Rising Demand for Plastic Bags Spurs Increases in Production Capacity

The plastic bag – often derided by environmentalists and subjected to prohibitions on its use – has seen a comeback due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, demand for plastic bags has risen over the past year, supported by such factors as:

• increasing shipments of packages bought and sold through e-commerce, as plastic bags are often used to wrap items in packages prior to shipment
• consumer interest in disposable packaging due to concerns about minimizing the spread of the coronavirus
• strong growth in the use of single-use medical devices, nearly all of which are packaged in plastic bags for ease of use and sterility

With these factors providing a boost to the industry, it is no surprise that many leading flexible packaging suppliers are looking for ways to expand production. A recent article highlighted the efforts of one leading flexible plastic packaging producer – Pregis – to do so by adding a bag manufacturing plant in Wisconsin and a facility that makes the equipment used to produce bags. Not only did these moves double the space at a manufacturing plant, but this expansion will enable additional increases production capacity in the future.

For more information and a discussion of market opportunities, see The Freedonia Group’s extensive collection of off-the-shelf research related to the packaging industry, including Global Corrugated Boxes, Corrugated & Paperboard Boxes, Protective Packaging, Global E-Commerce Packaging, Stretch & Shrink Film, Global Pallets, Bubble Packaging, Insulated Packaging Containers & Shippers, Protective Mailers, and Global Packaging Machinery. Related analysis from our sister publisher Packaged Facts can be found in these reports: Amazon Strategies and the Amazon Shopper, Consumer & Corporate Food Gifting in the U.S., Food Carryout & Delivery, and Global Food E-Commerce. Freedonia Custom Research is also available for questions requiring tailored market intelligence.