Italy Plastic Packaging Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)

The Italy Plastic Packaging market was expected to register a CAGR of 2.5% during the forecast period (2021-2026). The COVID-19 pandemic provided significant relief to the plastic packaging vendors. Although many countries were slowly banning such packaging and promoting reusable packaging, the outbreak changed the consumers’ and governments’ behavior toward them. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the demand for nutritional drinks and healthy food increased exponentially. The majority of these products are packaged with single-use plastic. The orders were so huge on a global level that the manufacturers and packaging companies in the field even expanded their facilities, which was also supported by most of the governments.

Key Highlights

• Since the launch of the Plastics 2030 - Voluntary Commitment, the plastics industry in the region is moving beyond its targets to implement the European Plastics Strategy. The strategy is primarily focused on setting up value chain-oriented platforms for specific plastics to advance recycling rates and improve resource efficiency.
• The material reduction in the blow-molded PET containers is driven by cost reduction (material and transportation) and the increasing consumer demand for sustainable packaging. In Europe, there is a significant latent potential for the barrier PET bottles in wine, beer, and specialty alcoholic beverages where the penetration of plastic bottles is very low.
• In Italy, oral care is gaining benefits from rising consumer consciousness related to the importance of preventing oral problems and proper oral hygiene. This is increasing the export and import volumes of oral care products in Italy, causing growth in the usage of Italian consumers and the approval of Italian products by global consumers.
• About 76.3% of the respondents/patients suffering from diabetes in Italy said they brush their teeth after each meal (as per the data published by FAND (Associazione Italiana Diabetic)). These factors are expected to increase the usage of toothpaste in the country. This is anticipated to increase the demand for plastic packaging in oral care products.

Key Market Trends

Food and Beverage Industry is one of the Significant Factor for Growth of Plastic Packaging

• The changing lifestyle of the consumer is resulting in increased demand for ready-to-eat foods. According to the industry forecasts, revenue from the ready-to-eat (RTE) food segment is expected to amount to USD 83,849 million in 2020. The rise of RTE and grab-and-go meals are expected to shape the future of the region’s food packaging trends.
• Moreover, the preference for processed and packaged foods has propelled the food packaging market in the region, due to the rapidly developing lifestyles and economic growth. The main reason for the increasing preference for processed food is the shifting population dynamics toward urban centers from rural areas.
• Many of the leading brands in Europe have a variety of fruit and sweet-flavored non-alcoholic beverages, and these are the most popular products. Besides, the EMA has introduced an initiative that encourages manufacturers to cut salt, sugar, and fat content in food and beverages. Companies that have pledged to follow this include Mars and Nestle.
• However, Suntory, the beverage giant in the region, has pledged to eliminate virgin plastics, such as fossil-fuel-based plastics from its packaging portfolio, by 2030. Such initiatives from other industry players may limit the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Bottles are observing significant Increase

• Among the most commonly used types of beverage bottles are bottles made from plastics for single use. Plastics are used for producing some of the most common types of beverage bottles. According to Plastic Soup Foundation, 2020, it has been estimated that about one million plastic bottles are sold every minute across the world.
• PET plastic bottles have numerous advantages for the products being stored as well as for the consumers. PET packaging consumes significantly less energy and natural resources during the manufacturing process compared to glass packaging production. This includes fossil fuels and water. PET plastic does not break or shatter like glass which makes it
• PET is a popular choice for plastic bottles due to its good strength-to-weight ratio, cost reduction, transportation savings compared to glass counterparts, and its safety and reliability for consumer products. Considering the manufacturing process, PET is engineered to be a strong yet pliable material that enables its use in different types of plastic bottles.
• PET creates a strong barrier with the external environment enabling little to no oxygen passthrough. Also, it does not react with water or food, making it suitable for packaging consumable goods. PET can be molded into a variety of shapes at a lower cost than glass, which allows brands to have a distinctive packing design to identify and promote their products and help stand out on the store shelf

Competitive Landscape

As the demand for plastic packaging has been increasing significantly in the Italy region, the market is mildly concentrated with the presence of major players like Amcor, Coveris Holding, Berry Global, Sealed Air Corporation, Constantia Flexibles, among others.

• March 2021 - A partner for the maintenance, repair, and handling of passive bulk temperature-controlled containers at several key locations was announced by Sonoco ThermoSafe, a Sonoco unit provider of temperature-assured packaging solutions, and Unilode Aviation Solutions, a company dealing with outsourced unit load management and repair services.
• June 2021 -Constantia Flexibles announced the completion of its acquisition of Propak and welcome Constantia Propak to its global network. Constantia Propak will provide a natural fit to Constantia Flexibles' packaging solutions offering, as one of the main competitors in the European snacking industry operating out of a single factory in Dücze. Constantia Flexibles is now a major participant in the European snack sector as a result of this acquisition.

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