PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, published its 2015 Flexible Packaging Market Assessment Report on September 28, 2015, concluding that the U.S. flexible packaging industry—projected at $32.7 billion—was approaching maturity while maintaining healthy growth prospects and operational stability.
The report drew on interviews with end users, material suppliers, and industry experts, finding that 68 percent of end-user companies expected to purchase new equipment, modify existing equipment, or acquire used machinery to accommodate flexible packaging over upcoming investment cycles.
Thirty-three percent of end users anticipated increasing flexible packaging usage relative to rigid formats over the following five years, while 61 percent expected their flexible-to-rigid ratio to remain stable—suggesting incremental rather than revolutionary material transitions for most product categories during the forecast period.
Food products led flexible packaging adoption at 57 percent usage versus rigid across interviewed companies, followed by pharmaceuticals at 31 percent and beverages at 25 percent. Cost reduction and sustainability benefits—including downgauging, high product-to-package ratios, and reduced shipping weight—remained primary drivers for material selection.
Equipment manufacturers serving the U.S. market interpreted the PMMI findings as confirmation that flexible packaging capital spending would emphasize line efficiency, quick changeover, and material versatility to handle both established laminate structures and emerging mono-material formats driven by brand sustainability targets.