and threats by end-use applications and provides insight into winning supplier strategies.

Influenced by socio-economic factors, local culture-driven applications and market idiosyncrasies have shaped preferred thin wall packaging formats in different regions, but technology and material are mainly standardised.

Thin Wall Packaging is increasing its penetration within food applications in particular.

This is based on a demand for better, more attractive packaging and facilitated by the expansion of centralised retail distribution, on-the-go convenience formats, and technological advancement in plastics engineering, food processing and packing.

Product scope

Thin wall packaging is defined as rigid plastic thermoformed or injection moulded containers and lids for food and non-food consumer goods, for retail and take-away channels. The term “containers” encompasses trays, pots, tubs, cups, clam-shells, inserts, blister packs, etc.

The scope excludes large injection moulded pails for non-food applications (but some small pails for food applications are included), DVD and CD cases, cosmetics packaging and horticultural containers, blow moulded bottles and preforms. Producer volumes for rankings include pails.

Market Scope

For this study, the market will be divided into eleven major end-use applications, as follows:

• Chilled dairy
• Catering & disposables
• Fruit & vegetables
• Meat, fish & poultry
• Frozen food & ice-cream
• Delicatessen
• Bakery, confectionery & snacks
• Yellow fats
• Chilled ready meals & meal components
• Other ambient foods (long-life)
• Non-food applications
  
  

Data points

Data is provided on the years 2015, 2019, with forecasts for 2025. The report was published in January 2020. Updated data is available, please enquire for more information.

Polymer scope

The production volumes are expressed in metric tonnes and segmented for PP, PS (including EPS for IM), PET, PVC, Other.

Process scope

The principle processes segmented in the report are:

• Extrusion and thermoforming (integrated and non-integrated)
• Injection moulding
• Barrier technologies are contextualised.
  
  

Market structure

Top 10 converters are ranked in each of the 6 regions, and contextualised with site location, annual throughput, regional market share and production technology. In regions with high fragmentation, further players are identified for more insights.

Geographical scope

Data is reported for 6 regions: Europe (including EU and CIS), North America (including Mexico), South America, Middle East (including Turkey) and Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Asia.

In all 6 regions, total production volumes and forecasts are provided for the top 7 individual countries.