Thin walling delivers the whole package
Thin-walling has long been a practice in primary food and medical packaging to save material , showcase brand quality and maintain manufacturing standards . Nigel Flowers , UK Managing Director of Sumitomo ( SHI ) Demag , examines the emerging trends in this fast and evergrowing packaging segment .
Global forecasts for the thin walled plastic packaging market is rising significantly . According to a report released by Smithers , the packaging market will be worth an estimated USD 1.2 trillion by 2028 expanding at a CAGR of approximately 3 percent . Food and beverage , and more widespread adoption of thin walled packaging in developing economies , will drive this growth . PE is projected to be the largestgrowing segment during this forecast period . Light-weighting and consumer convenience are important factors in this expansion , with the combination of environmental pressures , improvements in recycle rates and high polymer prices placing increasing pressures on packaging manufacturers . Wider adoption of bio-based and recycled materials is also expected to boost market growth .
For several decades now light-weighting and consumer convenience have given
34 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk packaging manufacturers the strong commercial incentive to do more with less . No strangers to responding to demographic and lifestyle changes and balancing a wide range of variables , including cost , increased strength , recycle rates and functional requirements , lightweight formats have become the industry norm . Especially in food and medical packaging . More recently , the market has been moving more towards novelty solutions that improve performance , functionality and shelf impact .
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced yet another re-think to our way of living and future reliance on packaging . While food and medical packaging saw rises in demand , other categories softened . As public health concerns gradually ease , the general consensus is demand for reusable and sustainable solutions will swiftly resume . The exact timings will be very much determined by consumers . Understanding how people interact with packaging and the channels they purchase through will be a clear driver , ensuring consumer safety , product security and future sustainability are evenly balanced .
Brand story telling
“ It ’ s a fast and ever-growing segment , offering multiple benefits over traditional and thermoformed packaging materials ,” reiterates Nigel . Thin walling packaging can be applied to tubs , cups , posts , trays , clamshells and plastic jars and are used in everything from margarine , yoghurt , meat , bakery , fresh fruit , vegetables and microwave , freezer and over-proof ready meals . Food is by far the largest thin walling market . However , there are also a number of non-food applications , such as pharmaceuticals , cosmetics , paint and adhesives .