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Flexible Plastic Films Growth Brings Recycling Challenges

Flexible plastic films could grow faster than plastics overall in the coming years, but recycling infrastructure improvements are needed to support these materials.

Flexible plastic films are expected to grow in popularity faster than overall plastic in coming years.
Flexible plastic films are expected to grow in popularity faster than overall plastic in coming years.
PMMI Business Intelligence/AMERIPEN, 2023 Packaging Compass

Flexible plastic films may outpace plastics overall in compound annual growth rate (CAGR), but these materials are a challenge to recycle with current infrastructure, according to PMMI Business Intelligence and AMERIPEN's collaborative report, “2023 Packaging Compass.”

The report says flexible films are expected to grow at an annual CAGR of 4-6%, citing a 2021 report from Mordor Intelligence. In contrast, the average CAGR for plastics overall is about 3-4%, according to a 2022 report from the Flexible Packaging Association.

This makes flexibles one of the fastest-growing segments within plastic packaging.

Plastic films have significant advantages both in terms of operational needs and sustainability. Their tensile strength permits for greater protection with less material, they help reduce carbon emissions during trucking due to space and weight, they are highly customizable, and they run efficiently on filling lines to reduce overall costs and time in production.

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