PE Films Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Global PE Film Market is expected to grow by registering a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period (2022-2027). The rising adoption of PE films across various sectors such as food & beverage, retail packaging, agriculture, and household is driving the growth of the studied market.

Key Highlights

• Polyethylene (PE) film is essentially a plastic film made primarily of hydrocarbons. The films are commonly used as a protective barrier in applications such as packaging, concrete & mortar, exterminating, and even pest control and waterproofing. As these films can be reused and can stand up to UV degradation for several years, they are extensively used for a number of household and commercial applications.
• The growth of the flexible packaging industry is significantly driving the growth of the studied market. For instance, as of August 2021, flexible packaging was the second largest packaging segment in the U.S., garnering about 19% of the USD 177 billion U.S. packaging market. (Source: Flexible Packaging Association (FPA))
• Food and beverage is another major industry wherein PE films are used extensively. For instance, in food & beverage industry, Polyethylene films are used for various applications such as packaging in-store products such as non-frozen baked products, fruits & vegetables, and tray covers for delivery of baked food products due to their low melting point.
• The increasing consumption of packaged food is supporting the growth of the studied market. For instance, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's advance estimates, U.S. retail and food services sales for April 2022 were USD 677.7 billion, an increase of 0.9 percent from the previous month and 8.2 percent above April 2021.
• However, with consumers and brands shifting more towards sustainability and environmental friendliness, the demand for sustainable packaging solutions such as paper and recyclable plastic films is expected to grow, which in turn will negatively impact the growth of the studied market.
• A significant impact of COVID-19 has been observed on the studied market, as the major end-users of polyethylene films such as packaging, food & beverages, automotive, and construction were negatively impacted due to various restrictions imposed by the governments to curb the spread of the virus. However, with the restrictions being lifted almost across every part of the world, the market is expected to regain traction during the forecast period.

Key Market Trends

Food & Beverage Industry to Hold Significant Market Share

• Food and beverage product manufacturers are increasingly adopting polyethylene-based flexible films because they offer distinct barrier properties that help with longer shelf life and better protection during the storage and transportation phase. Additionally, food-grade plastics must follow stringent, government-monitored manufacturing processes to ensure they are safe for food contact.
• Hence, the vendors are increasingly focusing on developing solutions to fulfill the above requirements. For instance, in July 2021, a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was introduced by Nova Chemicals. The resin enables the development of more recyclable polyethylene (PE) by offering an improved moisture barrier for multilayer flexible packaging. According to the company, the new resin delivers up to a 20% increase in water-vapor transmission performance in multilayer coextruded films, which increases the shelf life of packaged foods.
• The retail sales of food and beverage products have significantly impacted the demand for PE films. For instance, according to the US Census Bureau, the retail sales of food and beverage stores in the United States increased from USD 77,521 million in November 2021 to USD 84,629 million in December 2021.
• The growing demand also encourages the vendors to launch new products to serve the changing need of the food & beverage market. For instance, in May 2022, Walki Group launched several new products, including Lamibel MDO-PE, a film-based material for pillow pouches made of solvent-free laminated with low sealing LDPE and reverse printed MDO-film.

Asia Pacific to Register Significant Growth

• The rapid growth of sectors such as packaging, food & beverage, and construction is driving the demand for PE films in the region. The consumption of packaged and processed food has also increased significantly in the urban markets of the area. For instance, the food processing sector accounts for 32% of the entire food industry in India and is expected to reach USD 535 billion by 2025-26, according to IBEF.
• A similar trend has been observed in the food processing industry of other countries in the APAC region. For instance, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, the total production value of the Japanese food-processing sector amounted to USD 216.4 billion in 2021.
• PE films also play an essential role in the construction industry as they are used to cover specific spaces and protect valuable equipment and machinery. As the Asia Pacific region is witnessing a significant rise in construction activities with several regional governments focusing on upgrading their public infrastructure, the sector is expected to drive the growth of the studied market.
• For instance, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the construction sector's contribution to Vietnam's GDP amounted to 5.95 percent and 6.19 percent for 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Competitive Landscape

The Global PE Films Market is competitive, owing to the presence of several players operating their businesses within regional and international boundaries. Vendors operating in the market are broadly focusing on new product development and on expanding their footprint both on a local as well as a global scale. Some of the major players operating in the market include Amcor Flexibles, Berry Global Inc, Constantia Flexibles, and Sonoco Products Company.

• April 2022 - ExxonMobil announced the commercialization of its Exceed S performance polyethylene (PE) resins, which according to the company, requires less blending during processing and can offer simpler and lighter film formulations with the same durability for food, agricultural, and industrial applications.
• November 2021 - Reborn group, one of the leading packaging firm in France, announced that it is set to launch France’s first film de-inking line for polyethylene (PE) films at its site in Ogeu-les-Bains. With its new de-inking line, the company will seek to address the challenge of printing inks in the plastic film recycling process.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

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