Food Containers: Rigid & Flexible

As Quoted In Labels & Labeling

Changing consumer behavior to drive demand

Overall growth for food containers will be fairly modest, and generally in line with moderate growth in domestic food production. However, below this topline total, a variety of trends are reshaping the food container market, primarily shifting consumer preferences, both in terms of food products and the materials in which they are packaged. In addition, novel formats of packaging continue to emerge, such as clear plastic cans designed to directly compete with traditional metal cans, and squeezable spouted pouches for mayonnaise and sour cream.

Health foods, sustainability issues to be key factors

Freedonia projects that food products perceived as healthful, such as yogurt and nuts, will register strong advances through 2020, boosting demand for related packaging like plastic tubs, cups, and jars, as well as pouches. Greater awareness of environmental and sustainability issues will shift the food packaging mix. Although nearly every key packaging type can make a legitimate case for its environmental suitability, sometimes consumer perceptions weigh more heavily into purchasing behavior than empirical data. For example, while rigid plastic, foam, and molded pulp egg containers all offer some environmental benefits, molded pulp is often seen as the “greenest” option of the three. Additionally, growth for food containers will be fueled by heightened demand for foods offering a combination of convenience, quality, and value, and thus the usage of value added packaging that provides enhanced freshness protection and convenience of use. Unit expansion will be aided by the growing popularity of single serving packaging, including plastic cups and pouches, in an expanding range of applications. Such packaging is particularly attractive to consumers seeking portable food options to be eaten in the car or at work.

Pouches, plastic containers to grow the fastest

According to Food Containers: Rigid & Flexible, a study from Freedonia Group, pouches and plastic containers will post above-average growth, the result of further supplantation of paperboard, metal, and glass containers. Plastic container gains will be driven by advantages of light weight, clarity, and shatter resistance, along with the increased presence of containers with enhanced barrier and heat resistance properties. Competition from flexible packaging such as pouches, which provide greater source reduction capability as well as reduced shipping costs, will moderate advances somewhat. Pouches will make further inroads into rigid packaging applications due to cost and performance advantages. The perception, especially among younger consumers, of stand-up pouches as a more contemporary packaging format than cans, bottles, and cartons will also propel gains.

Freedonia forecasts that bag demand will rise more slowly due to maturity of many applications as well as competition from pouches. Among more mature segments, favorable graphics and the capability to improve microwave oven performance in certain uses will support continued demand for paperboard food containers. Despite unit stagnation, metal cans will remain an important segment of the food container mix due to their long shelf life and positioning as a means of controlling food expenditures. Prospects for glass containers will be aided by a premium image along with their use for natural and organic products, which occupy a larger share of the food landscape than they once did.

Study coverage

This Freedonia industry study, Food Containers: Rigid & Flexible, presents historical demand data (2005, 2010 and 2015) plus forecasts (2020 and 2025) by market and product. The study also considers market environment factors, assesses the industry structure, evaluates company market share and profiles 32 US industry players.

Freedonia's market research studies provide timely access to reliable, unbiased analysis from which to benchmark performance and answer critical questions: Is your business growing faster or slower than the overall market? Is your organization gaining or losing market share? Which products and markets are the most desirable to explore for expansion? Are there industry trends or competitor activities that present a threat or opportunity to your business?

Studies offer a great ROI and can help business leaders make informed, analytically driven decisions. When considering the time, effort, and expertise that goes into it, our off-the-shelf research saves our clients time and money.

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  1. Food Containers: Rigid & Flexible

    $5,400.00

    1. 1 INTRODUCTION

      $118.00

    2. 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

      $111.00

      1. Table | FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND (million dollars)

    3. 3 MARKET ENVIRONMENT

      $1,658.00

      1. 3.1 General

        $82.00

      2. 3.2 Macroeconomic Outlook

        $127.00

        1. Table | MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS (billion 2009 dollars)

      3. 3.3 Demographic Trends

        $157.00

        1. Table | POPULATION & HOUSEHOLDS (million persons)

      4. 3.4 Consumer Income & Spending Trends

        $82.00

        1. Table | PERSONAL CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES (billion dollars)

      5. 3.5 Retail Sales Outlook

        $159.00

        1. Table | RETAIL SALES (billion dollars)

      6. 3.6 Food Industry Overview

        $364.00

        1. Table | FOOD SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. CHART II-1 FOOD SHIPMENTS, 2015 ($752 billion)

        3. 3.6.1 Consumer Preferences

          $108.00

        4. 3.6.2 Distribution Trends

          $109.00

      7. 3.7 Packaging Industry Overview

        $263.00

        1. Table | PACKAGING SUPPLY & DEMAND (billion dollars)

        2. 3.7.1 Paper

          $82.00

        3. 3.7.2 Plastic

          $82.00

        4. 3.7.3 Metal

          $82.00

        5. 3.7.4 Glass & Wood

          $82.00

      8. 3.8 Environmental & Regulatory Issues

        $380.00

        1. 3.8.1 Recycling

          $162.00

        2. 3.8.2 Degradable Materials

          $82.00

        3. 3.8.3 Bioplastics

          $82.00

      9. 3.9 International Activity & Foreign Trade

        $92.00

    4. 4 OVERVIEW

      $668.00

      1. 4.1 General

        $106.00

      2. 4.2 Container Demand

        $123.00

        1. Table | FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY TYPE (million dollars)

        2. CHART III-1 FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY TYPE, 2015

      3. 4.3 Container Pricing

        $231.00

        1. Table | SELECTED FOOD CONTAINER PRICES (cents per unit)

        2. 4.3.1 Plastic

          $82.00

        3. 4.3.2 Paperboard

          $82.00

        4. 4.3.3 Metal

          $82.00

        5. 4.3.4 Glass

          $82.00

      4. 4.4 Plastic Resin Overview

        $208.00

        1. Table | SELECTED RAW MATERIAL PRICE INDICES (2009=100)

    5. 5 POUCHES & BAGS

      $754.00

      1. 5.1 General

        $165.00

        1. Table | POUCH & BAG DEMAND BY TYPE

      2. 5.2 Pouches

        $122.00

        1. Table | POUCH DEMAND BY MATERIAL

      3. 5.3 Bags & Sacks

        $135.00

        1. Table | BAG & SACK DEMAND BY MATERIAL

      4. 5.4 Producers

        $86.00

      5. 5.5 Markets

        $172.00

        1. Table | POUCH & BAG DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

        2. CHART IV-1 POUCH & BAG DEMAND IN FOOD APPLICATIONS BY MARKET, 2015

      6. 5.6 Market Share

        $82.00

        1. CHART IV-2 FOOD POUCH & BAG MARKET SHARE, 2015 ($11.5 billion)

    6. 6 PAPERBOARD FOOD CONTAINERS

      $1,189.00

      1. 6.1 General

        $102.00

        1. Table | PAPERBOARD FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY TYPE (million dollars)

        2. CHART V-1 PAPERBOARD FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY TYPE, 2015 ($5.6 billion)

      2. 6.2 Folding Cartons

        $250.00

        1. Table | FOLDING CARTON DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      3. 6.3 Paper Tubs & Cups

        $128.00

        1. Table | PAPER TUB & CUP DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      4. 6.4 Composite Cans

        $110.00

        1. Table | COMPOSITE CAN DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      5. 6.5 Gabletop Cartons

        $82.00

        1. Table | GABLETOP CARTON DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      6. 6.6 Molded Pulp Egg Cartons

        $82.00

        1. Table | MOLDED PULP EGG CARTON DEMAND (million dollars)

      7. 6.7 Set-Up Boxes

        $82.00

        1. Table | SET-UP BOX DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      8. 6.8 Aseptic Cartons

        $143.00

        1. Table | ASEPTIC CARTON DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      9. 6.9 Markets

        $199.00

        1. Table | PAPERBOARD FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

        2. CHART V-2 PAPERBOARD FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET, 2015

      10. 6.10 Market Share

        $82.00

        1. CHART V-3 PAPERBOARD FOOD CONTAINER MARKET SHARE, 2015 ($5.6 billion)

    7. 7 PLASTIC FOOD CONTAINERS

      $907.00

      1. 7.1 General

        $91.00

        1. Table | PLASTIC FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY TYPE (million dollars)

        2. CHART VI-1 PLASTIC FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY TYPE, 2015

      2. 7.2 Plastic Tubs, Cups, & Bowls

        $129.00

        1. Table | PLASTIC TUB, CUP, & BOWL DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      3. 7.3 Plastic Bottles

        $115.00

        1. Table | PLASTIC FOOD BOTTLE DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      4. 7.4 Plastic Jars

        $82.00

        1. Table | PLASTIC FOOD JAR DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      5. 7.5 Plastic Egg Cartons

        $82.00

        1. Table | PLASTIC EGG CARTON DEMAND (million dollars)

      6. 7.6 Plastic Cans

        $99.00

        1. Table | PLASTIC CAN DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      7. 7.7 Other

        $82.00

        1. Table | OTHER PLASTIC FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      8. 7.8 Markets

        $223.00

        1. Table | PLASTIC CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

        2. CHART VI-2 PLASTIC FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET, 2015

      9. 7.9 Market Share

        $82.00

        1. CHART VI-3 PLASTIC FOOD CONTAINER MARKET SHARE, 2015 ($4.9 billion)

    8. 8 METAL FOOD CONTAINERS

      $755.00

      1. 8.1 General

        $208.00

        1. Table | METAL FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY TYPE (million dollars)

      2. 8.2 Steel & Bi-Metal Cans

        $82.00

        1. Table | STEEL & BI-METAL CAN DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      3. 8.3 Aluminum Cans

        $82.00

        1. Table | ALUMINUM CAN DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      4. 8.4 Aerosol Cans

        $82.00

        1. Table | AEROSOL CAN DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      5. 8.5 Captive & Merchant Production

        $99.00

        1. Table | METAL FOOD CONTAINERS: MERCHANT V. CAPTIVE PRODUCTION* (billion units)

      6. 8.6 Markets

        $216.00

        1. Table | METAL FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

        2. CHART VII-1 METAL FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET, 2015

      7. 8.7 Market Share

        $82.00

        1. CHART VII-2 METAL FOOD CONTAINER MARKET SHARE, 2015 ($4.1 billion)

    9. 9 GLASS FOOD CONTAINERS

      $419.00

      1. 9.1 General

        $154.00

        1. Table | GLASS FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY TYPE (million dollars)

      2. 9.2 Glass Jars

        $126.00

        1. Table | GLASS FOOD JAR DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      3. 9.3 Glass Bottles

        $82.00

        1. Table | GLASS FOOD BOTTLE DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

      4. 9.4 Markets

        $82.00

        1. Table | GLASS FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

        2. CHART VIII-1 GLASS FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET, 2015

      5. 9.5 Market Share

        $82.00

        1. CHART VIII-2 GLASS CONTAINER MARKET SHARE, 2015 ($955 million)

    10. 10 MARKETS

      $3,903.00

      1. 10.1 General

        $82.00

        1. Table | FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET (million dollars)

        2. CHART IX-1 FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MARKET, 2015 ($27.1 billion)

      2. 10.2 Fruits & Vegetables

        $408.00

        1. 10.2.1 Fruit & Vegetable Outlook

          $82.00

          1. Table | FRUIT & VEGETABLE SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. 10.2.2 Container Trends

          $328.00

          1. Table | FRUIT & VEGETABLE CONTAINER DEMAND BY APPLICATION (million dollars)

          2. Table | PROCESSED FRUIT & VEGETABLE CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

          3. Table | FRESH PRODUCE CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

      3. 10.3 Dairy Products

        $338.00

        1. 10.3.1 Dairy Product Outlook

          $105.00

          1. Table | DAIRY PRODUCT SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. 10.3.2 Container Trends

          $217.00

          1. Table | DAIRY PRODUCT CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

      4. 10.4 Grain Products

        $483.00

        1. 10.4.1 Grain Products Outlook

          $85.00

          1. Table | GRAIN PRODUCT SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. 10.4.2 Container Trends

          $385.00

          1. Table | GRAIN PRODUCT CONTAINER DEMAND BY APPLICATION (million dollars)

          2. CHART IX-2 GRAIN PRODUCT CONTAINER DEMAND BY APPLICATION, 2015

          3. Table | PET FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

          4. Table | BREAKFAST CEREAL CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

          5. Table | OTHER GRAIN PRODUCT CONTAINER DEMAND BY TYPE (million dollars)

      5. 10.5 Meat & Related Products

        $498.00

        1. 10.5.1 Meat & Related Products Outlook

          $97.00

          1. Table | MEAT & RELATED PRODUCT SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. 10.5.2 Container Trends

          $385.00

          1. Table | MEAT & RELATED PRODUCT CONTAINER DEMAND BY APPLICATION (million dollars)

          2. Table | MEAT, POULTRY, & SEAFOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

          3. Table | EGG CARTON DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

      6. 10.6 Baked Goods

        $231.00

        1. 10.6.1 Baked Goods Outlook

          $82.00

          1. Table | BAKED GOODS SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. 10.6.2 Container Trends

          $163.00

          1. Table | BAKED GOODS CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

      7. 10.7 Snack Foods

        $266.00

        1. 10.7.1 Snack Food Outlook

          $82.00

          1. Table | SNACK FOOD SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. 10.7.2 Container Trends

          $169.00

          1. Table | SNACK FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

      8. 10.8 Sauces & Condiments

        $272.00

        1. 10.8.1 Sauce & Condiment Outlook

          $82.00

          1. Table | SAUCE & CONDIMENT SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. 10.8.2 Container Trends

          $194.00

          1. Table | SAUCE & CONDIMENT CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

      9. 10.9 Candy & Confections

        $275.00

        1. 10.9.1 Candy & Confection Outlook

          $82.00

          1. Table | CANDY & CONFECTION SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. 10.9.2 Container Trends

          $188.00

          1. Table | CANDY & CONFECTION CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

      10. 10.10 Frozen Specialties

        $250.00

        1. 10.10.1 Frozen Specialties Outlook

          $84.00

          1. Table | FROZEN SPECIALTIES SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. 10.10.2 Container Trends

          $140.00

          1. Table | FROZEN SPECIALTIES CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

      11. 10.11 Other Foods

        $837.00

        1. 10.11.1 Other Foods Outlook

          $100.00

          1. Table | OTHER FOOD SHIPMENTS (billion dollars)

        2. 10.11.2 Container Trends

          $724.00

          1. Table | OTHER FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY APPLICATION (million dollars)

          2. CHART IX-3 OTHER FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY APPLICATION, 2015

          3. Table | SOUP & CANNED SPECIALTY CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

          4. Table | COFFEE & TEA CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

          5. Table | FATS & OILS CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

          6. Table | BABY FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

          7. Table | ALL OTHER FOOD CONTAINER DEMAND BY MATERIAL (million dollars)

    11. 11 INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

      $4,655.00

      1. 11.1 General

        $114.00

        1. Table | US FOOD CONTAINER SALES BY COMPANY, 2015 (million dollars)

      2. 11.2 Market Share

        $277.00

        1. CHART X-1 US FOOD CONTAINER MARKET SHARE, 2015 ($27.1 billion)

      3. 11.3 Industry Restructuring

        $123.00

        1. Table | SELECTED ACQUISITIONS & DIVESTITURES

      4. 11.4 Product Manufacturing & Development

        $130.00

      5. 11.5 Marketing Strategies

        $82.00

      6. 11.6 Distribution

        $82.00

      7. 11.7 Competitive Strategies

        $114.00

      8. 11.8 Cooperative Agreements

        $82.00

        1. Table | SELECTED COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

      9. 11.9 Company Profiles

        $3,606.00

        1. 11.9.1 Amcor Limited

          $129.00

        2. 11.9.2 American Packaging Corporation

          $82.00

        3. 11.9.3 Ardagh Group SA

          $163.00

        4. 11.9.4 Ball Corporation

          $82.00

        5. 11.9.5 Bemis Company Incorporated

          $153.00

        6. 11.9.6 Berry Plastics Corporation

          $197.00

        7. 11.9.7 Caraustar Industries Incorporated

          $82.00

        8. 11.9.8 Consolidated Container Company LLC

          $82.00

        9. 11.9.9 Coveris Holdings SA

          $127.00

        10. 11.9.10 Crown Holdings Incorporated

          $100.00

        11. 11.9.11 Graphic Packaging Holding Company

          $178.00

        12. 11.9.12 Grupo Phoenix

          $82.00

        13. 11.9.13 Hood Companies

          $95.00

        14. 11.9.14 Huhtamaki Oyj

          $87.00

        15. 11.9.15 Mondi Group

          $112.00

        16. 11.9.16 Novolex Holdings Incorporated

          $92.00

        17. 11.9.17 Onex Corporation

          $82.00

        18. 11.9.18 Owens-Illinois Group Incorporated

          $82.00

        19. 11.9.19 PaperWorks Industries Incorporated

          $109.00

        20. 11.9.20 Plastipak Holdings Incorporated

          $100.00

        21. 11.9.21 Polytainers Incorporated

          $82.00

        22. 11.9.22 Printpack Incorporated

          $117.00

        23. 11.9.23 ProAmpac LLC

          $159.00

        24. 11.9.24 Reynolds Group Holdings Limited

          $184.00

        25. 11.9.25 Ring Companies

          $82.00

        26. 11.9.26 Sealed Air Corporation

          $169.00

        27. 11.9.27 Silgan Holdings Incorporated

          $181.00

        28. 11.9.28 Sonoco Products Company

          $150.00

        29. 11.9.29 Tekni-Plex Incorporated

          $82.00

        30. 11.9.30 Tetra Laval International SA

          $82.00

        31. 11.9.31 WestRock Company

          $231.00

        32. 11.9.32 Wihuri Oy

          $118.00

      10. 11.10 Additional Companies in the Food Container Industry

        $127.00

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