The plastic sheeting industry is forecast to see substantial growth in 2018 and beyond with a wide range of new and profitable opportunities coming up as consumer demands develop. In particular, the following are some of the trends to expect:
Sustainability
In the past few years, there has been a surge of sustainable sheeting solutions driven by a number of factors including public concerns about environmental hazards created by plastic sheeting wastes as well as global initiatives to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. In future, plastic sheeting companies are going to opt for sheeting materials that are biodegradable or those that are derived from sustainable sources.
Light weighting
Light weighting is another important trend that is expected in the plastic sheeting industry, especially in the packaging sectors. Instead of reducing the overall size of the plastic packages, many plastic sheeting companies are opting to reduce the thickness of the plastic films.
Light weighting is cited as the main driver of the growing competitiveness of the new varieties of plastic films. A number of companies are switching to lightweight clear plastic sheeting materials, and the trend is predicted to continue in 2018 and beyond.
Consumer demand trends
Because more and more consumers continue to live time-constrained lifestyles, along with increasing number of working mothers and rising number of single person households, there has been an upsurge in the demand of conveniently packaged products for on-the-move consumption.
Plastic sheeting manufacturers have capitalized on this trend by developing more portable packaging to cater for various consumption occasions. Many manufacturers are, for instance, targeting Breakfast for their on-the-go consumption products as it is frequently being consumed outside the home.
These trends will also have a positive impact on the demand for plastic sheeting. Convenience-related products often use costly high-barrier film packaging materials with extended shelf life. Any changes in the packaging practices will also create fresh opportunities in the plastic sheeting industry as more industries will scout for methods of increasing their product profiles to include more convenient and smaller pack sizes.
Bottom-line
Although the future of plastic sheeting industry looks bright, there are some potential threats in the horizon. For instance, the use of carrier bags, one of the top applications of plastic film, has seen substantial reduction in many countries as many of them are either imposing heavy plastic carrier bag fees or banning their usage for sustainability reasons. Despite these threats though, the global market for plastic sheeting or plastic films is forecast to experience overall growth in the coming years, and manufacturers and other stakeholders in the industry have nothing to worry about.
