Wafer-Thin And Durable: Ceresana Study on The European Market for Plastic Films

KONSTANZ, Germany - Nov. 14, 2022 - PRLog -- Is the plastic bag going extinct? By no means has it come to that. Yet consumption of plastic carrier bags has been falling ever since governments started to take action against them. Simultaneously, new opportunities are emerging for manufacturers of thin plastic webs. The new study covers films made of polyethylene, polypropylene as well as other plastics.

Less Bags, More Sacks

Plastic carrier bags and shirt bags are increasingly being replaced by paper bags. In turn, the consumption of trash bags is increasing because fewer carrier bags are finding a secondary use as trash bags. Ceresana expects this trend to continue until around 2026. The market for heavy-duty and industrial bags is expected to take almost as long to recover from the Corona slump and the war in Ukraine and return to 2019 figures.

Shrink and Stretch

During the Corona pandemic in 2020 and 2021, there was increased demand for bags and packaging films for food. This effect is now fading again: many households now have to save due to rising energy prices and inflation. Ceresana expects renewed growth in this segment from 2024 at the earliest. In general, the market for shrink and stretch films is highly dependent on overall economic developments.

Profiting from Climate Change

The growing market for agricultural films proves that crises also open up new opportunities: increasingly, extreme weather conditions in agriculture need to be cushioned by auxiliary materials and delicate products such as asparagus or strawberries need to be protected more effectively. In some countries, efforts to intensify agriculture are also increasing the use of agricultural films. Mulch films, anti-thaw films and thermal films can be used to reduce evaporation and weed infestation; harvesting can be brought forward or delayed as desired.

Up-to-Date Market Data on Plastic Films in Europe

Chapter 1 details the Europe-wide demand and production of plastic films as well as the revenues generated with plastic films. The study analyzes the demand of plastic films broken down by the different plastic types and by the individual application areas. In Chapter 2, production of, demand of, and turnover generated with plastic films are provided for 21 individual countries. Demand is split by application: Packaging Films, Bags and Sacks, Shrink and Stretch Films, Agricultural Films and other applications. Chapter 3 provides company profiles of the most important manufacturers of plastic films in Europe.

Further information about the new market study "Plastic Films – Europe" (2nd edition): https://www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/packaging/plas...