Sales growth on the packaging market

URBANISATION BOOSTS PACKAGING INDUSTRY

SALES VOLUME EXPECTED TO RISE FOR PACKAGING. More and more people are moving to cities – the UN forecasts the total number of inhabitants in conurbations will rise to about five billion worldwide over the coming three years. Alongside luxury goods manufacturers it is also the food industry and therefore also packaging producers who are now called upon to satisfy these varied consumer needs. And this is why experts also forecast growth here: the global sales volume of this industry is forecast to grow by a good 4% annually.

How can we effectively combat food waste and loss? Safe packaging for food plays a decisive role in answering this question. © interpack / Messe Düsseldorf.

Growth stimulus from Asia
“Smithers Pira” identifies general demographic change as a reason for the total sales volume of some Euro 865 billion forecast for the packaging industry worldwide by 2018. Depending on demand, special packaging formats need to be produced for senior citizens, singles and the growing middle classes especially in the BRIC states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). And this packaging should be easy to open, if possible low-cost and sustainable at the same time, rugged and counterfeit-proof. According to studies by US market research consultants, Asian countries are still the uncontested drivers especially for trade in exquisitely packaged consumer goods. The growth of the packaging market here is stated to stand at some 6% and is therefore expected to account for 40% of the global packaging market in 2018.

One fifth of global meat production ends up in the waste bin each year. This corresponds to the weight of 75 million cows. Photo © BillionPhotos.com/fotolia.com

The rising demand for packaging also benefits the print industry. Over Euro 470 billion and, hence, almost 50% of the entire print business is expected to be accounted for by packaging and label printing over the next few years. Photo © oigro/fotolia.com

Print techniology in particularly high demand
The growing demand for packaging also benefits the print industry. Packaging and label printing is said to account for over Euro 470 billion and, hence, almost 50% of the entire print industry business worldwide. Although digital printing still has a small market share of approximately 2.5% of global packaging printing, industry insiders see annual growth rates of over 13%, especially for these new technical processes emerging over the next five years. Germany sees more and more cooperations between machine manufacturers, print and paper technology suppliers and VDMA, the German Engineering Federation: smart packaging solutions are hoped to prevent counterfeit products, guarantee uninterrupted cooling chains and allow valuable shipments to be tracked precisely.

Prevent food loss
The food industry has a special concern: every year the food and beverages that perish or are disposed of unused, amount to some 1.3 billion tons – in some regions this corresponds to 20%-40% of all available foodstuffs. With more resistant and durable packaging transport damage can be prevented; innovative film coatings allow consumers to judge the edibility of the contents from outside and food-compatible, water-based printing inks also help fight hunger around the globe. By 2018 further ground-breaking innovations are guaranteed to enhance the packaging market.

300,000 tons were lost each year in the mango harvest in Kenya, because the fruit was either not harvested in time or could not be processed fast enough. A project of the SAVE FOOD Initiative is designed to bring losses down to 30,000 tons by 2016 – with a concerted approach. The latter includes a more targeted choice of location, the design of a more efficient supply chain, the use of modern packaging and processing technologies as well new product ideas for both the local and export markets – such as mango as dried fruit.

www.save-food.org