US Demand for Green Packaging Expected to Escalate

A recent analysis of the US green packaging industry has shown that US demand for green packaging is likely to approach $45 billion in 2013, with the fastest gains anticipated for biodegradable plastic and packaging made from post consumer waste.

Online business intelligence provider Report Buyer carried out an in-depth analysis of the US green packaging industry and published the findings in the report, `Green Packaging: US industry forecasts for 2013 & 2018’. The 343 page report shows that advances for green packaging will be driven by the increased prominence of environmental issues as a result of elevated raw material and fuel costs in the past several years. This has resulted in heightened activity among product manufacturers to make their products and related packaging more environmentally friendly.

The authors of the report noted that much of the increased activity in green packaging in the US market has been driven by Wal-Mart, which unveiled its Packaging Scorecard in November 2006. The scorecard was implemented in February 2008 and is used by Wal-Mart to evaluate the packaging used by suppliers in terms of its eco-friendliness, including factors that reduce waste as well as packaging and transportation costs.

Furthermore, the fastest gains are anticipated for biodegradable plastic packaging and plastic recycled content packaging. Growth for biodegradable plastic packaging will be driven by price competitiveness with conventional resins, rapidly expanding capacity and lower pricing volatility than petroleum-based plastic packaging materials.

The report highlights that the largest markets for green packaging are food, consumer products and beverages, which together represented two thirds of total green packaging demand in 2008. However, the fastest growing markets through 2013 will be the foodservice and shipping markets.

The full report “Green Packaging: US industry forecasts for 2013 & 2018” is available from Report Buyer at: www.reportbuyer.com