Flexible Packaging Market

Flexible Packaging Market Overview

The global Flexible Packaging Market size was valued at USD 281.00 billion in 2024 and is predicted to reach USD 379.37 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 5.1% from 2025-2030. 

The market is driven by factors such as growing emphasis on environmental responsibility, the growing popularity of processed foods globally and the rising demand for personal care products. The flexible packaging market also known as soft packaging market is however, the rise of alternative packaging options hinders the industry growth. 

On the other hand, integration of smart technology into packaging, including QR codes to engage with customers and smart sensors to track freshness, offers a huge potential to the market in the long term as firms get innovative and employ new packaging strategies. 

Growing Emphasis on Environmental Responsibility Fuels the Growth of the Market

The increasing emphasis on the environment across the globe is fuelling the overall trend of the mass towards flexible packaging, since contemporary consumers are searching for reusability and recyclability products that results in minimal wastage. Huhtamaki launched its innovative packaging solutions in April 2023, featuring revolutionary mono-material technology that offers recyclability and affordability to a greater mass. For PE, the mono-material content is up to 95% and at least 90% for PAPER and PP, these solutions are designed to potentially replace traditional multi-layer materials and improves resource efficiency and contribute to the Company's goal of delivering 100% recyclable, compostable or reusable packaging by 2030.

Growing Popularity of Processed Food Globally Boosts the Growth of the Market

The growing world-wide popularity of the processed food market ranging from snacks and beverages industry drives the growth of the market as flexible packaging offers extended shelf life and freshness of the products. According to the Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023, the food and beverage industry has flourished, especially in the healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss sector. The biggest sub-category of this segment that is healthy labelled foods and beverages, was valued at around USD 874 billion in 2022. This growing health consciousness among the mass boosts the adoption of new packaging materials leading to the growth of the market.

Rising Demand for Personal Care Products Further Boosts the Market

The growing demand for personal care products forms a major part of the packaging market worldwide, as hygiene and convenience of their products grow to be valuable by the people. As there is increase in the growth of product categories such as skincare, hair care and cosmetics, manufacturers are turning to packaging solutions to better protect their products, extend their shelf life and fit the lifestyles of consumers. 

As per Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023, consumer spending on personal care and beauty was around USD 1,089 billion in 2022. The trend towards luxury and environmental sustainability has also significantly impacted the growth of the flexible packaging market.

Rise of Alternative Packaging Options Hinder the Growth of the Market

The rising demand for alternative packaging solutions, such as rigid containers and reusable packaging hinders the growth of the market. The presence of alternatives in the market are attractive to consumers and companies that are environmentally oriented. Rigid containers made of glass or hard plastic, offer better protection for goods and are considered more premium. Consequently, customers and business firms are progressively turning away from less recyclable or single-use packages slowing down the growth of the market.

The Integration of Smart Technology into Packaging Creates Future Growth Opportunities for the Market

In contrast, the inclusion of smart technology in packaging such as QR codes for customer engagement and smart sensors to track freshness, opens up huge possibilities in the market in the next few years. These technologies enrich the consumer experience by offering quick access to product information and allows brands to collect important information on customer habits and choices.

For example, in September 2024, Korozo Group collaborated with R-Cycle to introduce a new range of flexible spouted packaging with a Digital Product Passport (DDP) link. This technology enables consumers to access vital details regarding recyclability and materials of the packaging via a QR code.

Market Segmentations and Scope of the Study

The flexible packaging market is segmented on the basis of material, product, end-user, and region. On the basis of material, the market is divided into plastic, paper & paperboard, aluminum, and others. Based on product, the market is segmented pouches & sachets, bags, films & wraps, tubes, tapes & labels, and others. Based on end-user, the market is divided into food & beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care & cosmetics, homecare, industrial, e-commerce, and others. Regional breakdown and analysis of each of the aforesaid segments includes regions comprising of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of The World (Row).

Geographical Analysis

The flexible packaging industry is dominated by the Asia-Pacific region during the forecasting period, and it is expected to maintain its domination, as this region going through expansion of business by the top global packaging companies. These companies are actively increasing their investments towards new production facilities that leads to new and innovative technologies and partnership between companies to cater the demand of the market. For instance, Amcor opened its new packaging plant in China, highlighting the increasing investment in 2023. This new production facility is expected to fulfil the demand of the local market and also to foster sustainable options that comply with company’s commitment and responsibility toward environment. 

Moreover, the adoption and dependency of the mass on online shopping portals across the region boosts the growth of the market, as these packaging solutions for the products provide longer protection, increase the shelf life and provide convenience to the consumers. For instance, the Indian e-commerce sector is expected to grow showcasing a projected value of USD 325 billion by 2030. This rise in the usage of the e-commerce sector is driving the growth of the market as they provide faster and quality products at door-step.

On the other hand, North America is anticipated to show a linear growth trend in the market throughout the forecasting period. The growth in the food and beverage sector greatly drives the market for packaging in North America as consumer look for freshness and safety of the products. As per the latest report published by the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in 2022, the food and beverage processing sector emerged as the most successful manufacturing industry across the region, showcasing a sale of USD 115.6 billion. This rise of the food and beverage sector boosts the demand for the market as e-commerce sites leads to greater penetration of products among the masses.
Apart from this, the increasing drug sector further boosts the growth of the market in the region with the introduction of new packaging technology that is utilized to preserve the product and give the drugs a longer shelf life. European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations in 2022 reported that, 52.3% of the global sales of pharmaceuticals came from North America. This expansion of the pharma sector results in rapid growth of the packaging sector as it compels businesses to increase their plants.

Competitive Landscape

Various key players operating in the flexible packaging industry includes Amcor plc, Mondi plc, Huhtamaki Oyj, Safepack Industries Limited, Sonoco Products Company, C-P Flexible Packaging, Novolex, Sealed Air, ProAmpac, UFlex , Constantia Flexibles, Coveris Holdings SA, Printpack, Wipak Group, Transcontinental Inc., and others. These companies are adopting various strategies such as acquisition and product launches to remain dominant in the market.  

For example, in June 2024 Mondi launched the FlexiBag Recyclable, a modular flexible packaging concept with improved mechanical strength and cost-effectiveness based on recycled material. FlexiBag Recyclable, which is caters all sectors, such as food, home and personal care, addresses sustainability goals through a fully recyclable pack that contains enhanced performance qualities. 

Additionally, Amcor in August 2023 acquired Phoenix Flexibles Packaging facility in India in order to expand its reach through the growing Indian packaging market. This acquisition significantly resonates Amcor's reach to meet the rising needs of versatile packing solutions in India, especially from food and personal care margins. 

Furthermore, in April 2023, Huhtamaki launched a mono-material solution for flexible packaging that can drive recyclability in the food packaging space. This new development aligns with the company sustainability commitment of using less material while maintaining barrier properties and protection of the product.

Key Benefits

• The report provides quantitative analysis and estimations of the flexible packaging market from 2025 to 2030, which assists in identifying the prevailing market opportunities.

• The study comprises a deep-dive analysis of flexible packaging market including the current and future trends to depict prevalent investment pockets in the market.

• Information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities and their impact on the flexible packaging market is provided in the report. 

• Competitive analysis of the players, along with their market share is provided in the report.

• SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces model is elaborated in the study.

• Value chain analysis in the market study provides a clear picture of roles of stakeholders.

Flexible Packaging Market Key Segments

By Material

• Plastic

• Paper & Paperboard

• Aluminum

• Others 

By Product

• Pouches & Sachets

  • Stand Up Pouches

  • Gusseted Pouches

  • Pillow Pouches

  • Others

• Bags

• Films & Wraps

  • Polyethylene Film Packaging (PE)

  • Polypropylene Films (PP)

  • Polyethylene Terephthalate Films (PET)

  • Aluminum Foil Films

  • Others

• Tubes

• Tapes & Labels

• Others 

By End-User

• Food & Beverage

• Pharmaceutical

• Personal Care & Cosmetics

• Homecare

• Industrial

• E-commerce

• Others

By Region

• North America

  • The U.S.

  • Canada

  • Mexico

• Europe

  • The U.K.

  • Germany

  • France        

  • Italy        

  • Spain        

  • Denmark        

  • Netherlands        

  • Finland        

  • Sweden        

  • Norway        

  • Russia        

  • Rest of Europe

• Asia-Pacific

  • China

  • Japan

  • India

  • South Korea

  • Australia

  • Indonesia

  • Singapore

  • Taiwan

  • Thailand

  • Rest of Asia-Pacific 

• Rest of the World (RoW)

  • Latin America

  • Middle East 

  • Africa

Key Players

• Amcor plc

• Mondi plc

• Huhtamaki Oyj

• Safepack Industries Limited

• Sonoco Products Company

• C-P Flexible Packaging

• Novolex

• Sealed Air

• ProAmpac

• UFlex 

• Constantia Flexibles

• Coveris Holdings SA

• Printpack

• Wipak Group

• Transcontinental Inc.

REPORT SCOPE AND SEGMENTATION:

Parameters	Details
Market Size in 2024	USD 281.00 Billion
Revenue Forecast in 2030	USD 379.37 Billion
Growth Rate	CAGR of 5.1% 2025 to 2030
Analysis Period	2024–2030
Base Year Considered	2024
Forecast Period	2025–2030
Market Size Estimation	Billion (USD)
Growth Factors	The rising focus on environmental responsibility is fueling the flexible packaging market's growth, The growing popularity of convenience foods globally is driving the market. The rising demand for personal care products is fueling the expansion of the market.
Countries Covered	28
Companies Profiled	15
Market Share	Available for 10 companies
Customization Scope	Free customization (equivalent to up to 80 working hours of analysts) after purchase. Addition or alteration to country, regional, and segment scope.
Pricing and Purchase Options	Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs.