Bio-polylactic Acid (PLA) Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecast (2022 - 2027)

Bio-polylactic Acid (PLA) Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecast (2022 - 2027)

The market for bio-polylactic acid is expected to reach USD 1,638.76 million by 2026, registering a CAGR of around 14.96% during the forecast period (2021-2026). The major factor driving the growth of the market studied is favorable government policies toward bio-plastics. On the flip side, the high cost of PLA and the negative economic impacts of COVID-19 are expected to hinder the growth of the market studied.

The packaging industry dominated the global market share due to its usage in fruit and vegetable packaging in supermarkets and for bread bags and bakery boxes, bottles, envelopes and display carton windows, and shopping or carrier bags, among others.

The growing production of genetically modified corn and the growing usage of bio-PLA in 3D printing are likely to act as opportunities in the future.

Asia-Pacific dominated the market across the globe, with the largest consumption from countries such as China and Japan.

Key Market TrendsThe Packaging Segmented is Expected to Dominate the Market

The packaging industry is one of the largest consumers of bio-PLA. Packaging accounted for a little over 68% of the bio-PLA market in 2019 in terms of revenue. Moreover, concerns about hygiene and food safety in the context of the pandemic have become a higher priority globally. As the packaging industry is the key player, the industries that help provide essential needs, such as getting food and required supplies safely to consumers, have been increasingly affected by the COVID-19.

Food packaging being the packaging industry’s largest area of activity, the USD 900 billion per year worldwide industry has been impacted enormously. The demand for packaging in segments such as groceries, home entertainment products, and household supplies is likely to increase during the pandemic period. At the same time, several segments such as packaging for the food and pharmaceutical industries continue to see vigorous demand. The shutting down of restaurants due to the pandemic has drastically shifted the packaging demand in the food area as consumers will continue to move to grocery purchases. The demand has increased across various healthcare packaging segments. In addition, the demand is expected to increase for dietary supplements, such as vitamins, and essential supplies, such as allergy medication. Moreover, the concerns regarding the environment and climate change are driving the countries worldwide to choose biodegradable packaging materials.

Bio-PLA is majorly used in fruit and vegetable packaging in supermarkets and for bread bags and bakery boxes, bottles, envelopes and display carton windows, and shopping or carrier bags, among others. The demand for bio-PLA in the packaging industry is increasing at a rapid pace in the European and North American regions. The increasing intervention of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and related organizations, in terms of food safety, is promoting the usage of bio-degradable and food-grade plastics for beverage and snack consumption. The restaurant chains and food processing industries are increasingly adopting biodegradable materials for food packaging. Consumer awareness is also rising rapidly in terms of food safety, as some plastics are proven carcinogens. The packaging industry in the developing regions, such as Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East, is expected to grow over the forecast period due to the improving food packaging standards of various food and safety organizations in these regions.

Furthermore, the post-lockdown numbers indicate a systemic shift in consumer purchasing preferences from offline to online. Customers are increasingly getting used to the comforts of online shopping globally, which is expected to increase the demand in the PLA market during the forecast period. Moreover, over the forthcoming years, the packaging sector is expected to benefit from the growing population, rising urbanization, and the further development of retail infrastructure in the emerging and developing nations of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

China is Expected to Dominate the Market in Asia-Pacific

In Asia-Pacific, China is the largest economy in terms of GDP. In 2019, the country witnessed about 6.1% growth in its GDP despite the trade disturbance due to the trade war with the United States.​ The country was the worst affected nation in the first few months of 2020, with the virus outbreak originating in the country itself. All the major manufacturing industries took a major hit, as the entire nation faced a lockdown situation to contain the virus outbreak during most of Q1 2020 and the early period of Q2 2020. According to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) projections, the Chinese GDP growth declined to 1.9% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. It is expected to recover and reach 8.2% by the end of 2021. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, in the first three months of 2020, the total industrial output in the country fell by 13.5%, 13.5%, and 1.1%, respectively.

China's industrial production rebounded sharply in April due to the government's push for work resumption and the easing of lockdown measures. In April 2020, the total industrial output in the country witnessed a 3.9% growth over April 2019. The packaging industry in China is expected to witness tremendous growth, and it may record a CAGR of nearly 6.8% to reach CNY 2 trillion by 2025. This positive momentum in the packaging industry is expected to ignite the market demand. However, China’s plastic ban and shift toward sustainable and biodegradable packaging are expected to drive the market during the period. Additionally, the food processing industry of China is moving toward maturity, witnessing moderate growth. Processed and packaged frozen food products are increasingly becoming popular, especially dairy, baby food, and confectionery products, which is a driver for the food processing industry. In the beverage industry, the trend of consuming healthy, natural, and convenient ready-to-drink smoothies, juices, and yogurt is emerging. Processed fruits, pork, dairy, and some specialty grains and legumes are the food products that may drive the growth of the food processing industry in the country. Thus, the food and beverage industry is offering opportunities for investment, which is further expected to create demand in the market studied.

China is the largest textile producing and exporting country in the world. With its rapid growth over the last two decades, the Chinese textile industry has become one of the main pillars of the country’s economy. Clothes, clothing accessories, textile yarns, and textile articles are among the top Chinese export goods. In 2019, China’s income from the textile industry was about CNY 235.93 billion, with a growth of about 1.2%, as compared to the previous year. Domestic sales of apparel and knitwear reached CNY 1.2 trillion in 2019, with a year-on-year growth of 3%. High availability of low-cost labor, reduced commercial barriers, and material supply availability are a few of the competitive advantages that the country offers for the clothing manufacturing industry.

China is the largest base for electronics production in the world. Electronic products, such as smartphones, TVs, wires, cables, portable computing devices, gaming systems, and other personal electronic devices, recorded the highest growth rate in the electronics segment. The country not only caters to the domestic demand for electronics but also exports electronic output to other countries. In China, with the increase in the disposable income of the middle-class population and the rising demand for electronic products in countries importing electronic products from China, the production of electronics is projected to grow. With the growing electronics industry, the demand in the market studied is expected to increase. Currently, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, economic and industrial manufacturing activities have been affected significantly. However, industrial production has returned to normalcy in the country. Hence, from the above-mentioned factors, the demand for bio-PLA in China is estimated to grow during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The bio-polylactic acid market is highly concentrated, and the four major players have a share of around 86% market in terms of production capacity. The market is further expected to consolidate in 2021 due to the planned capacity expansions by major players. The major players of the market studied include NatureWorks LLC, Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co. Ltd, Sulzer Ltd, Futerro, and Total Corbion PLA, among others.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

Companies Mentioned

IBM Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Internap Corporation
Packet Inc. (An Equinix Inc. Company)
Scaleway Inc.
Amazon Web Services Inc
Rackspace Inc.
CenturyLink, Inc.
LightEdge Solutions, Inc

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