Ceresana, one of the world's leading market research institutes, reported that demand for sugary sodas, carbonated soft drinks and juices is hardly growing at all.

In contrast, sales of bottled water have increased once again since the pandemic, probably for hygiene reasons. The trend towards a healthier lifestyle, promoted by many countries, is reflected in the latest edition of Ceresana’s market study “Plastic Closures – World”.

In general, more and more packaging made of plastics is needed for food. As a result, demand is also growing for different types of plastic closures, for example, screw caps, flip-top lids, disc-top closures, dispensers, sprays, lids and caps. Ceresana forecasts that sales of plastic closures – in terms of units – will increase by around 2.9% per year until 2032.

Processors of plastics are trying to get by with less and less material. Last year, simple screw caps still accounted for around two-thirds of the global market for plastic closures. However, the market researchers at Ceresana are registering a trend towards more elaborate closures, particularly for premium products such as perfumes or pharmaceuticals.

Manufacturers and sellers of packaging for cosmetic and pharmaceutical products are benefiting from social developments: More and more women are working outside the home, healthcare is starting to improve in poorer countries, and in already industrialized regions demographic change is causing an increase in the consumption of medication. The growth of convenience and on-the-go products is increasing demand for resealable packaging, especially in the food sector.

Practical and lightweight stand-up pouches for liquids, viscous substances, creams and other applications are increasingly being manufactured with an integrated and closable spout.

Due to the smaller size of these closures, manufacturers must meet different requirements for these flexible packages than for traditional screw closures. The different demands for and designs of the closure types have an impact on the choice of plastics used in each case.

The new study provides separate figures on the global closure market for the plastic types polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS) and the “other plastics” aggregate. There are clear regional and country-specific differences.