Beverage Containers

Growth in the US beverage containers market will total 3.6% annually through 2019 in value terms.  

Advances will be driven by greater preference for smaller beverage portions.  Increased demand for healthy beverages such as bottled water and plant-based milks will also lead to gains.

This report segments the beverage container industry by Material, Type, and Market.  Data is provided in million US dollars, billion gallons, and billion units.

Materials used in beverage containers include:

• Plastic

• Metal

• Glass

• Paperboard 

Plastic will remain the largest of these through 2019.  Products made from plastic will also post the fastest gains, fueled by the adaptability of this material to fit the needs of a variety of applications.

Major beverage container types include:

• Plastic, Metal, and Glass Bottles

• Plastic Cups

• Pouches

• Metal Cans

• Gabletop Cartons

• Aseptic Cartons

• Bag-in-box

Plastic bottles held the largest share in 2014.  Going forward, metal bottles will see the strongest advances, benefiting from continued use in soda and beer, though this will remain a relatively small part of the overall beverage container market.

Among the key markets for beverage containers are:

• Carbonated Soft Drinks

• Bottled Water

• Fruit Beverages

• Milk

• Sports Beverages

• RTD Tea

• Enhanced Water 

• RTD Coffee

• Energy Drinks

• Nondairy Milk

• Beer

• Wine

• Distilled Spirits

• Flavored Alcoholic Beverages

• Cider, Mead, & Sake

Carbonated soft drinks was the leading outlet in 2014.  The most rapid gains through 2019 are forecast for the RTD coffee market, fueled by the opportunities for new products in this sector.

Most segments of the beverage container industry are concentrated, with a small number of producers accounting for the bulk of metal, glass, and paperboard containers and a slightly larger group accounting for the majority of plastic container production.  Participants in this industry include Amcor, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Ardagh Group, Ball, Coca-Cola, Crown Holdings, Owens-Illinois, Plastipak Holdings, Rexam, and Reynolds Group Holdings.