By Vinisha Joshi
Global Market Insights
The packaging industry has expanded dramatically in recent years, which is increasing the need for renewable and sustainable packaging solutions. A majority of the packaging demand comes from the food and beverage industry, subject to the rising global population and subsequent surge in food consumption.
According to an analysis by the United Nations, the world population is slated to reach 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100. This will trigger an increase in food consumption. However, it is essential to note that nearly one-third of the food produced annually for human consumption is wasted. To this end, food and beverage industry experts are seeking renewable packaging solutions that offer extended shelf life and seamless transportation without compromising on the freshness and quality of what is inside. Here’s where cast polypropylene (CPP) films come in.
CPP films have increased in popularity across various traditional flexible packaging applications, replacing PE owing to their increased gloss and clarity, improved heat resistance and resistance to low temperatures and impact. In fact, the films’ features can be customized to cater to specific packaging, processing requirements and performance.
A study by Global Market Insights Inc. predicts the CPP films market will exceed $1.8 billion by 2027, driven by significant developments undertaken by packaging manufacturers.
Ongoing technological developments and R&D activities in the CPP films industry are earmarked for notable growth through 2027. To illustrate, India-based Cosmo Films Ltd. launched a white CPP film with a high coefficient of friction. The film is designed to address the issue of slippage. Inter-layer slippage usually arises due to the lesser coefficient of friction leading to a non-uniform sealing area of the final pouch. This product, however, is designed with a higher coefficient of friction, leading to a uniform sealing area for the final pouch. The product’s film-to-metal coefficient of friction range falls between 0.3 to 0.4, while the film-to-film coefficient of friction range is greater than 0.4.
The film also has a thickness range of 25 microns to 40 microns, mitigating the requirement for white ink, making it extremely suitable for flexible packaging for products such as noodles, biscuits, snacks, and baked goods.
An overview of some vital packaging applications of CPP films apart from food packaging is enlisted below:
Stationery items
The increasing literacy rate worldwide and subsequent development of educational establishments like schools and colleges, and of office premises are predicted to boost demand for stationery items. In the stationery industry, this film has developed the reputation of being a cost-effective substitute for PVC.
These films are used across a wide range of office supplies, like semi-rigid packaging products, folders and more, as they require high clarity.
The escalating trend of sustainable and renewable packaging solutions for stationery across the education sector would expedite the production of CPP films to a much larger extent. The U.S. is anticipated to emerge as a hotspot for the CPP films market, due to the thriving education sector.
Medical and pharmaceutical packaging
The medical and pharmaceutical industries use CPP films for packaging drugs and other essential medical supplies for extended periods of time, since these polymers offer superior protection against contamination.
They also provide high resistance to tearing, puncture and heat, making them an excellent option for storing drugs at extreme temperatures. Substantial growth in the pharmaceutical industry would help CPP packaging film solution providers to churn out maximum profits.
Recently, inoculation drive programs and initiatives promoting protection against SARS-CoV-2 demanded huge production of vaccines. In 2021, UFlex Ltd., a packaging materials firm, publicized its plans to set up a new plant in Karnataka, India, with an investment of nearly $111 million to enhance the production of vaccines. The firm has also announced investing $15 million to add capacity at its Dubai site. Reports suggest that the United Arab Emirates plant will have an additional capacity of 18,000 metric tons per year once the CPP film line is commissioned. This eventually will produce an upsurge in the demand for CPP films.
Textiles
Packaging for the textile segment is expected to show a profitable growth trajectory across the overall CPP films industry. The reason for this is the rising consumer spending capacity for high quality textiles and elevating demand for reclosable pouches, owing to their high sealing strength and superior barrier properties.
China has emerged as one of the revenue-generating regions worldwide when it comes to the sales of CPP films. Reason? The expanding textile industry in the country. As per reliable estimates, China’s textile industry witnessed a constant increase in the first 10 months of 2021. In fact, the combined operating revenue of some of the textile majors rose by 14.2 percent year-over-year, to surge to $650.4 billion during the same period.
Moreover, the contribution of online garment sales in the country complemented the growth of the textile industry. Speaking of which, China’s online retail sales of clothing products rose nearly 14.1 percent year-over-year in January through October 2021. This healthy growth in the textile industry will yield promising results for CPP film sales in the sector.
The packaging industry is currently booming, with the demand for renewable and more sustainable solutions being taken up seriously by large companies. Amidst these challenging demands, the advent of CPP films, a robust and ideal solution in the flexible packaging segment, is likely to stand as a viable resource.
Vinisha Joshi is a team lead — content development for Global Market Insights. A qualified engineering graduate, Joshi writes about business, core industry and technology.
