Global Food Container Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Product (Plastic Containers, Glass Containers, Paperboard Containers, Metal Containers, Bags And Pouches), By Application (Dairy Products, Baked Food, Fruits And Vegetables, Meat Products, Others), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2023 To 2028

The food container market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.06%, from US$207.476 billion in 2021 to US$274.042 billion in 2028.

A food container is used for preserving and storing food items at normal room temperature thereby keeping their quality intact and extending their shelf life. The container comes in various options such as plastic, glass, and metal containers. The growing production of food items such as dairy products, meat, fruits, and vegetables coupled with population growth and rapid urbanization is boosting the demand for food containers for preserving such items. For instance, according to the India Brand Equity Foundation, fruit production in the country stood at 107.10 million tonnes, which represented an increase of 4.5% in comparison to 102.48 million tons produced in 2019-2020. Moreover, the growing awareness among people regarding sustainable packaging is expected to further stimulate the demand for food containers during the forecast period.

Government schemes promoting sustainable packaging solutions will push the market growth of the food container market.

Packaging waste is mainly created through the usage of materials such as single-use plastics which are hard to dispose of. The growing plastic pollution is becoming a major concern that has made the government of different countries focus on recyclable & sustainable packaging in major sectors such as food & beverage, owing to which new rules and regulations have been implemented to cater to such needs. For instance, Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, in May 2020, revised its specifications and standards for the Food Utensils, Containers and Packaging legislation which would allow the usage of polyethylene naphthalate (R-PEN) recycled and polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET) in food contact materials. Furthermore, the German government, 2019, introduced the German Packaging Act 2019 which aimed to make retailers more responsible for promoting the usage of eco-friendly and recyclable packaging solutions including deposits on all single-use beverage packages as well as compulsory labeling of the shelves as either “ONE WAY” or “RETURNABLE” beverage packaging by the distributor.

Flexible packaging material and their increasing importance in the nutrition industry mainly because of their multiple properties of good heat insulation, aroma retention, and even moisture barrier resistance are driving their demand during the projected period. Moreover, the growing concerns about greenhouse emissions in the food and beverage industry owing to stringent regulations that are directly aimed at reducing the usage of carbon dioxide is a factor that is expected to promote the demand for sustainable packaging goods derived from bioplastics. Furthermore, the rising importance of lightweight and secure disposal is regarded to be a few more reasons driving the food container market towards a positive growth trajectory.

Restraint:

The cost of plastic packaging increased between 2020 and 2022 as a result of weather-related incidents, COVID-19, and a labor shortage. The supply chain disruptions and scarcity of raw materials due to the pandemic has resulted in the higher cost of raw materials such as PET resins and others which is expected to increase the price of food containers.

Further, major companies are entering into strategic alliances to cater to this rising demand which will further aid in the market development of the food container market. For instance, HuiZero, Maui's first zero waste to-go container program, officially launched in October 2021 at various eateries throughout Maui. For takeout orders, partner restaurants offer stainless steel HuiZero containers, which can also be used at other affiliated restaurants.

Tim Hortons which opened in India recently in 2021 started using reusable, closed-loop container initiatives using the circular packaging of Terra Cycle’s platform, Loop, in order to aid in their efforts to reduce packaging waste.

By product, the global food container market is segmented into plastic containers, glass containers, paperboard containers, metal containers, and bags & pouches. Plastic containers held a significant market share in 2020 owing to increasing demand for convenience and quality products. The metal container segment will have a steady growth due to its attributes such as high shelf life, resistibility, and recycling ability. With the shift in consumer preference against the use of food preservatives, there will be an increase in the adoption rate of aseptic pouches by manufacturers in major nations and thereby augmenting the demand for this segment in the coming years.

By geography, the global food container has been segmented into North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia Pacific.

COVID-19 Impact on the Food Container Market

A surge in online sales during the pandemic boosted the need for practically every kind of packaging. With the outbreak of the pandemic, the first few weeks of March 2020 saw a tremendous panic buying frenzy with daily shortages in several categories. The reliance on shelf-stable food products became the forefront of COVID-19 eating habits as panic buying saw many customers store items like beans, soups, and other frozen and canned foods. Consequently, the demand for food containers surged in 2020. For instance, in 2020, the RFG group reported a 12% growth in revenue from its grocery segment including canned vegetables and canned meat. The canned fruit and jam revenue also went up according to the annual report. In addition to panic buying, the demand for containers increased as people were confined to their homes and takeout became more accessible due to restaurant closures.

Global Food Container Market Scope:

Segmentation

• By Product
  • Plastic Containers
  • Glass Containers
  • Paperboard Containers
  • Metal Containers
  • Bags and Pouches
• By Application
  • Dairy Products
  • Baked Food
  • Fruits and Vegetables
  • Meat Product
  • Others
• By Geography
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • UK
    • Germany
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Israel
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • India
    • Australia
    • South Korea
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Indonesia
    • Others