BCC Research published market analysis in 2017 highlighting robust growth trajectories for green packaging—encompassing recycled content, biodegradable materials where applicable, and designs optimized for reduced environmental footprint. The report resonated with flexible packaging stakeholders because it quantified a shift brand owners were already describing qualitatively in sustainability briefings.
Analysts pointed to multiple demand drivers: retailer sustainability scorecards, consumer survey data favoring recyclable claims, and corporate commitments to reduce virgin plastic use. Flexible formats were identified as both a challenge and an opportunity—challenge because multi-layer structures complicated recycling, opportunity because lightweight flexibles often reduced total material mass versus rigid alternatives.
For converters, growth forecasts translated into capital planning questions. Would demand for compostable or bio-based films require dedicated extrusion or print lanes? Could existing CI flexo platforms handle the surface characteristics of recycled-content films without register drift? Procurement teams began dual-tracking conventional and "green" substrate suppliers to avoid line stoppages when brand owners switched specifications mid-contract.
Investment committees also weighed geographic variation. North American growth patterns differed from European regulatory-led demand, while Asia-Pacific consumption rises pulled global resin supply. BCC-style forecasts helped justify R&D spending on solventless lamination and water-based ink systems that might qualify finished laminates for retailer preferred-material lists.
While market projections are inherently uncertain, the 2017 green packaging growth narrative reinforced a durable industry theme: sustainability was becoming a volume market, not a niche premium segment. Flexible packaging equipment buyers started asking vendors about future-proofing—modular dryers, ink systems, and corona treaters adaptable to evolving substrate portfolios.