Features
- Volume consumption of moulded pulp packaging is estimated at nearly 12 million tonnes in 2023, with a market value of $4.3 billion
- The market value for moulded pulp is expected to reach over $5.5 billion by 2028, representing a CAGR of 6% at constant 2022 prices
- Market volume will reach over 15 million tonnes of material, constituting almost 250 billion units, in 2028.
What does the report cover?
- An overview of the key drivers and trends affecting supply and demand of moulded pulp packaging; primarily looking at market growth and industry consolidation
- Insight into the key cutting-edge technology developments for moulded pulp
- Assessment of the market for different processes of moulded pulp, including dry moulding and four types of wet moulding
- Examination of the demand for moulded pulp packaging by end-use application, geographic region and key national market to 2028.
Our exclusive content
- Advances in technology are improving the performance and viability of moulded fibre products, making them more durable, versatile, and cost effective. Coating technologies are opening up new market applications for these pack formats with printing and labelling techniques adding to their opportunities for advancement.
- The introduction of dry moulding and forming technologies represent a major, if somewhat speculative, opportunity for the market which may drive up these growth forecasts even further, especially in the niche market of beverage cup lids where key advances are already being seen.
What will you discover?
- With applications spanning egg packaging to automotive parts and fast-food trays, the future prospects for moulded fibre packaging are extremely positive
- The market is driven by the growing environmental concerns and public awareness of plastic waste and the need to reduce consumption of single-use plastics, with many governments introducing rules and regulations to support this transition.
The Smithers methodology
This report is based on extensive primary and secondary research. Primary research consisted of targeted interviews with material suppliers, converters and experts drawn from key markets. This was supported by secondary research in the form of extensive literature analysis of published data, official government statistics, domestic and international trade organisation data, company websites, industry reports, trade press articles, presentations, and attendance at trade events.
Who should buy the report?
- Raw materials suppliers
- Pulp suppliers
- Moulded pulp manufacturers
- Packaging converters
- Retailers
- Brand owners
About the author
Stephen Harrod spent 11 years building a market research company in South Africa, focused on the paper and packaging industry there, following which he spent six years in the paper industry with Mondi and JAC Labels before relocating to the UK. He has been authoring reports for Smithers since 2006, with a focus on global paper and packaging markets.
Table of Contents
Executive summary
Introduction & methodology
- Introduction
- Objectives
- Scope
- Application markets
- Geographic markets
- Methodology
- Stage 1 - Desk research
- Stage 2 - Face-to-face, telephone and email research
- Stage 3 - Delphi technique
- Definitions
- Product types
- Regions/countries
- Americas
- EMEA
- Asia-Pacific
- End-use sectors
The global moulded fibre packaging market
- Introduction
- Market overview
- Conversion
- Major producers
Key drivers and trends 2023-28
- Macro-economic influences
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
- Urbanisation
- Population demographics
- Retail trends
- Market size
- Future prospects
- Leading players
- Competing materials
- Costs and margins
Technology developments 2023-28
- Raw material trends
- Coating trends
- In-house tooling
- 'Paper' bottles
Process trends 2023-28
- Wet moulding
- Type 1 - Heavy-wall (thick-wall, employing a single forming mould)
- Type 2 - Transfer (transfermoulded; a thin-wall technology)
- Type 3 - Thermoformed (cure-in-the-mould; a thin-wall technology)
- Type 4 - Processed (requiring secondary/special treatment process).
- Dry moulding/forming
- Technologies/Suppliers
- Current market estimates
- Future prospects
Market sizes and forecasts by end use application 2018-28
- Introduction
- End use markets and applications
- Retail food and drink
- Eggs
- Fresh produce
- Wine, etc.
- Other retail food
- Foodservice
- Takeaway containers
- Disposables
- Cosmetics & other FMCG
- Medical applications
- Durables
- Industrial products
Geographic markets 2018-28
- Introduction
- Global rankings
- Volume
- Value
- Growth
- Volume per capita
- Overview
- Americas
- North America
- United States
- Canada
- Mexico
- South & Central America
- Brazil
- Other South & Central American countries
- EMEA
- Western Europe
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- Other Western European countries
- Eastern Europe
- Poland
- Russia
- Other Eastern European countries
- Middle East
- Turkiye
- Other Middle Eastern countries
- Africa
- Asia-Pacific
- Asia
- China
- India
- Japan
- Other Asian countries
- Australasia
Tables
- Conversion volume by region and country, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Conversion value by region and country, 2018-28, $ million
- Major producers of moulded fibre packaging, estimated market shares 2023
- Historic and forecast real growth in GDP, %AGR
- Urbanisation, % of population and historic growth, selected countries, 2000-22
- Global population growth, 2000-28, AGR/CAGR %
- Major players in grocery retailing, 2021
- Cost elements of moulded fibre packaging
- Historical and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre by process, 2023-28, '000 tonnes
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging by end-use sector, 2018- 28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging by end-use sector, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging by end-use sector, 2023-28
- Global egg production, 2016-2021, tonnes
- Historical global fruit and vegetable production, 2016-2021, million tonnes
- Major producing countries for vegetables, 2021, million tonnes
For each end-use sector :
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging by region and country, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging by region and country, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging by region and country, 2023-28
List of end-use sectors:
- Eggs
- Fresh produce
- Wine, etc.
- Other retail food
- Foodservice
- Takeaway containers
- Disposables
- Cosmetics & other FMCG
- Medical applications
- Dirables
- Industrial products
- Global ranking of countries by volume of moulded fibre packaging consumed, 2023
- Global ranking of countries by value of moulded fibre packaging consumed, 2023
- Global ranking of countries by growth of moulded fibre packaging consumption, CAGR% 2023-28
- Global ranking of countries by volume per capita of moulded fibre packaging consumption, 2023
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging by region and country, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging by region and country, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging by region and country, 2023-28
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in North America, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging in North America, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging in North America, 2023-28
For each country:
- Key market indicators, 2023-28
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2023-28
List of countries:
- US
- Canada
- Mexico
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in South & Central America, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging in South & Central America, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging in South & Central America, 2023-28
For each country:
- Key market indicators, 2023-28
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2023-28
List of countries:
- Brazil
- Other South & Central America
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the EMEA region, 2018-28, '000 tonnes
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the EMEA region, 2018-28, $ million
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the EMEA region, 2018-28, billion units
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the EMEA region, 2023-28
For each country:
- Key market indicators, 2023-28
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2023-28
List of countries:
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Spain
- UK
- Other Western European countries
- Poland
- Russia
- Other Eastern European countries
- Turkiye
- Other Middle Eastern countries
- Africa
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the Asia-Pacific region, 2018-28, '000 tonnes
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the Asia-Pacific region, 2018-28, $ million
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the Asia-Pacific region, 2018-28, billion units
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the Asia-Pacific region, 2023-28
For each country:
- Key market indicators, 2023-28
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2023-28
List of countries:
- China
- India
- Japan
- Other Asian countries
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in Australasia, 2018-28, '000 tonnes
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging in Australasia, 2018-28, $ million
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in Australasia, 2018-28, billion units
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging in Australasia, 2023-28
- 2018-28, $ million
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the EMEA region, 2018-28, billion units
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the EMEA region, 2023-28
For each country:
- Key market indicators, 2023-28
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2023-28
List of countries:
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Spain
- UK
- Other Western European countries
- Poland
- Russia
- Other Eastern European countries
- Turkiye
- Other Middle Eastern countries
- Africa
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the Asia-Pacific region, 2018-28, '000 tonnes
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the Asia-Pacific region, 2018-28, $ million
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the Asia-Pacific region, 2018-28, billion units
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging in the Asia-Pacific region, 2023-28
For each country:
- Key market indicators, 2023-28
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, '000 tonnes and billion units
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2018-28, $ million
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging, 2023-28
List of countries:
- China
- India
- Japan
- Other Asian countries
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in Australasia, 2018-28, '000 tonnes
- Current and forecast value consumption of moulded fibre packaging in Australasia, 2018-28, $ million
- Current and forecast volume consumption of moulded fibre packaging in Australasia, 2018-28, billion units
- Incremental consumption of moulded fibre packaging in Australasia, 2023-28
Figures
- Production of moulded fibre packaging materials, 2018 - 28, '000 tonnes
- Global retail sales index, 2015-22, (2015 = 100)
- Typical transfer moulded egg box
- Example of a bulk egg tray
- Labelled, printed, and coloured egg boxes
- Typical bulk fruit tray
- Examples of moulded fibre medical apparatus