Soft Drinks and Confectionery Lead Food and Beverage Packaging Volume

Food Subcategories Divided, But with High Growth Potential

Food packaging is much more fragmented compared to beverages, with seven unique subcategories to split up packaging volume. The category was close behind beverages overall, though, taking up about 45% of all packaging volume at about 225 billion units in 2021.

Confectionery packaging was the leading subcategory for food packaging, at about 19% of all food packaging volume. It also had the greatest growth potential, with a 3.6% CAGR by 2025.

Dairy packaging fell close behind confectionery packaging, with about 18% of all food packaging volume. The dairy subcategory was relatively flat in terms of projected growth, though, with a CAGR of 0.3% by 2025.

Coming in third within the food category was savory snack packaging. It took up about 10% of all food packaging volume and held a CAGR of 0.9% by 2025.Food packaging volume is split among several subcategories.PMMI Business Intelligence, 2022 Future of Packaging and Sustainability

The baked goods, processed meat and seafood, and ready meals packaging subcategories all held a similar share of overall food packaging volume, at just under 8%. 

These categories differed most in their projected CAGRs. Ready meals packaging held the second highest CAGR of any food or beverage category at 2.6% by 2025. 

On the other hand, processed meat and seafood packaging was the only subcategory to see a dip in CAGR by 2025, at -0.4%.

Owing to the wide variety of food subcategories, the “other food packaging” category held a significant stake in overall food packaging volume, at 29.6%. These miscellaneous food packaging types had some growth potential too, with a 2% CAGR by 2025.

Source: PMMI Business Intelligence, 2022 Future of Packaging and Sustainability

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