Rigid Plastic Packaging in Western Europe

Rigid plastic is one of the most important packaging types across Western Europe, heavily used in many industries. It continues to be valued for the protection it offers products with its strength and rigidity as well as its resistance to chemicals. Further growth seems assured, particularly as legislation, industry players and packaging companies continue to drive the development and use of recycled and recyclable rigid plastic packaging types.

The Rigid Plastic Packaging in Western Europe global briefing offers an insight into to the size and shape of the packaging market, highlights the effect of emerging geographies, categories and consumer trends on the packaging landscape. It identifies the leading pack types, offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the packaging market - be they packaging innovations, consumption growth, category switching, economic/lifestyle influences, legislation or environmental issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change and criteria for success.

Key Findings

Slight dip in demand in 2022, but sales still well above pre-pandemic levels

Although the unit volumes of rigid plastic used in Western Europe showed a small decline in 2022, retail sales over the 2017-2022 period as a whole recorded positive growth, helped by a spike in demand in 2020 when lockdowns and foodservice closures pushed more consumption into consumers’ homes.

PET bottles and thin wall plastic containers dominate rigid plastic

PET bottles and thin wall containers continue to be the leading pack types in rigid plastic packaging. Both pack types were recording growth over 2017-2022 and, by the end of this period, were accounting for almost identical near 40% shares of overall rigid plastic packaging unit volumes, with rigid plastic, in turn, making up almost a third of overall packaging sales.

Trend towards smaller pack sizes for on-the-go and impulse purchases resumes post-pandemic

The post-pandemic period has generally been seeing a return to smaller pack sizes as consumers resume their busy lifestyles, boosting demand for on-the-go packaging solutions. During the pandemic, with consumers spending more time at home, larger pack sizes benefited with more cooking and snacking in the domestic environment as well as shoppers trying to avoid too many visits to physical grocery stores,

Continued “greening” of rigid plastic packaging a must

Consumer demand and the regulatory environment are expected to continue driving the trend towards more sustainable rigid plastic packaging. The usage of rPET continues to grow, even if shortfalls in the available capacity of recycled resins has been slowing this growth to some extent, while collection and recycling systems are being put in place in increasing numbers of countries, with Germany something of a blueprint for others to follow in this regard.

Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.

Why buy this report?

• Get a detailed picture of the Packaging market
• Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change
• Understand the competitive environment, the market’s major players and leading brands
• Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.