Cold Chain Packaging Market Report 2026

The cold chain packaging market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $35.56 billion in 2025 to $40.75 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of global food trade, growth in pharmaceutical logistics, increasing demand for perishable goods transport, adoption of insulated packaging solutions, rising regulatory compliance requirements.

The cold chain packaging market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $70.69 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.8%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing biologics and vaccine distribution, rising demand for last-mile cold chain solutions, expansion of e-commerce grocery delivery, growing use of smart tracking technologies, increasing focus on carbon footprint reduction. Major trends in the forecast period include growing adoption of sustainable insulated packaging materials, rising integration of temperature monitoring labels, expansion of pharmaceutical cold chain solutions, increasing demand for reusable cold chain packaging, enhanced focus on temperature compliance.

Rising food waste and spoilage are expected to drive the growth of the cold chain packaging market in the coming years. Food waste and spoilage refer to the loss of food products due to factors such as deterioration, mishandling, or expiration. Cold chain packaging preserves the quality and freshness of food by maintaining optimal temperatures during storage and transportation. For example, according to Eurostat, a Luxembourg-based statistical office of the EU, the European Union generated 58.2 million tonnes of food waste in 2023, up 0.7% from 57.8 million tonnes in 2022, averaging around 130 kg per person. Therefore, the increasing incidence of food waste and spoilage is driving demand for cold chain packaging.

Key players in the cold chain packaging market are focusing on developing advanced cryogenic shipping systems to maintain product integrity, improve transport efficiency, and support the growing use of temperature-sensitive biologics, as well as cell and gene therapies. Cryogenic shipping systems are specialized containers designed to maintain ultra-low temperatures during transit, ensuring the stability of sensitive materials. For instance, in January 2025, Cryoport, Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer of cryogenic storage and shipping solutions, launched a high-volume cryogenic shipping system with a unique rectilinear design that eliminates the need for palletization and allows transport on narrow-bodied aircraft. The system provides enhanced payload protection, improved handling resilience, and extra space for non-temperature-sensitive accessories and documentation. Its stackable and nestable configuration increases storage efficiency and reduces logistics costs. Fully compliant with airline standards, the system features integrated condition and location monitoring to ensure end-to-end Chain of Compliance. Additional features such as robust wheels, a front-facing handle, scalable storage compatibility, and a vibration-minimizing mechanism support the safe transport of fragile cell and gene therapies, improving patient access and operational efficiency across manufacturing, clinical, and point-of-care environments.

In October 2024, Cold Chain Technologies (CCT), a U.S.-based provider of advanced thermal packaging, acquired Tower Cold Chain for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition aims to expand CCT’s product portfolio and enhance its global service network, strengthening its leadership in temperature-controlled packaging and sustainable thermal engineering. Tower Cold Chain, based in the UK, provides advanced passive reusable thermal packaging solutions for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical clients.

Major companies operating in the cold chain packaging market are Cold Chain Technologies Inc., Cryopak Industries Inc., Sofrigam Company, CCL Industries Inc., Sealed Air Corporation, Pelican BioThermal LLC, Sonoco Thermosafe, Intelsius a DGP Company, Softbox Systems Ltd., Envirotainer AB, Inmark Packaging, Tempack Packaging Solutions S.L., ACH Foam Technologies LLC, American Aerogel Corporation, Cold Ice Inc., Davis Core & Pad Co., DuPont de Nemours Inc., Exeltainer S.L., Insulated Products Corporation, Laminar Medica Limited, NanoCool LLC, Polar Tech Industries Inc., Protek Cargo, Saeplast Americas Inc., SkyCell AG, Snyder Industries Inc., TKT GmbH, World Courier, va-Q-tec AG.

Western Europe was the largest region in the cold chain packaging market in 2025. The regions covered in the cold chain packaging market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the cold chain packaging market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The cold chain packaging market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing packaging services such as active, passive and hybrid packaging services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The cold chain packaging market also includes sales of vacuum insulated panels which are used in providing packaging services. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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