Sustainability in Food & Beverage Packaging
Description
Demand for sustainable food and beverage packaging is quantified in terms of overall packaging trends, with historical data and forecasts included where available. Growth patterns reflect shifting material use, regulatory pressures, and increased investment in recyclable, compostable, and lower-impact packaging formats.
This report analyzes sustainability-driven changes across the food and beverage packaging industry. Quantitative data are presented for overall packaging demand, along with selected measurements for specific spotlight segments.
Quantitative data presented in this study include:
Total food & beverage packaging demand (historical and forecast)
Beverage packaging demand, including selected comparisons by material
Packaging labels demand
Packaging shipments
Key sustainability performance metrics (recycling rates, recycled content usage,
etc.)
Sustainability analysis is provided for:
Plastic packaging
Paper & paperboard packaging
Metal packaging
Glass packaging
Molded fiber and emerging alternatives
Mono-material designs
Product labeling formats
End-user sustainability goals and strategies
Key regulatory developments impacting sustainable packaging
Consumer attitudes toward packaging sustainability
Product and material spotlights include:
Mono-material flexible and rigid packaging
Labels and labeling technologies
Molded fiber innovations
Beverage packaging sustainability developments
Coverage includes the following topic areas:
Material performance, environmental attributes, and recyclability
Corporate and industry sustainability commitments
Lightweighting and source reduction
Recycled content supply and demand
Compostability and biodegradability
Reuse systems and refill models
Challenges associated with multi-material packaging
Infrastructure and policy factors affecting recycling and recovery
Table of Contents
247 Pages
- 1. Executive Summary
- 2. Short-Term Analysis
- Recent Economic Trends
- Short-Term Food & Beverage Industry Trends
- Food Industry Trends
- Recent Trends (2022-2024)
- Outlook (2025-2026)
- Beverage Industry Trends
- Recent Trends (2022-2024)
- Outlook (2025–2027)
- Short-Term Food & Beverage Packaging Trends
- 3. Packaging Introduction
- Study Scope & Packaging Definition
- Packaging Markets
- Sales Outlook
- Food Packaging
- Beverage Packaging
- Key Packaging Product Trends
- Corrugated & Paperboard Boxes
- Rigid Containers
- Flexible Packaging
- Materials Competition
- Key Materials & Market Trends
- Shipment Outlook
- Paper Packaging
- Plastic Packaging
- Molded Fiber Packaging
- Metal Packaging
- Glass & Other Packaging
- Glass
- Other Packaging
- 4. What Drives Packaging Choice?
- The Challenge in Finding the Best Packaging Solution
- Pricing Trends & Packaging Cost
- Performance
- Core Performance Attributes
- Performance by Material
- Plastic Packaging
- Paper & Paperboard Packaging
- Glass & Metal Packaging
- Emerging Sustainable Materials
- Changing Package Size Preferences
- Shelf Appeal
- Regulations
- Plastic Bag & Container Bans
- PFAS in Food Packaging
- Federal Activity
- State-Level Legislation
- Outlook & Industry Implications
- Container Deposit Laws
- Purpose & Mechanics
- Current US Landscape & Recent Changes
- Recycled Plastic Content Regulations
- Federal Procurement Guidelines
- State-Level Mandates & Legislation
- Regulatory Challenges in Food Contact Applications
- FDA Approvals & Expanding Supply of Food-Grade Resin
- Extended Producer Responsibility
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- 5. Consumer Attitudes & Packaging Preferences
- Packaging is Important to Grocery Shopping Consumers
- Attitudes About Eco-Friendly Packaging
- Priority of Eco-Friendly Packaging Features
- Consumer Attitudes Toward Recycling & Environmental Responsibility
- How Consumers Rate Material Sustainability
- 6. What Is Sustainability?
- Introduction
- Total Environmental Footprint
- Key Metrics
- Corporate Goals & Progress
- Disclosures & Standards
- Key Goals
- Resource/Waste Reduction
- Energy Efficiency
- Material Impacts on Energy Use
- Design & Distribution Efficiency
- Shift Toward Flexible Formats
- Pollution & Waste Prevention
- Food Waste Reduction
- Areas of Focus
- Recycling
- Overview
- Access & Household Participation
- E-Commerce & Retailer Initiatives
- Recycling Rates by Material
- Challenges in Multi-Material Packaging
- System Constraints & Infrastructure Investment
- Corporate & Industry Initiatives
- Outlook
- Recycled Content Usage
- Paper & Paperboard
- Plastics
- Glass & Metal
- Retailer & Policy Pressure
- Biodegradability
- Compostability
- Renewable Resources
- Reusability
- Packaging Material Sustainability Comparison
- Competitive Factors
- Paper & Molded Fiber
- Plastic & Bioplastics
- Glass & Metal
- Material Recycling Rate Comparison
- 7. Market Spotlight: Beverage Packaging
- Market Scope
- Demand Forecast
- Materials Comparison
- New Sustainable Packaging Developments
- Lightweighting & Source Reduction
- Recycling & Recycled Content Integration
- Alternative & Hybrid Material Developments
- Suppliers & Sustainability Goals
- Major Supplier Strategies
- Industry-Wide Sustainability Trends
- Recycled Content & Material Circularity
- Lightweighting & Source Reduction
- Reporting & Disclosure
- Low-Carbon Production Investments
- 8. Material Spotlight: Mono-Materials
- Product Description
- Market Overview
- Supplier Trends
- Converters Expand Recyclable Film & Pouch Portfolios
- Material & Resin Producers Enable Next-Generation Mono-Structures
- Strategic Alignment & Certification
- 9. Product Spotlight: Labels
- Product Description
- Demand Forecast
- Competitive Products & Technologies
- Materials Comparison
- Paper Labels
- Plastic Labels
- Other Label Materials
- New Sustainable Product Development
- Recyclability & Material Reduction
- Digital Traceability & Consumer Engagement
- Freshness & Waste Prevention
- ESG Alignment & Market Integration
- Suppliers & Sustainability Initiatives
- 10. End User Strategies & Goals
- The Walmart Effect
- Recycled Plastic Content Targets
- Corporate Commitments & 2025 Goals
- Progress & Shortfalls
- Regulatory Drivers
- Outlook
- Shifting Away from Plastic to Paper- & Plant-Based Packaging
- Prominent Labels Can Convey Subtler Sustainability Attributes
- Expansion of Reusable Packaging Programs
- 11. Plastic Packaging Sustainability
- Leading Packaging Products
- Key Sustainability Metrics
- Plastics Recycling Rate
- Recycled Content Usage
- Key Producer & Brand Efforts
- Challenges to Expanded Use
- Industry Goals & Progress Toward Targets
- Labeling & Bale Standards
- Consumer-Facing Labeling Initiatives
- Bale Standards & Sortation Improvements
- Captive Recycling Operations
- Source Reduction Efforts
- Lightweighting & Material Redesign
- Right-Sizing & Packaging Minimization
- Resin Efficiency & Downgauging
- Biodegradable Plastics
- Material Advances
- Food & Beverage Packaging Applications
- Compostable Plastics
- Material Advances
- Commercial Food & Beverage Packaging Applications
- Infrastructure & Certification Challenges
- Biobased Plastics
- Material Developments
- Brand & Converter Adoption
- Packaging Producer Strategies & Goals
- Leading Plastic Packaging Producers
- Pactiv Evergreen
- Plastipak Packaging
- Printpack
- New Product Development Efforts
- Recyclable Mono-Material Formats
- Compostable Plastic Formats
- 12. Paper & Paperboard Packaging
- Leading Packaging Products
- Key Sustainability Metrics
- Paper Recycling Rate
- Recycled Content Usage
- Source Reduction Efforts
- Biodegradable & Compostable Products
- Packaging Producer Strategies & Goals
- Fiber Sourcing Initiatives
- Recycled Content Goals
- Development of Recyclable & Compostable Coatings
- Energy Efficiency & Emissions Reduction
- EPR & Circular Economy Reporting
- Collaboration & Industry Partnerships
- New Product Development Efforts
- Next-Generation Barrier & Coated Papers
- Compostable & Recyclable Cupstock Developments
- Printing & Branding Enhancements
- 13. Metal Packaging
- Leading Packaging Products
- Key Sustainability Metrics
- Metal Recycling Rate
- Recycled Content Usage
- Source Reduction Efforts
- Packaging Producer Strategies & Goals
- Alignment with ESG & Disclosure Frameworks
- Strategic Areas of Investment
- New Product Development Efforts
- 14. Glass Packaging
- Leading Packaging Products
- Bottles
- Jars
- Key Sustainability Metrics
- Glass Recycling Rate
- Recycled Content Usage
- Role of Cullet in Glass Manufacturing
- Recycled Content Levels
- Constraints on Cullet Use
- Source Reduction Efforts
- Lightweighting of Bottles & Jars
- Limitations & Trade-Offs
- Packaging Producer Strategies & Goals
- Adjusting to EPR Legislation
- New Product Development Efforts
- 15. Molded Fiber Packaging
- Leading Packaging Products
- Materials Overview
- Rough Molded Fiber
- Smooth Molded Fiber
- Key Sustainability Metrics
- Molded Fiber Recycling
- Recycled Content Usage
- Source Reduction Efforts
- Biodegradable & Compostable Products
- Feedstocks & Base Fiber Performance
- Barrier Coatings & PFAS Phaseout
- Composter Acceptance & Market Position
- Wood Pulp vs. Agricultural Waste
- Wood Pulp
- Agricultural Waste
- Packaging Producer Strategies & Goals
- Fiber Sourcing & Alternative Materials
- PFAS-Free Barrier Development
- Other Strategies
- Huhtamaki
- Novolex
- Hartmann
- New Product Development Efforts
- Advances in PFAS-Free Barriers & Functional Coatings
- Broader Fiber Feedstocks & Supply Localization
- Growth in Beverage Packaging Formats
- Design & Manufacturing Enhancements
- 16. Appendix
- Report Details
- Definitions
- Abbreviations
- Freedonia Methodology
- Study-Specific Methodology
- Sources
- Associations & Agencies
- Related Studies & Reports
- Macroeconomic Assumptions
- Economic Environment
- Demographic Trends
- Consumer Spending
- Retail Sales
- List of Tables
- 1. Executive Summary
- 2. Short-Term Analysis
- Table 2-1. Macroeconomic Indicators, 2024, 2025, 2026, & 2027 (billion 2017 dollars & billion dollars)
- Table 2-2. Food & Beverage Shipments, 2022 – 2026 (billion 2017 dollars)
- 3. Packaging Introduction
- Table 3-1. Key Advantages & Disadvantages by Packaging Material Type
- 4. What Drives Packaging Choice?
- Table 4-1. Key Performance Characteristics by Packaging Material Type
- 5. Consumer Attitudes & Packaging Preferences
- Table 5-1. Attitudes About the Importance of Packaging When Making Grocery Shopping Choices by Gender & Age Group, 2024 (percent of respondents)
- Table 5-2. Packaging Features: Consumer Opinions on Eco-Friendly Packaging by Gender, Age Group, & Income Level 2024 (percent of respondents)
- Table 5-3. Packaging Features: Consumer Opinions on the Priority of Eco-Friendly Packaging Features, 2024 (percent of respondents)
- Table 5-4. Consumer Insights: Attitudes on Recycling & Waste by Gender & Age Group, 2024 (percent of respondents)
- Table 5-5. Consumer Insights: Sustainability Views by Material, 2024 (percent of respondents)
- 6. What Is Sustainability?
- Table 6-1. Rating Packaging Materials by Sustainability Metric
- 7. Market Spotlight: Beverage Packaging
- 8. Material Spotlight: Mono-Materials
- 9. Product Spotlight: Labels
- Table 9-1. Labels Demand by Application, 2014, 2019, 2024, 2029, & 2034 (million square meters)
- Table 9-2. Labels Demand by Stock Material, 2014, 2019, 2024, 2029, & 2034 (million dollars)
- 10. End User Strategies & Goals
- Table 10-1. Selected Consumer Packaged Goods Producers: Recycled Content Goals
- 11. Plastic Packaging Sustainability
- Table 11-1. Selected Plastic Packaging Suppliers: Recycled Content Goals
- Table 11-2. Plastic Packaging Waste Collected for Recycling by Product & Resin, 2019 – 2022 (million pounds)
- 12. Paper & Paperboard Packaging
- 13. Metal Packaging
- 14. Glass Packaging
- 15. Molded Fiber Packaging
- 16. Appendix
- Table 16-1. Industry Codes Related to Food Packaging
- Table 16-2. Abbreviations & Acronyms Used in Study
- Table 16-3. Macroeconomic Indicators, 2015, 2019, 2025, 2030, & 2035 (billion 2017 dollars)
- Table 16-4. Population & Households, 2015, 2019, 2025, 2030, & 2035 (million persons)
- Table 16-5. Personal Consumption Expenditures, 2015, 2019, 2025, 2030, & 2035 (billion 2017 dollars)
- Table 16-6. Nondurable Goods & Retail Sales, 2014, 2019, 2024, & 2029 (billion dollars)
- List of Figures
- 1. Executive Summary
- Figure 1-1. Food & Beverage Sustainable Packaging Trends
- 2. Short-Term Analysis
- 3. Packaging Introduction
- Figure 3-1. Packaging Demand, 2014 – 2029 (billion dollars)
- Figure 3-2. Corrugated & Paperboard Box Demand, 2014 – 2034 (billion dollars)
- Figure 3-3. Packaging Shipments, 2014 – 2029 (billion dollars)
- 4. What Drives Packaging Choice?
- 5. Consumer Attitudes & Packaging Preferences
- 6. What Is Sustainability?
- Figure 6-1. Packaging Recycling Rates by Material, 2010, 2015, 2017, & 2018 (% recycled)
- 7. Market Spotlight: Beverage Packaging
- Figure 7-1. Beverage Packaging: Product Examples
- Figure 7-2. Beverage Packaging Demand, 2014 – 2029 (billion dollars)
- Figure 7-3. Beverage Packaging Demand Growth by Material, 2014 – 2029 (% CAGR)
- 8. Material Spotlight: Mono-Materials
- Figure 8-1. Mono-materials: Product Examples
- 9. Product Spotlight: Labels
- Figure 9-1. Labels: Product Examples
- Figure 9-2. Labels Demand, 2014 – 2034 (million square meters)
- Figure 9-3. Labels Demand Growth by Stock Material, 2014 – 2034 (% CAGR)
- 10. End User Strategies & Goals
- 11. Plastic Packaging Sustainability
- Figure 11-1. Plastic Packaging: Product Examples
- Figure 11-2. Plastic Packaging Recycling Rate, 2010, 2015, 2017, & 2018 (% of products recycled)
- 12. Paper & Paperboard Packaging
- Figure 12-1. Paper & Paperboard Packaging: Product Examples
- Figure 12-2. Paper & Paperboard Packaging Recycling Rate by Product, 2010, 2015, 2017, & 2018 (% products recycled)
- 13. Metal Packaging
- Figure 13-1. Metal Packaging: Product Examples
- 14. Glass Packaging
- Figure 14-1. Glass Packaging: Product Examples
- Figure 14-2. Glass Packaging Recycling Rate by Product, 2010, 2015, 2017, & 2018 (% products recycled)
- 15. Molded Fiber Packaging
- Figure 15-1. Molded Fiber Packaging: Product Examples
- 16. Appendix
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