Middle East and Africa Personal Care Packaging Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact and Forecast(2022 - 2027)

The Middle East and Africa Personal Care Packaging Market is expecetd to register a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period (2021-2026). Factors like changing consumer lifestyle, increasing importance of packaging, rapid urbanization, and advancing packaging technology are aiding the growth of the personal care packaging market.

Key Highlights

• An increased focus on natural skincare treatments, non-invasive beauty procedures, and the growing influence of beauty and lifestyle bloggers has contributed to steady growth in the UAE’s personal care sector. Many experts opine the upswing in the UAE’s personal care segment is fueled by the lifestyle that it is associated with. Medical specialists recommend proper skincare and personal care products to both genders, especially in the harsh climate of the UAE. Consumers in the UAE have a wide variety of choices in terms of cosmetics and fragrances. Hence, to capture the maximum market share and enhance their market presence, the cosmetics and fragrances companies are enhancing their packaging with a variety of materials, some of which are designed for sustainability. For instance, Hammamii, a UAE-made luxury spa brand, has adopted eco-friendly and recyclable packaging for its bags, bottles, and jars. Also, Camel Soap Factory, which is also UAE-based, has adopted environment-friendly packaging for its products, which are handmade from camel milk, olive oil, and beeswax.
• The cosmetics industry is gradually stepping up to combat the major problem of excess packaging, with multiple brands becoming more aware of the damage caused by the usage of single-use plastic. Eco-friendly beauty brands are now letting users refill their empty shampoo and perfume bottles-for instance, Le Labo’s hand-blended fragrances and cult-favorite Santal 33. The product is bottled in a clear glass jar with pared-back labels; the product comes packaged in a recyclable cardboard box. The brand is also offering an in-store service that enables its users to refill their empty fragrance bottles for a maximum discount of up to 20%.
• Moreover, in Mar 2020, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD), which is the largest environmental regulator in the Middle East, announced that it aims to eliminate the usage of avoidable single-use plastic and non-plastic materials by 2021 through fostering a culture of recycling and re-use. Owing to the recent outbreak of coronavirus, effective handwashing and the usage of hand sanitizer in community settings are strongly recommended as the most important measures to avoid the transmission of COVID-19.
• Saudi Arabia is the largest market for cosmetic products in the Middle East and Africa, owing to the increasing spending powers and ability of women in the region. The country has depicted one of the highest rates of consumption of cosmetics in the MEA region and is also dominating the consumption of skin and hair care products. Consumers in Saudi Arabia are inclined toward spending large sums on their personal appearance, which is expected to supplement the growth of the cosmetic industry, hence, in turn, increasing the demand for personal care goods packaging in the country.
• According to a publication by Zawaya in July 2020, Saudi women are the biggest spenders for beauty and personal care products globally, who rack up USD 909 (3,350 UAE dirhams) in yearly bills. The increasing adoption of personal care products due to the increase in disposable income in the country is further expected to stimulate the value of the aesthetic value of these products. Also, the increasing penetration of social media and e-commerce websites in the country is increasing the demand for personal goods products, hence, stimulating the adoption of personal care product packaging.

Key Market Trends

The Skincare Segment is Expected to Drive the Market

• Packaging for skincare must accommodate the wide range of products within the category, which all have different formats and dispensing requirements. There are thick clay cleansers in tubes and jars filled with “whipped” masks or gel moisturizers, in addition to typical face lotions and eye creams. Face serums and oils continue to trend as well, fueling the continuing demand for dropper bottles. For instance, Albea packaging, one of the largest cosmetic packaging wholesalers, makes soft shape screw caps for tubes. This cosmetic cap is the ideal solution for all skincare products. They communicate the softness of the formula due to the rounded edges of the cap.
• Further, technological advancements, such as airless skincare packaging and 3-D printing technology, and fully recyclable packaging, are driving skincare packaging sales. Advanced printing technologies, such as hot-stamp foil printing and flexo-offset printing, are enabling manufacturers to offer innovative and eye-catching skincare packaging for their cosmetics.
• In October 2020, Origins, a global skincare brand, and its parent company, The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), announced a strategic partnership with global chemical industry company SABIC and strategic beauty packaging manufacturer Albéa to bring an advanced recycled tube package to market in 2021.
• Further, the body care industry is witnessing a steady growth in packaging from soap bricks to a more hygienic and convenient option of body washes. This segment is also competing with hair care, hand wash, and sanitizing product packaging. For instance, the packaging of pears shower gel is unique and is designed for the real utility of the product. The shower gel bottle is transparent and has an oval shape with hanging support provided at the top. In terms of dispensing, the hook allows the Pears bottle to hang from the wall for easy use in the shower. The material used for the bottle is PET with an inverted orientation
• In the wake of the recent coronavirus outbreak, the demand for soaps and sanitizers is observing significant growth, and cosmetic vendors are increasingly marketing their products with inner well-being tags. In Apr 2020, African e-commerce major Jumia re-worked its online portal in the country to provide essential items during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, working with Reckitt Benckiser and Proctor & Gamble on the project. Fragrances and color cosmetics and were not considered essential by the government during the lockdown; however, personal hygiene products, such as skincare, hair care, and deodorants, as well as sanitary items, were considered essential.

Plastic Segment is Expected to Hold a Major Market Share

• Plastic is a prominent material used for packaging personal care products due to its low cost, lightweight, flexibility, durability, and other factors. For personal care products, plastics are a material of choice for manufacturing shatterproof and "no-spill" bottles, jars, tubes, caps, and closures. According to the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), at 61% market share, plastic packaging, such as bottles, jars, compacts, and tubes, dominate in beauty and other personal care products, where bottles are the most commonly used containers, accounting for 30% of the market.
• The most common type of plastic used for personal care product containers is PP plastics. However, these can also come in a more affordable PET plastic or higher-end acrylic plastic. Acrylic plastic is usually clear and resembles glass. This type of material has an advantage over glass as it is not prone to breakage.
• Also, tubular packaging has long been favored by design experts seeking to capitalize on tubes' convenience and portability to hold cosmetics and other personal care items. For instance, Vaseline Jelly's introduction in a flip-cap jar and Dove's Advanced Hair Series Dry Oil Shampoo in a squeezable plastic tube in the United Arab Emirates facilitated convenient usage.
• Further, In October 2020, Unilever moved Dove to 100% recycled plastic bottles to address plastic waste through a combination of alternative packaging materials, In a move that will reduce more than 20,500 tonnes of virgin plastic from its portfolio per year. In addition, various plastic bottle packaging providers are innovating with their offerings and materials used in their products. For instance, Berry Global Inc. recently introduced a 100% recyclable BioPET bottle designed for beauty products.
• Numerous cosmetic vendors in the market are testing refillable solutions for offering their products and testing the feasibility of such initiatives to reduce plastic use further. For instance, P&G is testing refillable Olay moisturizer packs. These containers can be purchased from their website, and the company will ship the moisturizer pod to the customer to be filled in the jar.

Competitive Landscape

The Middle East and Africa Personal Care Packaging Market is competitive because of the presence of many players running their business in national and international boundaries. The market is mildly concentrated with the presence of major players like Alpla, AMCOR Limited, Bemis Company Inc., Mondi Group, Rexam, Winpak Ltd, and others.

• March 2021 - Amcor announced that it is joining the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (the Alliance). Amcor and the Alliance share the belief that collaboration and collective action are critical to eliminating plastic waste. Alliance membership also aligns with Amcor’s 2025 Sustainability Pledge to develop all its packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025.
• January 2021 - Albea S.A. launched a new range of Basic Cap flip-top caps in 100% PE version, which comes as an addition to the range of single-material tube solutions. The entire packaging is processed into PE recycled plastic granules ready to be reused for other applications. The Slim Cap PE is one of the lightest caps on the market.
• July 2020 -AptarGroup launched two new products, Micro ECO and Mezzo ECO, and expanded their airless line with these two post-consumer resin-based products. These two products comprise up to 45% PCR in the combined components and are certified by Cotrep for eco-design.

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• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
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