Page 15 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec 2018

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Global printed food packaging sales by format, 2018 (% share by value)
8%
11%
16%
16%
23%
26%
Primary Food Packaging Market US$ Value
2018
$227bn
2023
$271.3bn
Primary Food Packaging Market – Billion Square Metres Print
2018
394.6
2023
472.4
November-December 2018 www.packagingnews.com.au
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
continue up to 2023. In turn, there are im- plications for providers of printing inks, and compatibility with food-safe practices.
SUSTAINABILITY
Most food packaging is single-use, and en- ters the waste disposal process once the food or drink has been consumed. Packaging ma- terials such as metal cans, glass bottles and paperboard cartons are relatively easy to col- lect and recycle; however, there is growing concern around the world about the level of plastic packaging that is going to landfill, for incineration or into the environment.
Leading brand owners, retailers, and packaging companies are taking an active approach to this problem, and have either established their own initiatives or are working with organisations such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation towards a tar- get of 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025.
One factor in the sustainability of packag- ing relates to de-inking. The quality of recovered material from recycling process- es for plastic and board food packaging depends on whether inks and overprint varnishes used to decorate and label the packaging can be completely removed. The success in removing these inks varies significantly between paper and board waste and plastic waste.
WATER-BASED AND UV/EB INKS
Water-based and UV/EB inks have shown the highest growth rates in the printed food packaging market over the past five years, as printers in all geographic regions have been subjected to environmental reg- ulations on VOC emissions and wastes from their production processes. These two ink types continue to exhibit the fast- est growth rates up to 2023.
Water-based inks have longer drying times than solvent-based inks, under the same dry- ing conditions. This restricts the growth in the use of these inks on some high-speed print lines despite their environmental advantages – although porous substrates
Flexible packaging Cartons Corrugated & solid fibre packaging Metal packaging Labels Rigid plastic packaging
such as paper and board are less problematic at fast print speeds. The limitations on speed of drying on non-porous substrates such as flexible packaging are less of a barrier when used for the shorter production runs that are now becoming more commonplace.
The growth in the use of UV inks may be further boosted over the next five years by a greater adoption of UV-LED lamps on print lines. Although these lamps are more ex- pensive than mercury arc types, they are easier and more economical to use and gen- erate little or no heat during operation, opening up their use for thermally sensitive packaging materials. The cost of UV-LED inks is also higher than that of conventional UV inks, restricting their wider adoption until material costs can be reduced.
FAST GROWTH IN ASIA MARKETS
The Asia-Pacific region has exhibited one of the fastest regional growth rates over the past five years, increasing its share of global print- ed food packaging demand from 35 per cent of the value in 2013 to 37 per cent by 2018. The growth in value of printed food packag- ing in North America was slightly lower than that for the global market from 2013 to 2018, while sales value in Western Europe grew at a slower rate over this period, resulting in a decline in the region’s share.
Asia will continue to lead the growth in food packaging demand from 2018 to 2023, particularly from the two key economies in the region of China and India.
The Middle East already has high ur- banisation rates, but the packaged food and drink market still offers a high growth potential.
Eastern Europe, Latin America and Af- rica also offer good growth potential over the next five years – but as they start from a low base, they will still only ac- count for a minor combined share of global sales by 2023.
These and other key trends in printed food packaging are analysed in The Future of Printing for Food Packaging to 2023, which can be found at www.smitherspira.com. ■
0%
10%
20%
30% 40% 50% 60%
Source: Smithers Pira