Plastics gaining market share in caps and closures market

A new report from UK-based Canadean Ltd aims to give insight into recent packaging innovations in the global caps and closures market related to key trends, drivers and issues. The constantly changing nature of packaging demand fom consumers and converters makes it difficult to understand exactly which packaging caps and closures will be the focus of future growth, the report stated. This report aims to clarify and quantify future demand patterns and the types of innovations best placed to exploit them, so packaging manufactures and suppliers can plan for the future.

"Packaging suppliers need to react to the changing demands of customers, consumers, and regulation in order to plan for the future," the report stated. "But it's not all cost reduction and lightweighting. Packaging needs to adapt to a more complex picture of how consumption needs vary by product category and its positioning. More specific product positioning by finished goods manufacturers and retailers in many cases means more specifically tailored packaging closures - creating opportunities for the industry."

Over recent years, volatility in resin pricing and the general economic downturn have encouraged a focus on saving material and cost in the beverage industry, with the aim of delivering closures that require a minimal adaptation of installed technology. The focus has therefore been on efficient cost reduction, tailoring closures to a level of appropriateness for particular sectors, and product groups.

Cost savings have also been a major factor driving innovation for food packaging, with a focus on waste reduction, increased shelf life and lightweighting.

In an extremely competitive health & beauty sector, the visual appeal of the closure, as well as its functionality, can be a critical factor in terms of consumer choice. This has led to an increased emphasis, by fragrance manufacturers in particular, on luxury caps and closures to reinforce the premium image of the product.

Metal has been gradually losing share of the global caps and closures market to plastic, and this is expected to continue into the future. By 2017, metal is expected to account for less than one-third of the caps and closures market.

Asia already used the largest proportion of caps and closures in 2007. This is expected to increase even further by 2017, at the expense of Western Europe, which has lost share since 2007.

The beverage closures market saw a change in material dominance in 2012 as plastic closures took over in popularity from metal closures. The advance in use of plastic closures is primarily associated with increased use of plastic packaging in beverages, principally PET bottles.

The food market is made up of a variety of different closure types, with no format taking a clear majority. In 2012, film took the highest percentage of the market. Screw top was the next most popular format, followed by prize off and plastic tie.

While lightweighting, resealability, low cost and improved tamper evidence will all remain at the height of focus for the closure industry, innovations surrounding functionality are predicted to be the main driver over the next three years.