Rigid Plastic Packaging Market Size, Share & Industry | 2031

Report Description

The global rigid plastic packaging market size was valued at around USD 279.80 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 451.09 billion by 2031, expanding at a CAGR of around 5.45% during the forecast period, 2023 – 2031. The growth of the market is attributed to the growing demand and consumption for rigid plastic packaging solutions across diverse end-user companies.

Rigid plastic packaging is a type of packaging technique of plastic materials. Rigid packaging is usually made from dense and thick materials, especially designed with no elastic deformation. As a result, it has a relatively inflexible form and a perfect plastic deformation.

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The rigid packaging technique involves utilization of materials such as bio-based polymers, synthetic polymers including polyethylene terephthalate, HDPE, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, and expanded polystyrene. Rigid plastic packaging has various advantages. It is highly protective in nature and provides resistance against the heat and other barriers.

Rigid plastic packaging keeps the shelf contents safe and secure. Being made from hard materials, rigid packaging offers superior product protection. Moreover, the rigid packaging solutions are lightweight and durable than other types of packaging. 

Thermoformed plastics, for example, are resistant to outside debris, keeping the product without being damaged. Moreover, rigid packaging can be molded in virtually-unlimited shapes. With thermoforming molds, rigid plastics are molded into variety of options, whether it is small or large.  

Additionally, rigid plastic packaging has advanced features and has the potential for recycling. As rigid plastic packaging embraces sustainability and cost-efficiency, this packaging technique is widely adopted in the packaging of bottles & jars, clamshells, blister packs, trays, caps & closures, tubs, cups, pots, rigid bulk products, and others.

These packaging techniques are widely used to produce trays, containers, boxes, cases, and other plastic packages. Plastic is a highly preferred material in the packaging industry, owing to its visual appeal and durability. Rigid plastic packaging provides unique benefits such as high impact strength, high barrier properties, and stiffness, and it is a boon for the market. 

Though rigid packaging has existed for many decades, it continues to evolve to meet the requirements of the changing consumer landscape. Rigid plastics are recyclable and more environment-friendly than flexible packaging. Rigid plastics such as PET and HDPE can be directly dumped into a recycling bin. In addition, increasing applications of rigid plastic packaging in various end-use industries is contributing to its market growth.

COVID-19 Impact

The global rigid plastic packaging market has a mixed economy, due to the COVID-19 situation. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has affected the market in both positive and negative ways. Surging COVID-19 confirmed cases across the globe have harshly affected various economies, including business enterprises and manufacturing firms.

Several restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 situation had a huge impact on the rigid plastic packaging market. The demand for packaging products is expected to decrease by 10–20% across various categories, due to the impact of COVID-19. The pandemic situation poses great challenges to the major players, as there is disruption of the supply chain.

The decline in the production of rigid plastic material for packaging influenced the slowdown of the market. Additionally, economies of each end-user industry are affected, leading to slowdown of activities across the sectors that use rigid plastic packaging. However, increasing demand for high-quality packaged products during the pandemic is likely to boost the market.

The personal and healthcare manufacturing companies registered a spike, especially HDPE containers, pumps, and pharmaceutical bottles during the COVID-19 period. As a result, demand for packaging products increased, which in turn, led to high adoption of rigid plastic materials for packaging. The growing demand for superior packages across the food and beverages industries is further enhancing the market growth. 

However, demand from the non-essential industries is declining gradually and hence major manufacturing companies are moving to essential packaging capacities over non-essential packaging in order to keep their businesses running amid the ongoing pandemic.

Regional label companies who do not cater to essential items including food and healthcare industries registered a decline in the sales, owing to shutdown of the markets across the globe. However, key global players such as Avery Dennison and CCL Labels keep going their business operations with a focus on essential business such as healthcare and food with priority.

Therefore, key global players in the rigid plastic packaging market are effortlessly contributing in extending their production capacity in order to increase demand and gain a competitive edge after the COVID-19 breakdown.

Rigid Plastic Packaging Market Dynamics

The rigid plastic packaging market report presents a complete overview of market dynamics by focusing on the market trends, existing drivers, growth opportunities, and emerging challenges that can shape the outcome or overall performance of the market during the forecast period, 2022 to 2030.

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Major Trends:

Rigid plastic packaging solutions for e-commerce retails item packaging is a major market trend.

The e-commerce retail markets registered robust growth over the past few years, owing to the rapid digital technological advancement across the globe. The blooming e-commerce retail markets contributed to the growth of the packaging market, as there is increasing demand for packaging of diverse items as it offers superior protection against the outside barriers. 

Key Drivers:

Growing demand for rigid plastic packaging across the healthcare manufacturing industries contributes to the market growth

Plastic-based packaging has gained significant popularity over the years. It has been served as the best choice of material for packaging industries. In fact, adoption of plastic packaging is increasingly growing at a rapid pace, owing to its increasing demand across diverse industries.

This, in turn, influence the demand for rigid plastic packaging solutions, owing to its several benefits such as superior protection, lightweight, durability, clarity, and cleanliness. They have extensive usage in various packaging applications, as they are made from bio-based materials and hence they are a green sustainable solution.

Rigid plastic packaging finds extensive demand across healthcare sectors, and is a key driver in the global rigid plastic packaging market. Business enterprises in the healthcare industries adopted rigid packaging solutions, as it provides better protection to the contents from temperature fluctuations, bursting, shock, and puncture. 

Additionally, international regulatory criteria and stringent government regulations for safety must be met by pharmaceutical manufacturing companies. Amid the impact of Covid-19, there has been a high demand for medical supplies, leading to adoption of reclosable packaging options for healthcare products.

Manufacturers are increasingly contributing to meet the requirements for production capabilities and are frequently using thermoformed packaging, which is a cost-efficient solution for pharmaceutical products packaging.

The global rigid plastic packaging market has marked significant growth, as it is the one of the best options to avoid the risk of contamination while handling and storing the products. Therefore, the intense demand for healthcare products opens up several growth opportunities for the rigid plastic packaging market expansion.

Sustainability in rigid plastic packaging aids the market expansion

Rising environmental consciousness among the consumers drives the demand for rigid plastic packaging solution. The rigid packaging solutions are often made from the bio-based materials which can easily break down in the environment and hence are eco-friendly. These packaging solutions such as PET bottles and HDPE milk bottles have witnessed significant recycling rates. 

The reuse and recycling of rigid plastic packaging decreases the consumption of raw materials, which in turn, reduces the water and air pollution. As a result, it helps in the reduction of greenhouse gases and emission of CO2. 

These sustainable rigid plastic packaging technology with its advance recyclable standards are an important future market trend. Due to the alarming rate of environmental problems, rising environmental concerns across the globe have paved the way for the adoption of rigid plastic packaging, leading to rapid expansion of the market globally.

Extensive usage of rigid plastic packaging solution in cosmetics & personal care industry influence the market expansion

Rigid plastic packaging is highly demanded from the cosmetics & personal care manufacturing companies. Manufacturers use tamper-evident rigid packaging technology for the packaging of products such as skin care products, body care, oral care products, sun care, decorative cosmetics products, perfume toiletries, hair care, and others.

In Thailand, for instance, the beauty and personal care industries accounted for USD 4.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach a CAGR of 5.4% by 2025. Rigid plastic packaging provides superior protection and longer shelf life of the contents. This extensive usage and surging demand across the cosmetics & personal care industry for rigid plastic packages is contributing to the market growth, which in turn, influenced the market expansion.

Existing Challenges:

Stringent regulations imposed by many governments poses limitation to the rigid plastic packaging market

Governments in most developing countries imposed stringent regulations for plastic packaging industries with rising environment protection. In compliance with the regulations, it ensures the use of biodegradable material while prohibiting the manufacturing firms from procuring the raw materials that do not meet the requirements of environmental standards. These regulations pose challenges to the major market players.  

High cost of raw material is a great challenge to the market growth

The biodegradable packaging material cost higher and are more expensive than the non-biodegradable counterparts including petrochemical packaging. It raises the production and overall operational expenses of the rigid plastic packages. This high investment on raw materials is a key challenge faced by various manufacturing companies, which in turn, is limiting the market growth.

Additionally, fluctuation and uncertainties in the raw material prices is likely to hamper the market value. In both consumer and industrial settings, raw materials such as paper, board, polymer, glass, steel, and aluminum are used. The key material suppliers are majorly large enterprises. Usually, they have the power to control the prices. When they increase prices, it leads to an increase in the input prices of raw materials. 

Emerging Opportunities

Rising research and development activities and increased investment provide growth prospects for the global rigid plastic packaging market

Increasing research and development within the rigid packaging solution industries is a key opportunity for the market growth. Manufacturing companies are effortlessly endeavoring to increase their production capabilities.

Rising collaborations and partnerships across the prominent vendors ensure advancements in terms of technologies and product innovations and these factors are providing more investment opportunities for market players. Governments that provide favorable initiatives and ongoing product launches are further boosting the market.

Additionally, surging demand from emerging economies such as China and India, with presence of numerous industries coupled with new innovations, open up several growth opportunities for rigid plastic packaging around the world.

Change in lifestyle creates market opportunities

Rising disposable incomes and growing working women population, especially in urban places, shapes a better lifestyle among the population. This led to the demand and extensive consumption of on-the-go products and packaged goods, which influences the global rigid plastic packaging market.

Increased packaged goods from the emerging markets provides high growth potential

Rising disposable incomes and busy urban lifestyle is associated with intense demand for packaged goods in the emerging markets, including China, India, Brazil, Middle East, and others. A spike in customized packaging in compliance of end-user specification in these markets further provides higher growth potential for the market.

Scope of Rigid Plastic Packaging Market Report

The report on the global rigid plastic packaging market includes an assessment of the market, trends, segments, and regional markets. Overview and dynamics have also been included in the report.

Rigid Plastic Packaging Market Segment Insights

The bottles & jars segment registers a major market share 

Based on types, the global rigid plastic packaging market is categorized as bottles & jars, clamshells, IBCs, blister packs, trays, caps & closures, tubs, cups, pots, rigid bulk products, and others. The bottles & jars segment registers a major market share and is expected to remain dominant in the coming years.

The growth in the segment is fueled by extensive usage of rigid bottles & jars for the packaging of beverages, chemicals, and cosmetics items. Huge demand across these end-user industries influences the market growth. It is also utilized in the packaging of various products such as soft drinks, water cans, juices, personal care products, home care products, food items, and pharmaceutical products.

Most of these rigid bottles & jars are made from PET, HDPE, PP, PS, PVC, and PE. Increasing consumption levels with rising disposable incomes and growing numerous industrial sectors had a positive influence, leading to the growth of the segment.

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Polyethylene terephthalate segment holds a large market share of 70.1% in terms of market revenue

On the basis of  materials, the global rigid plastic packaging market is segmented into bio-based polymers, synthetic polymers polyethylene terephthalate, HDPE, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, and expanded polystyrene.

The polyethylene terephthalate segment holds a large market share of 70.1% in terms of market revenue. Polyethylene terephthalate is a thermoplastic polymer resin, especially combined with glass fiber for engineering resins, fibers for clothing, thermoforming for manufacturing, and containers for foods and beverages.

The high- density polyethylene, produced by medium or low-pressure method, is widely adopted in the plastic packaging industry. PET are ideal commercial polymers for the packaging of automotive parts and electronics among others. it offers unique benefits over other counterparts as it has the reusuable and recycling potentials.

For instance, it is used in the production of food cans, soft drink cans, aerosol containers, and tubes. PET has high recycling rate and can be converted into fibers, sheets for manufacturing, and fabrics. All these aforementioned factors pushes the growth of polyethylene terephthalate segment in the global rigid plastic packaging market across the globe.

Extrusion segment accounted for major market share

Based on the manufacturing processes, the global rigid plastic packaging market is fragmented as extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, and thermoforming. The extrusion segment accounted for a major market share and is expected to lead the rigid plastic packaging market during the forecast period, 2022-2030.

The extrusion process provides various advantages, such cost-efficiency in the overall operations, including raw materials and disposal costs, which are much lower as compared to other molding processes. These processes are often opted for the thermoplastics materials that undergo processes such as melting, molding, and hardening operations in a repeated manner.

Additionally, the process further accommodates a wide range of die profiles, that allows the manufacturers to create parts and products including varieties of simple to highly complex continuous cross-sections products.

The extrusion technique is frequently adopted for making tubes and hollow pipes. It is further used in automotive industries to produce windows, doors, and frames. Extrusion is again applied in the production of plastic objects. All these factors are a major driving force for the growth of the segment.

Food & beverages segment remained the most dominant share

On the basis of applications, the global rigid plastic packaging market is divided into food & beverages, healthcare, homecare, cosmetics & personal care, toiletries, industrial packaging, e-commerce retails, and others. The food & beverages segment remained the most dominant share in the market revenue in 2021 and is anticipated to expand at a high CAGR during the forecast period.

The increasing consumption of rigid packaging in food industries is contributing to the market growth. Increasing popularity and consumption of convenience packaged foods items and frozen foods across the globe create beneficial opportunities for major players. Changing lifestyles and rising health-conscious consumer across the globe led to increase in spending on high quality food items, which in turn, raise the demand for rigid packaging material.

This further influence the sales of these lightweight rigid plastic packages for packaging of food items such as bread, ready-to-eat foods, dairy products, poultry & seafood, and packaged goods. Growing consumption of these essential items in both developing and underdeveloped countries contributes to the growth of the global rigid plastic packaging market to a great extent.

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Asia Pacific registered robust growth and a high market value in 2021

In terms of regions, the global rigid plastic packaging market is classified as Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. The market in Asia Pacific registered robust growth and a high market value in 2021. It is anticipated to expand the market at a high CAGR of 6.4%, during the forecast period, 2022-2030 in the global rigid plastic packaging market. In fact, China has been the leading market for rigid plastic packaging in Asia Pacific.

Emerging markets in the region, especially China and India, with high population coupled with numerous emerging markets, are the prime reasons for the growth of the global rigid plastic packaging solutions. Rapid globalization and industrialization influence the blooming number of manufacturing industries, leading to high demand for plastic packages and components.

Rising number of convenience food firms, increasing consumption level, and growing e-commerce retails create growth potential in the region. Therefore, increasing demand across diverse end-user industries for rigid plastic packing techniques is aiding the market growth. Additionally, rising awareness on global environment protection issues and increasing benefits of sustainable and reusable products for packaging boost the market in the region.

Some of the major operating players in the region are DS Smith Plc, Berry Plastics Corporation, MeadWestvaco Corporation, BASF SE, Reynold Group Holdings Limited, Holmen AB, Georgia-Pacific LLC Amcor Limited, The Dow Chemical Company, Sealed Air Corporation, and RESILUX NV.

The market in Asia Pacific is followed by North America as the second fastest growing region and is projected to reach a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period. Growth of the market in North America is attributed to the tremendous shift of customers towards reusable sustainable packaging solutions, which increased the demand for recycled plastics such as LDPE.  Growing demand for packed food is a key driving factor for the growth of the rigid plastic packaging market in the region.

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