1.1 Definition and presentation

Plastic packaging is ubiquitous in the retail sector and is used to display, store, and transport consumer products such as cosmetics, food products (fruits and vegetables, meat, etc.), and cleaning products.

Along with cardboard packaging, which is being developed mainly due to e-commerce, plastic packaging has become indispensable due to its versatility, which allows for the production of packaging of different rigidity, transparency and complexity.

Estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars, the global plastic packaging market is expected to grow between 2021 and 2028 at a compound annual growth rate of 4.2 percent, driven by the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. The growth of the modern retail sector, as well as the acceleration of e-commerce, particularly in emerging economies, is supporting the growth of the plastic packaging market.

In Italy, although plastic packaging accounts for only 20 percent of volume production, it covers more than half of the packaging industry's sales. In 2019, the growth of the plastic packaging sector was 2.6 percent, led mainly by the food sector. In fact, 74.5 percent of plastic packaging was for food and beverage. Moreover, major manufacturers such as Sealed Air, Gualapack or Goglio have food and beverage packaging as their common denominator. However, contrary to the global trend, only 3.8 percent of production is for pharmaceutical use.

The Covid 19 health crisis has had a positive impact on plastic packaging production. In fact, the dietary changes of Italian consumers have led them to consume more packaged products rather than choose bulk foods, driven by the fear of contamination. In addition to food, the e-commerce sector is also driven by demand for plastic packaging, including for health reasons. Finally, the pandemic is also driving the use of non-reusable plastic to limit the risk of infection, which also fuels demand for plastic packaging.

1.2 World market

The world market for plastic packaging continues to grow as people increasingly opt for this material since it is durable, manageable, and lightweight.

The global plastic market has been valued at $*** billion in ****, and it is estimated that it will continue to grow at a CAGR of * percent over the period ...

1.3 Italian market

According to the Italian Institute of Packaging, Italy produced *,*** tons of plastic packaging in ****. In ****, the plastic packaging sector will see a production decline of around -*% from the previous year. The negative trend of the manufacturing industry has greatly influenced this. However, since plastics are widely used in the food ...

1.4 Import and Export

According to the Italian Packaging Institute, as far as foreign trade is concerned, in ****, there is a growth in imports (***): **.*% of exports find their way to European countries, **.*% of empty plastic packaging comes from the same area. Estimates for the industry's turnover see a decline around * percent.

According to UN Comtrade, ...

1.5 Impact of Covid

The global plastics industry has been the quickest and most dynamic in responding to the effects of the Covid-** pandemic. The packaging market has grown due to increased e-commerce by consumers.

Plastic packaging has grown due to :

E-commerce due to store closures and restrictions and lockdowns during the pandemic. has increased ...

2.1 Question in Italy

Plastic packaging due to its versatility can be used for different types of food and non-food products. However,in Italy, the main area of use remains food: in ****, **.*% of plastic packaging was for food and beverage packaging (***). On the other hand, **.* percent includes packaging types for household appliances, clothing and accessories, ...

2.2 Main related markets

An analysis of the sales volumes of the main sectors related to the use of plastic packaging allows a better interpretation of the changes in demand from plastic packaging manufacturers.

The steady and slow increase in the various sectors explains the same trend in the plastic packaging industry.

Food industry

Production ...

2.3 Search for sustainable plastic packaging

Plastic production causes environmental damage. In Europe, ** percent of virgin plastics are produced using oil and natural gas as raw materials, and fossil fuels are also used to generate the heat needed during the production process. Together with the emissions problem, plastic pollution is one of the most significant global problems. ...

3.1 Plastic production

The plastic packaging manufacturing industry is composed of a multitude of players, whose roles are well defined. Manufacturers are generally in charge of designing and manufacturing the packaging, according to specifications set by their customers.

Plastic production begins with the extraction of the natural resources, normally gas and oil, that make ...

3.2 Market structure

Packaging companies therefore work with plastic granule polymers. The ATECO code by which plastic packaging manufacturers are identified is **.**

The Italian market includes about **** companies involved in this sector, most of them, ** percent, are small companies, with less than ** employees.

Plastic packaging companies by class of employees Italy, ****,% Source:Istat Ateco ...

Interview with an Industry Expert : Ambrogio Goglio

We report here an interview with Ambrogio Goglio, head of two divisions of the Goglio Plastics Department in Milan and at the Daverio site. He is also responsible for the Technical Purchasing Department for all Goglio Group production sites.

In our study we estimate a market growth of * percent in the ...

4.1 Types of packaging offered

Plastic packaging can be divided by type and use.

Typology

Classification

4.2 Prices

Packaging prices depend on the processing, quantity and quality of the plastic used so they are very difficult to estimate. It is more useful therefore to look at the price of the raw material to have a baseline for estimating packaging prices. The prices of different types of plastics depend on ...

5.1 Packaging for food consumption

Since plastic packaging is used for the presentation and storage of many consumer products, it is subject to relatively strict regulations to avoid any risk to the consumer.

According to EC Regulation No. ****/****, plastic packaging must not present a health hazard or alter the composition of food (***). [***]

All products that come ...

5.2 Regulatory developments unfavorable to plastics

Plastic Tax

The European plastic tax is a uniform rate on non-recycled plastic packaging waste produced in each Member State, effective as of January *, **** and amounting to €*.*/kg.** The cost to Italy, net of the flat-rate reduction, is expected to be around €*** million/year. These contributions are allocated to the European ...