How E-Commerce is Driving the Europe Plastic Protective Packaging Market

Plastic protective packaging market continues to be influenced by different factors, ranging from manufacturers’ focus on simplifying & optimizing plastic protecting packaging, to innovation in plastic properties in line with decreased waste. As is the case globally, e-commerce sales in Europe have grown at a healthy rate in the last decade or so. This growth has created demand for safe and efficient protective packaging, as a seamless consumer experience remains critical to brand reputation and loyalty.

Growing Focus on Preventing In-Transit Damage

To ensure a safe and secure delivery, sellers are investing in plastic protective packaging solutions such as air cushions, bubble packaging, and plastic stretch to ensure that the goods are protected during transportation.

Consumers are not only purchasing toys, clothes, books, electronic gadgets online, but also perishable products such as food and beverages. The need for safe and secure packaging is amplified in cases of sensitive and brittle products such as products made from glass and expensive souvenirs. Several manufacturers are exploring substitutes such as flexible pouches that can be easily shipped, while reducing the overall costs.

The insights presented here are based on a report on plastic protective packaging market by Fact.MR. A sample of the report is available upon request.

Adoption of Biodegradable Plastics Increasing due to Growing Environmental Concerns

Concerns related to climate change have led to significant alterations in the development of plastic protective packaging. Demand for low-waste & effective packaging has increased among big online retailers, with a focusing on reducing secondary & transit packaging waste at retail sites. Increasing concerns pertaining to harmful effects of plastic on health and climate has led to development & adoption of biodegradable plastics that meet all technical demands and comply with European and country-level regulations.

To meet the evolving end-user preferences, retailers & manufacturers are concentrating on simplifying their packaging segment with eco-friendly and sustainable solutions. This has led to the increasing use of bioplastics in recent years. Bioplastics like polythene developed from sugarcane have come up as a preferred alternative for oil-based equivalents for protective packaging.

Adoption of Flexible Packaging

Sustainability is one of the primary reasons for the adoption of flexible packaging by online retailers. Big brand owners & retailers such as Amazon are working towards objectives around reusable, and compostable packaging. Danone, a French multinational food-products corporation, revealed that their brand Evian will make all of their plastic bottles from hundred percent recycled plastic by 2025.

Sustainability advantages of lighter weight flexible packaging plays a crucial role in e-commerce. Transforming to flexible packaging may decrease materials costs, simplify logistical issues, and shipping costs. Products that are sold in the retail environment don’t have the same demand when they are sold online. Hence, it allows manufacturers and retailers to use different package formats and branding.