The global flexible packaging market is projected to reach $295 billion by 2030, with packaging film as a core input. At the same time, 78% of packaging executives plan to use more recycled content within three years, a demand shift accelerated by EU rules mandating 55% recycled plastic in certain packaging by 2025.
Key Takeaways
- The global flexible packaging market is projected to reach about $295 billion by 2030, with packaging film as a core input for flexible formats
- Europe accounted for roughly 30% of global packaging films market value in 2023, underpinned by high adoption of flexible packaging formats
- The U.S. produced about 37.4 billion pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2018 (latest national estimate in EPA studies), including film
- 78% of packaging executives in a 2023 survey said they would use more recycled content in packaging within 3 years, directly relevant to recycled packaging film demand
- By 2025, companies placed on the EU market must ensure that packaging placed on the market contains at least 55% recycled plastic for certain packaging categories (EU rules apply as specified by directive/regulation schedules)
- In 2022, 60.7% of municipal waste in the EU was landfilled, recycled, or recovered in line with circular targets; plastic packaging film outcomes depend on collection and sorting performance
- The EU’s packaging waste directive set a target that packaging waste should be reduced and recycled, including plastic packaging film flows under producer responsibility
- The global demand for sustainable packaging alternatives grew by about 6–8% in 2023, pulling film producers toward recycling-friendly structures
- Electrified and energy-efficient extrusion/converting upgrades have been adopted across leading plants; published case studies report energy reductions commonly in the 10–20% range
- In a 2023 IEA analysis, plastics demand is projected to double by 2060, with packaging expected to remain the largest sector—driving long-term packaging film demand
- Europe contributed about 16% of global plastics demand in 2022 (IEA regional split), including polymer inputs for film
- In food packaging applications, flexible formats including film account for more than half of packaging materials by consumption in major developed markets, indicating large film tonnage
- EVOH/barrier films can reduce oxygen transmission rates to the order of 10^-3 to 10^-2 cc/m²/day depending on structure, enabling longer shelf life in food packaging
- High-clarity cast films can improve visibility of packaged goods, with haze values often below 10% for optical-grade packaging films (structure-dependent)
- Low-density polyethylene film structures are commonly measured with tensile strengths in the range of ~10–35 MPa depending on formulation and gauge, relevant to mechanical performance specifications
Rising recycled content rules and plastic demand growth are boosting long term packaging film market opportunities.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
The global flexible packaging market is projected to reach about $295 billion by 2030, with packaging film as a core input for flexible formats
02
Europe accounted for roughly 30% of global packaging films market value in 2023, underpinned by high adoption of flexible packaging formats
03
The U.S. produced about 37.4 billion pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2018 (latest national estimate in EPA studies), including film
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size signals rapid expansion for packaging film, with the global flexible packaging market forecast to hit about $295 billion by 2030, Europe holding around 30% of packaging film value in 2023, and the U.S. generating 37.4 billion pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2018 that underscores the scale of film demand.
02 · Category
Sustainability & Compliance5 stats
01
78% of packaging executives in a 2023 survey said they would use more recycled content in packaging within 3 years, directly relevant to recycled packaging film demand
02
By 2025, companies placed on the EU market must ensure that packaging placed on the market contains at least 55% recycled plastic for certain packaging categories (EU rules apply as specified by directive/regulation schedules)
03
In 2022, 60.7% of municipal waste in the EU was landfilled, recycled, or recovered in line with circular targets; plastic packaging film outcomes depend on collection and sorting performance
04
The EU’s SUP Directive bans single-use plastic items in specific product categories from 2021, which influences market demand for reusable or alternative flexible packaging where applicable
05
U.S. EPA estimates that in 2018, plastics made up 13.8% of municipal solid waste by weight, including packaging films
Interpretation
Sustainability & Compliance Interpretation
Sustainability and compliance are rapidly tightening as regulations push recycled content up, with 78% of packaging executives planning to use more recycled material within 3 years and EU rules requiring at least 55% recycled plastic by 2025.
03 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
The EU’s packaging waste directive set a target that packaging waste should be reduced and recycled, including plastic packaging film flows under producer responsibility
02
The global demand for sustainable packaging alternatives grew by about 6–8% in 2023, pulling film producers toward recycling-friendly structures
03
Electrified and energy-efficient extrusion/converting upgrades have been adopted across leading plants; published case studies report energy reductions commonly in the 10–20% range
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends in packaging film are being driven by tighter EU packaging waste targets, a 6 to 8 percent rise in demand for sustainable alternatives in 2023, and growing adoption of electrified, energy efficient extrusion and converting upgrades.
More related reading
04 · Category
Material Demand5 stats
01
In a 2023 IEA analysis, plastics demand is projected to double by 2060, with packaging expected to remain the largest sector—driving long-term packaging film demand
02
Europe contributed about 16% of global plastics demand in 2022 (IEA regional split), including polymer inputs for film
03
In food packaging applications, flexible formats including film account for more than half of packaging materials by consumption in major developed markets, indicating large film tonnage
04
In 2020, plastic packaging accounted for approximately 40% of total plastic demand in selected OECD markets, including packaging film
05
In 2021, global polypropylene capacity continued expanding, underpinning continued production of PP films used in packaging and industrial applications
Interpretation
Material Demand Interpretation
Material demand for packaging film is poised to grow strongly as plastics demand is projected to double by 2060 and packaging is expected to remain the largest sector, with flexible film already making up more than half of packaging material consumption in key food packaging applications and plastic packaging representing about 40% of total plastic demand in selected OECD markets in 2020.
05 · Category
Technology & Performance9 stats
01
EVOH/barrier films can reduce oxygen transmission rates to the order of 10^-3 to 10^-2 cc/m²/day depending on structure, enabling longer shelf life in food packaging
02
High-clarity cast films can improve visibility of packaged goods, with haze values often below 10% for optical-grade packaging films (structure-dependent)
03
Low-density polyethylene film structures are commonly measured with tensile strengths in the range of ~10–35 MPa depending on formulation and gauge, relevant to mechanical performance specifications
04
ATR-FTIR can identify polymer composition in minutes for multilayer films, with reported detection/identification accuracy above 90% in polymer blend and film classification studies
05
DSC characterization can detect melting transitions in polymer films at temperatures with resolution sufficient to distinguish grades; reported melting peak differences of a few °C are used for classification in published film studies
06
Advanced solvent-free water-based inks can reduce VOC emissions versus conventional solvent-based inks, with VOC reduction typically reported at 70–95% in packaging ink comparisons
07
Corona treatment typically improves film surface energy by tens of mN/m (often ~+10 to +40 mN/m), improving adhesion for printing/coating
08
E-beam or UV curing can reduce coating/adhesive cure times from hours to seconds, depending on process and formulation, enabling faster film converting
09
Real-time inline web inspection systems can detect defects at production speeds using vision algorithms, with reported detection rates above 95% for specific defect classes in peer-reviewed validation studies
Interpretation
Technology & Performance Interpretation
Technology focused on packaging film performance is enabling big material gains, from EVOH barrier films cutting oxygen transmission to around 10^-3 to 10^-2 cc/m²/day and high-clarity cast films achieving haze under 10%, to rapid ATR-FTIR identification accuracy above 90% and solvent-free water-based inks substantially lowering VOC emissions.
06 · Category
Pricing & Economics7 stats
01
In 2022, the global polymer resin and plastic film supply chain was heavily influenced by energy costs; natural gas prices in Europe exceeded 100 €/MWh at peak periods affecting film production costs
02
In the U.S., plastic film resin pricing closely follows crude oil movements; Brent crude reached over $100per barrel in 2022, which typically increases resin costs
03
In 2021–2023, PP resin price spreads narrowed and widened with feedstock dynamics, with weekly average PP spot prices varying by hundreds of dollars per metric ton across months
04
In 2022, the U.S. CPI for plastics and rubber products increased by about 7% year-over-year, impacting packaging film converting economics
05
Waste management costs for plastic packaging collection and sorting contribute materially to EPR fees; EPR fee schedules in EU markets commonly use cost-per-kg models (kg-based), directly monetizing film
06
Market prices for recycled polyethylene pellets are generally discounted versus virgin by a measured spread; published studies report discounts in the tens of dollars per ton depending on quality and availability
07
In 2024, resin and energy costs were among top drivers of packaging film price increases reported by converting industry coverage, reflecting cost pass-through pressures
Interpretation
Pricing & Economics Interpretation
In 2022, pricing for packaging films was tightly linked to energy and feedstock costs, with Europe’s natural gas prices exceeding $100 per barrel equivalent, U.S. CPI for plastics and rubber products rising about 7% year over year, and recycled polyethylene pellets typically trading at a measured discount to virgin resin, all underscoring how volatility and substitution economics are key to pricing and economics across the supply chain.
report visual · Key figures
Packaging film: demand drivers and sustainability momentum
Long-term plastics demand growth with sustained packaging dominance is reinforced by near-term recycled-content requirements and survey momentum, supporting continued packaging film demand and enabling shifts toward recycling-friendly and energy-efficient film production.
$295 billion
The global flexible packaging market is projected to reach about $295 billion by 2030, with packaging film as a core inp
78%
78% of packaging executives in a 2023 survey said they would use more recycled content in packaging within 3 years, dire
55%
By 2025, companies placed on the EU market must ensure that packaging placed on the market contains at least 55% recycle
2023
In a 2023 IEA analysis, plastics demand is projected to double by 2060, with packaging expected to remain the largest se
source-verifiedfortunebusinessinsights.com · packagingdigest.com · eur-lex.europa.eu · iea.org2030
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Packaging Film Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/packaging-film-industry-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Packaging Film Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/packaging-film-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Packaging Film Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/packaging-film-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)