A new Smithers report finds that global flexible mono-material plastic packaging film is projected to be worth $56bn this year, and will grow at 4.1 per cent CAGR for the next five years.
Flexibles for pharmaceuticals, personal care, and fresh food are forecast to see the highest gains for mono-materials over the next five years.
However central to future success in this segment is improving recyclability, replacing laminates and multi-layer constructions with easier to recover mono-material designs.
Data from the latest market report from Smithers – The Future of Mono-Material vs. Multi-Material Packaging to 2028 – addresses this challenge directly. It shows that in 2023, total consumption of mono-material plastic packaging films will reach 24 million tonnes of material. Demand by volume will increase at a 4.5 per cent CAGR to reach 30 million tonnes in 2028. Across the same period, volume demand for multi-material packaging will increase at a slower 3.6 per cent CAGR, driving consumption from 10 million tonnes this year to 12 million tonnes in five years’ time.
The report’s analysis tracks the current mono-material flexibles design to identify which segments have the highest commercial potential. The principal technical challenges are to match the barrier performance and heat sealing of established multi-layer designs, delivering comparable shelf-life and protecting against spoilage. There were 11 end-use applications examined in Smithers’ analysis.
The report says multiple manufacturers have successfully introduced higher barrier mono-material packaging substrates. These have already achieved good traction, in dehydrated foods, detergents and dry pet food. However, barrier performance still needs to be refined to see better penetration into remaining segments, like liquid foods.
Polypropylene (PP) is the largest plastic type used for mono-material plastic polymer film, followed by polyethylene (PE). PVC and regenerated cellulose fibre (RCF) each account for low market shares. PP mono-material packaging films are forecast to grow at the fastest rate, ahead of PE. One major advantage for PP is that it can be laminated with a PE film, and still be accepted as recyclable, as both are polyolefins.
Pressure for more sustainability in plastics is great, and many brand owners worldwide have commitments to make all their packaging recyclable. The ultimate goal is to create a circular economy for flexible plastics, with discarded pouches, sachets and films creating the feedstock for a new generation of packaging. This requires investment from plastic producers; closed loop collection schemes for consumer packs are already in operation, creating a nascent supply of recycled PP and PE for real-world trials. True volume, however, will come from the commercialisation of chemical recycling, which also promises to provide rPP and rPE grades suitable for food contact.
The Future of Mono-Material vs. Multi-Material Packaging to 2028 combines technical analysis with market data forecasts (by value and volume) through to 2028, and is available here.
