Plastic Containers Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Material (PET, PP, HDPE, LDPE, and Others), By Container Type (Bottles & Jars, Pails, Tubs, Cups & Bowls, and Others), By End-use (Beverages, Food, Pharmaceuticals & Cosmetics, FMCG, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

The global plastic containers market size was valued at USD 63.71 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from USD 66.99 billion in 2024 to USD 100.38 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period. Asia Pacific dominated the plastic containers market with a market share of 47.03% in 2023. Moreover, the plastic containers market size in the U.S. is projected to grow significantly, reaching an estimated value of USD 47.60 billion by 2032, driven by the surging demand for packaged food products.

Plastic containers are made of plastic resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, and low-density polyethylene. These are mostly used for packaging and are available in different forms such as bottles, bottle jars, bowls, and pails. These containers are mainly utilized in packaging food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Plastic-based containers are becoming increasingly favorable for packaging food products due to their durability, lightweight, non-permeability to moisture, and protection from sunlight. Rising demand for rigid packaging from food and beverage manufacturers to increase the shelf-life of products and enhance the aesthetic to attract consumers will positively influence the market. The preference for containers by food manufacturers is rising due to their visual appeal to customers and the convenience of manufacturing them.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic restricted the production capabilities of the companies due to a lack of labor and disruption in the supply chains. This has resulted in low demand for such container products. In the wake of COVID-19, the consumer goods industry faced a negative impact due to its primary focus on personal protective equipment. Consumer goods companies faced late deliveries and out-of-stock products. The pricing has increased from 5% to 10% as brands seek to find new vendors for bottles. However, the countries took steps to improve the pharmaceutical industry, and governments released recommendations for citizens to enhance their immunity by consuming supplements. This acted as a promising opportunity for supplement and drug container manufacturers.

Plastic Containers Market Trends

Surging Demand for Plastic Containers in the Cosmetics & Personal Care Industry to be a Key Market Trend

Packaging of cosmetics & personal care products is done using plastic due to its convenience and hygienic qualities. Polypropylene is mainly used to form bottles and jars that help in the packaging and storing of creams, powders, and other cosmetic products. Additionally, the compact and portable packaging offered by these containers, provide protection to the packed product from air, light, moisture, dust, and dirt. The escalating consumer preference for skin care products has driven the growth of the cosmetics & personal care industry. This is projected to impel the plastic containers market share during the forecast period.

Plastic Containers Market Growth Factors

Increasing Use of Rigid Plastic Containers in Food and Beverages Packaging to Fuel Demand

Rigid containers have relatively inflexible shapes and forms. Demand for rigid plastic containers is increasing in the food and beverage industries due to their durability and lightweight properties. These properties ensure food's safety and longer shelf life and protect it from moisture, light, and chemicals. Moreover, it is an efficient packaging material for storing and transporting food products and beverages due to its lightweight properties. The changing lifestyle and increasing consumer spending on packaged goods will increase the rigid container demand in the food and beverage industries.

Growing Pharmaceuticals Industry to Drive Demand from Drugs and Medicines Packaging

Earlier in the pharmaceutical industry, glass containers were majorly utilized for packaging of drugs and medicines. But recently, this industry has switched its preference toward plastic containers as they are more cost-effective, easy to use, resistant to leakage, and lightweight compared to glass products. The majorly preferred materials in the industry for containers are polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene. Further, plastic-based containers are chemically inert and resistant to corrosion, which protects the drugs and medicines and enables their longer shelf-life. Hence, the rapidly growing pharmaceutical industry will fuel the demand during the forecast period. 

Rising Demand from FMCG Industry to Drive Market Growth

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) are products that are sold quickly at relatively low cost. The FMCG industry has high-volume sales of several products catering to consumer needs with quick inventory turnover. The higher volume sales of the FMCG industry products are witnessing rapid growth in the developing economies of the world owing to rising consumer expenditure. The price contribution by the packaging container and its physical and chemical properties play an important role in the packaging and total production cost of several products in FMCG industry. For instance, using glass containers for the packaging of baby products is generally avoided to prevent its breakage. Therefore, plastic containers play an important role in the packaging of products, which have the potential to react with the material of the containers holding it. FMCG industry-dominating products, including detergents, toiletries, cosmetics, tooth cleaning products, etc., are preferably packaged in plastic containers. Therefore, the demand for plastic containers is anticipated to rise significantly during the forecast period owing to increasing demand for FMCG products.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Stringent Environmental Regulation for Plastic to Restrict the Adoption of Plastic Containers

The decomposition of plastic is slower than the amount produced per year. The recycling process of plastics is a lengthy procedure that includes selling, shipping, melting, and resolving & shipping again. Further, chemicals found in conventional plastics, such as bisphenol-A, phthalates, and polystyrene, are hazardous and can create toxic industrial waste. These factors impact the environmental conditions due to which stringent regulations are placed by various governments and regulatory bodies to minimize the use of plastics, which is anticipated to restrict the market growth.

Plastic Containers Market Segmentation Analysis

By Material Analysis

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Dominated the Market Due to its Preference from Packaging Consumers

Based on material, the market is segmented into Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), High-density Polyethylene (HDPE), Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE), and others. The PET segment is anticipated to remain dominant during the forecast period. PET is a lightweight and durable plastic resin. This form of polyester is closely similar to glass in transparency. It is preferred for packaging food products and beverages due to its barrier properties against water vapor, gases, oils, alcohols, and dilute acids.

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a sturdy, rigid, and durable resin. This material offers good stress or crack resistance and melt strength. The use of this resin in a mildly stiff impact-resistant bottle offers an excellent moisture barrier. The containers made from this material are mainly used in personal care, beverages, food, and chemical industries.

The growth of the polypropylene segment is attributed to its rising adoption from container manufacturers for pharmaceutical and consumer applications. Polypropylene properties including superior working temperature, and high tensile strength will drive the growth of this segment. The rising demand for LDPE containers that are squeezable and highly durable from pharmaceutical, and personal care & cosmetics industries will augment the segment growth.

By Container Type Analysis

Bottle & Jar Segment to be the Fastest-growing Container Type Owing to its Increasing Adoption in End-use Industries

In terms of container type, the market is segmented into bottles & jars, pails, tubs, cups & bowls, and others. The bottles & jars segment is the leading contributor to the market and is the fastest-growing container type. The demand for bottles & jars is increasing due to their use for packaging in pharmaceuticals, food, and beverage industries. Plastic bottles & jars are cost-effective, leakage-free, and lightweight. Hence, they are considered the best substitutes for metal and glass bottles & jars. Therefore, the increasing demand for bottles & jars from various industries will boost the growth of the market.

Pails are made up of high-density polyethylene and polypropylene. The demand for plastic pails is rising due to their excellent properties such as lightweight, chemical resistance, water resistance, and leakage-free. These properties are expected to surge the demand for plastic pails in the chemicals and paints industries. The use of tubs, cups & bowls for packaging of food products such as cheese, butter, yogurt, and other single use products will drive the segment growth.

By End-use Analysis

Higher Adoption of Plastic Containers by Beverages Industry to Enable Dominance of the Segment

Based on end-user, the market is classified into beverages, food, pharmaceuticals & cosmetics, FMCG, and others. Beverages segment is the leading end-use segment in the market. In this segment, containers are used in the form of bottles & jars. These containers ensure safety and longer shelf-life, protecting from leakage, moisture, and chemicals. The increasing demand for ready-to-drink beverages, including carbonated soft drinks, juices, and milk & dairy drinks has fueled the growth of plastic bottles around the globe. Hence, the growth in the beverage industry will lead to the demand for the product.

The significant plastic resins used in the pharmaceuticals & cosmetics industry are polyethylene and polypropylene. These resins are used to manufacture bottles, jars, and tubes. These containers are chemically inert and resistant to corrosion, which helps protect skincare and medicine products from chemicals and moisture and avoids leakage. Hence, growth in the pharmaceuticals & cosmetics industry will increase the demand for plastic containers.

The growth of the food segment is associated with the rising demand for convenience/packaged food owing to the busy work-life, and change in lifestyle choices. Further, increasing use of FMCG products by consumers will significantly raise the demand for plastic-based containers during the forecast period.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

The Asia Pacific region accounted for the highest revenue of USD 29.96 billion in 2023, in which China and India are the leading contributors. The growth in this region is attributed to the growing beverage industry, which further increases the demand for plastic bottles to preserve bottled water and carbonated drinks. The bottles used for beverages are primarily made up of polyethylene terephthalate material. Hence, rising consumer spending on carbonated beverages will surge this region's plastic containers market growth.

In North America, the U.S. is the leading contributor due to the growing food and pharmaceutical industry. In the food industry, majorly rigid plastic bottles & jars are used to protect food and beverages from leakage. In comparison, the product is mostly used in the pharmaceutical industry due to its lightweight and durable properties.

In Europe, the market is driven due to the growing FMCG and automotive industries. Many FMCG products, such as detergents, cleaners, and other products, are available in liquid forms in this region, and major premium car manufacturers are present in the region. Therefore, the demand for automotive fluids in the region is significantly high. Hence, there is rise in demand for the product for plastic packaging of automotive lubricants, oil, coolants, and other fluids.

The growth of the market in Latin America is associated with the beverage industry's growth. For example, the Brazilian beer market is the third largest across the globe, and the acquisition of Brasil Krin by Heineken has significantly surged the demand in the country.

The Middle East & Africa is the second-fastest-growing region in the market. The growth is associated with an expansion of the food & beverage industry in the region. Due to the scarcity of water in the region, consumers rely on packaged mineral water for their day-to-day needs. Hence, the demand for such containers will grow at a significant growth rate.

List of Key Companies in Plastic Containers Market

Diverse Portfolio and Core Focus of ALPLA to Propel the Company to a Leading Position

The market's competitive landscape depicts a fragmented market in which ALPLA is a leading player. A diversified product portfolio and constant innovations by the company to produce new plastic products are prominent factors responsible for the company's leading position.

However, Alpha Packaging, Amcor, Plastipak Packaging, and Consolidated Container Company are other key players in the market. This is projected to positively impact the global market as these companies are anticipated to gain market share during the forecast period. The ALPLA Group is investing funds in extrusion systems for food-grade recycled PET made of used PET bottles site in Italy. The company is installing an extrusion system for 15 KT of rPET a year at premises.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• ALPLA (Austria)


• Alpha Packaging (U.S.)


• Amcor (Switzerland)


• Plastipak Holdings, Inc. (U.S.)


• Graham Packaging Company (U.S.)


• Berry Global Inc. (U.S.)


• Greiner Packaging (Austria)


• Shanghai Zijiang Enterprise Group Co., Ltd (China)


• Visy Industries (Australia)


• Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Co., Ltd (China)


• Polycon Industries, Inc. (U.S.)


• KW Plastics (U.S.)


• Silgan Holdings, Inc. (U.S.)


• CKS Packaging, Inc. (U.S.)


• Altium Packaging (U.S.)


• Polytainers, Inc. (Canada)


• Airlite Plastics Co. (U.S.)


• Reynolds Consumer Products (U.S.)


• Consolidated Container Company (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• January 2024 – The ALPLA Group, announced the acquisition of the Puerto Rico based packaging specialist Fortiflex. The acquisition of Fortiflex is anticipated to help company strengthen its industrial division for large volume packaging solutions and expand its product line.


• May 2022 – The ALPLA Group, one of the leading packaging solutions & recycling company, has developed a novel returnable PET bottle along with Austria’s leading firm in the mineral water market, Vöslauer. The sustainable bottle is claimed to reduce carbon emissions by about 30% and weight of the bottle by nearly 90% compared to the its reusable glass substitute.


• January 2022 –VPET USA LLC of Fontana, Calif., a Graham Partners portfolio company, announced the acquisition of Canyon Plastics Inc., a California-based packaging molder. Canyon is a supplier of consumer-packaged goods, including vitamins, nutraceuticals, protein powders, and supplements and also has a growing range of dedicated engineered goods for the medical and aerospace & defense sectors.


• April 2021 – Alpha Packaging, a leading manufacturer and decorator of high-quality plastic bottles and jars, acquired Boxmore Plastics Limited. The acquisition of Boxmore supports Alpha’s geographic expansion strategy and strengthens the company's presence in the European market.


• May 2021 - Plastipak announced a key investment in recycling activities at a manufacturing site located in Spain. The recycling facility will transform PET flake into pellets of rPET, also called food-grade recycled PET, that can be apt for use in novel preforms, containers, and bottles. The recycling plant is expected to produce 20 KT of pellets annually and is anticipated to start production in 2022.


• April 2020 - Amcor launched OmniPack, which falls in the family of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles. This new launch will help the company to encounter the mounting demand for e-commerce-ready packaging.

REPORT COVERAGE

The report provides a detailed analysis of the market and focuses on key aspects such as leading companies, product types, and leading applications of the product. Besides this, the report offers insights into the market trends and highlights key industry developments. In addition to the aforementioned factors, the report encompasses several factors that have contributed to the growth of the market in recent years.

Report Scope & Segmentation