GVR Report cover Canada Plastic Packaging Market Size, Share & Trends Report

Canada Plastic Packaging Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Material (PE, PET, PS, PP, Bioplastics), By Product, By Type, By Technology, By Application, By Application Channel, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

  • Report ID: GVR-4-68039-981-2
  • Number of Pages: 144
  • Format: Electronic (PDF)

Report Overview

The Canada plastic packaging market size was estimated at USD 9.51 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.8% from 2022 to 2030. The factors driving the growth include expanding end-use industries, increasing spending on personal care and household products, and the rising demand for convenient and efficient packaging solutions. However, volatile raw material prices and stringent regulations for single-use plastics are the major restraints to the industry’s growth. The food & beverage industry is the largest end-user in the industry. The packaged food & beverage sector has been experiencing robust growth over the past several years.

Canada plastic packaging market size, by application, 2020 - 2030 (USD Billion)

Changing lifestyles, growing demand for processed food, increasing population, and increasing penetration of e-retail across Canada are a few macro factors driving plastic demand in food packaging applications. Besides, the food demand is poised to grow as the Canadian population is expected to increase from 37 million in 2021 to 42.5 million by 2050, which is anticipated to fuel the demand for plastic packaging products.

Canada’s strong economy offers a reliable market for cosmetics and personal care products. According to the report of the International Trade Administration, the cosmetics market in Canada generated approximately USD 1.24 billion in revenue in 2021, which is expected to grow by 1.45% to reach USD 1.8 billion by 2024.

Increasing awareness regarding personal health and safety is anticipated to provide a stimulus to the growth of the personal care market over the forecast period. Improved standards of living and high disposable income in the country are expected to propel the growth of the personal care industry in Canada which in turn is driving the demand for plastic packaging to protect the integrity of the packed cosmetic & household products.

However, plastic resins such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), and others are mainly used to produce plastic packaging products. These plastic resins are derived from crude oil. Therefore, the continuous fluctuation in crude oil prices leads to uncertainty around the availability of raw materials at lower or economical prices.

Plastic packaging manufacturers use various raw materials, including virgin plastics, recycled plastics, bio-based plastics, and other combinations, such as plastics with paper and aluminum, to produce the desired packaging products. At present, virgin plastics account for the highest share in the global plastic packaging industry. However, the popularity of recycled plastics and bio-based plastics has increased exponentially over the past several years owing to their sustainable nature.

The strengthening plastic recycling infrastructure across the globe, coupled with growing investments in bioplastic R&D activities, is likely to increase eco-friendly plastic packaging offerings in the near future. Various plastic resins are utilized by manufacturers based on the performance requirement of end-use applications. Among these, PE, PET, PP, PS, and PVS are widely utilized due to their abundance, low cost, and robust operational performance.

Material Insights

The polyethylene segment accounted for 32.60% of the revenue share in the year 2021. The packaging industry in Canada is highly dependent on polyethylene due to the increasing demand for packaged goods, surging trade activities, and growing dependency of customers on online delivery of the goods. This factor is anticipated to bode well for the growth of the segment over the forecast period.

Additionally, the easy availability of polyethylene, along with its affordable price, is anticipated to result in the growth of the polyethylene segment over the forecast period. However, increasing awareness among the masses about protecting the environment and maintaining health is expected to act as a key restraint for the growth of the segment.

The polyethylene segment is further segmented into High-Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), and Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE). HDPE dominated the market. Since, it is the most commonly used material in the manufacturing industry in Canada owing to its high tensile strength, large strength-to-density ratio, high-impact resistance, and high melting point. HDPE finds application in a wide array of end-use industries, including personal & household care blow-molded bottles, telecom ducts, fireworks, household goods, electrical & plumbing boxes, and films.

Type Insights

The primary packaging segment accounted for a revenue share of 49.82% in 2021 and is projected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The factors attributed to the growth of the segment include the increasing demand for processed food products and medicines and the increasing adoption of personal care products.

Primary packaging is the first layer of packaging which comes in direct contact with the product. The purpose of primary packaging is to preserve, contain, and provide essential information about the product to the consumer. The type of material used for primary packaging is clamshell packaging, blister packaging, paperboard packaging, unit dose packaging, bottles, and shrink-wrapping.

The food and beverage industry has humongous demand for primary packaging. The rising demand for processed food, high consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and the emergence of snacking culture in Canada is spurring the market for primary packaging. The sales of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in Canada have increased due to their high consumption.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2022, approximately USD 25.5 billion worth of alcoholic beverages was sold in the year 2021, registering an increase of 4.2% from the year 2020. Whereas, the non-alcoholic beverages market has been showing a modest CAGR of 2.7% from 2021-2026. Thus, a significant increase in Canada’s beverage consumption is driving the demand for primary packaging materials, particularly pet bottles.

Technology Insights

Extrusion dominated the product segment with a 39.35% revenue share in 2021. Extrusion is primarily used for high-volume manufacturing of products having definite cross-sections, including plastic films, sheets, thermoplastic coatings, and others. The raw material is fed in the form of granules, flakes, powder, or pellets using a hopper and is passed through a die to achieve the desired shape. Materials like polyethylene, acrylic, nylon, polypropylene, polycarbonate and other polymers are commonly used in the extrusion process.

There are different types of extrusion techniques in use, including blown film extrusion, sheet/film extrusion, compound extrusion, co-extrusion, and extrusion coating. Blow film extrusion is used to produce plastic films for continuous sheeting and shopping bags. The sheet/film extrusion process is primarily used to extrude plastic sheets and films that cannot be produced using blow extrusion.

The co-extrusion process is used to extrude several layers of materials at the same time. The compound extrusion process uses multiple polymers with additives, producing plastic compounds as its output. The extrusion coating process is used to provide an additional coating to products.

Extrusion has huge demand in the flexible packaging market. Pouches, bags, and other solutions are widely used to store products like soups, sauces, baby food items, ready-to-eat meals, meal replacements, and dairy products. Changing lifestyles and high urbanization rates in Canada are responsible for the higher demand for packaged food and beverages, which is expected to drive the demand for flexible packaging.

Flexible intermediate bulk packaging solutions, which are manufactured by the extrusion process, provide excellent convenience, flexibility, and shelf life during the transportation of medicines, tablets, powder, and liquid in bulk. The expanding pharmaceutical market in Canada, coupled with high export quantity, is driving the demand for flexible packaging solutions, which, in turn, is expected to benefit the growth of the extrusion technology segment over the forecast period.

Application Insights

The food packaging application segment held the largest revenue share of 30.27% in the year 2021. The factors attributed to driving the growth of the segment are the versatile applications offered by plastic packaging and the expanding food processing industry in Canada.

Food processing is the second-largest manufacturing industry in Canada, in terms of production and sales of goods. Over the last five years, the industry has expanded significantly, for instance, according to the data of the Government of Canada, 2021, the exports of processed food and beverage products grew at an average annual rate of 6.9%.

Meanwhile, imports grew at an annual rate of 3.9% from the year 2015-2020. According to the report of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, the food & beverage industry’s sales have significantly increased over the past decade and are expected to grow by 15% over the next five years. Thus, the expanding food industry is driving the adoption of plastic packaging in the coming years.

Application Channel Insights

Retail emerged as a dominating application channel. The retail sector is involved in selling consumer goods and related services through stores to the population. The retail sector is growing in the country due to the increasing population and urbanization. From 2016 to 2021, Canada’s population reached 37 million, approximately 1.8 million more than in 2016.

Further, the population increased in 41 large urban centers, and with growth accelerating, in most of the cities of Canada the demand for consumer goods is increasing, thus, the retail sector is expanding in the country. The fastest growing retail sectors in Canada include apparel, jewelry, consumer electronics, and household & kitchen products. However, the E-commerce retail sector is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period.

The pandemic negatively impacted the growth of retail stores. However, post-pandemic re-bound in Canada’s economy showed a positive growth trend for retail stores. The retail industry is planning to expand in Canada. For instance, in 2021, Dollarama announced its plan for expansion across Canada over the next decade.

Furthermore, Sephora Canada, a personal care product company, announced an expansion plan in the country for the next three years. Thus, expansion by key retailers is expected to boost the growth of the in-store retail sector in the country, which, in turn, is expected to drive the growth of the plastic packaging industry in the near future.

Product Insights

The rigid type product dominated with 56.64% of the revenue share in 2021 owing to the product’s applicability and functionality of offering excellent protection to the packaged goods and products. Plastics are long polymer chains making them durable and extremely difficult to break. The rise in the demand for rigid plastic packaging from the healthcare industry to prevent contamination of medicines and from the food & beverage industry is projected to accelerate the growth of the segment over the forecast period.

The flexible product segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.1% over the forecast period. Flexible packaging offers convenience to consumers and occupies less retail space, which drives its popularity as a packaging solution. Flexible packaging helps reduce food wastage. For example, flexible packaging helps slow down the ripening of packaged fruits and increases their shelf life. As a result, fresh produce manufacturers frequently opt for the flexible type of product.

Canada plastic packaging market share, by product, 2021 (%)

Rising demand for food, on account of the increasing population in Canada, is expected to boost the growth of the segment over the forecast period. Bioplastics are the primary raw materials used by the manufacturers of flexible packaging solutions. Rising demand for bio-based PLA films in bakery, confectionery, food, and snack packaging applications, on account of their recyclability and biodegradability, is anticipated to be a major factor driving the growth of the segment over the forecast period.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is highly competitive with the presence of both global and regional players. Companies operating in the Canada plastic packaging industry offer a wide range of plastic packaging solutions that are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Moreover, they offer custom packaging products to suit customer-specific requirements. Key players are increasingly investing in the development of bio-based packaging products. In April 2019, Sealed Air collaborated with Kuraray America, Inc., a Japan-based specialty material manufacturer, to develop plant-based packaging for perishable foods such as poultry, beef, and seafood in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Mondi has also been offering packaging products made from biopolymers based on renewable resources instead of PE. Numerous chemical companies such as BASF SE, Braskem S.A., NatureWorks, Novamont, and Plantic are entering the development of biopolymers due to increasing global demand. Some prominent players in the Canada plastic packaging market include:

  • Amcor Plc.

  • Berry Global Group, Inc.

  • CCL Industries

  • Coveris

  • Sealed Air

  • Sonoco Products Company

  • WINPAK Ltd.

  • Alpha Packaging

  • Constantia Flexibles

  • Mondi

  • Gerresheimer AG

  • Silver Spur Corporation

  • Greif

  • Transcontinental Inc.

  • ALPLA

Canada Plastic Packaging Market Report Scope

Report Attribute

Details

Market size value in 2022

USD 9.86 billion

Revenue forecast in 2030

USD 13.76 billion

Growth Rate

CAGR of 3.8% from 2021 to 2030

Base year for estimation

2021

Historical data

2017 - 2020

Forecast period

2022 - 2030

Quantitative units

Volume in Kilotons, Revenue in USD Billion, and CAGR from 2021 to 2030

Report coverage

Volume forecast, revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends

Segments covered

Material, product, type, technology, application, application channel

Country Scope

Canada

Key companies profiled

Amcor plc; Berry Global, Inc.; CCL Industries; Coveris; Sealed Air; Sonoco Products Company; WINPAK LTD.; Alpha Packaging; Constantia Flexibles Group GmbH; Mondi plc; Gerresheimer AG; Silver Spur Corporation; Grief; Transcontinental Inc.; ALPLA

Customization scope

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Canada Plastic Packaging Market Segmentation

This report forecasts the volume and revenue growth at the country level and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the Canada plastic packaging market report based on material, product, type, technology, application, and application channel:

  • Material Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

    • PE

      • HDPE

      • LDPE

      • LLDPE

    • PET

    • PS

    • PP

    • Bioplastic

      • PLA

      • Starch Blend

      • PHA

      • Biodegradable Polyester

      • Others

    • Others

  • Product Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

    • Rigid

      • Bottles Jars

      • Cans

      • Trays & Containers

      • Caps & Closures

      • Drums

      • IBC

      • Pails

      • Others

    • Flexible

      • Wraps and Films

      • Bags

      • Pouches

      • FIBC

      • Others

  • Type Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

    • Primary

    • Secondary

    • Tertiary

  • Technology Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

    • Injection Molding

    • Extrusion

    • Blow Moldings

    • Thermoforming

    • Others

  • Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

    • Food

    • Beverages

    • Industrial Packaging

    • Pharmaceuticals

    • Personal & Household Care

    • Petroleum and Hazardous Chemicals

    • Others

  • Application Channel Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

    • Retail

      • In-Store

      • E-Commerce

    • Industrial

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