Canada Pouch Packaging Market

Canada Pouch Packaging Market Analysis

The Canada Pouch Packaging Market size is worth USD 1.78 Billion in 2025, growing at an 5.87% CAGR and is forecast to hit USD 2.37 Billion by 2030.

Key growth drivers of the plastic packaging industry are the expansion of end-use sectors, heightened consumer spending, and a surging appetite for convenient and eco-friendly packaging.

• Flexible packaging, such as pouches, allows more economical and customizable options for packaging products. It benefits industries needing versatile packaging, such as food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and other industries. It has grown prevalent due to its high efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Manufacturers in this sector employ a range of raw materials, from traditional virgin plastics to more sustainable recycled and bio-based alternatives. While virgin plastics dominate the market, the appeal of recycled and bio-based options has seen a remarkable upswing in recent years.
• Canadian consumers are increasingly using the Internet for their shopping needs. Over the past decade, online sales have outpaced traditional retail growth. The International Trade Administration reported that Canadian e-commerce saw a significant surge in November 2023. By 2022, the country boasted over 27 million e-commerce users, representing 75% of the Canadian population. Projections indicate this figure is set to rise to 77.6% by 2025. In Canada, retail e-commerce sales are steadily increasing, and there is a growing number of online shoppers. This trend underscores the rising demand for packaging products like pouches.​
• Canadians, with their hectic schedules, find ease in packaging that's easy to use and portable, resonating across all consumer segments. Flexible packaging in Canada caters to many needs, whether resealable pouches for snacks, stand-up pouches for beverages, or single-serve packaging. It is a solution for busy households, daily commuters, and outdoor enthusiasts.
• According to a study by the Government of Canada, food packaging comprises about one-third of all Canadian household waste, and only 20% is retrieved for reuse and recycling. Unfortunately, food and plastic waste are connected and have increased over time. Food packaging products such as pouches are specifically challenging to collect, sort, and recycle due to their lightweight and nutrient contamination. This might limit the pouch packaging market's growth in the country.

Canada Pouch Packaging Market Trends

The Increasing Demand for Convenient Packaging

• The increasing trend of consumer products, such as food, beverages, and consumer products, is anticipated to propel the demand for flexible packaging. The growing need is attributed to the rising packaging solutions that are convenient and portable. Pouch packaging combines the advantages of plastic and paper without compromising the product's printability, barrier protection, freshness, or ease of use.
• The growing urban lifestyle of consumers in the region has driven the demand for convenient packaging. Consumers are looking for easy-to-use and lightweight packaging, and vendors are designing innovative packaging solutions to remain competitive in the growing organized retail market and meet customers' changing demands. Shifting to an alternative lighter material, such as flexible pouches, provides more significant energy-saving benefits.​
• Supermarkets and hypermarkets offer easy-to-carry convenience suited for increasingly busy and on-the-go lifestyles. Ready-to-eat meals are the fastest-growing channel in the food industry. According to a study published by StatCan in September 2023, the industry revenue of supermarkets and other grocery stores in Canada was USD 69.34 billion in 2019. It is expected to reach USD 74.89 billion in 2024. Such increased sales from supermarkets would drive the demand for flexible packaging in the country.
• Further, according to the Flexible Packaging Association, plastic pouches' popularity endures, driven by their attributes: shareability, convenience, resealability, and portion control. This versatility in size and growth potential spans various product categories. Across product categories, pack sizes are projected to maintain a balance with a mix of smaller, convenient, prominent, and cost-effective packages. Canadians prioritize convenience, a sentiment echoed in their packaging preferences and retail choices.
• The trend of FMCG packaging products is expected to increase the demand for packaging in the region. As environmental concerns become more widely known, businesses and consumers increasingly choose eco-friendly packaging solutions, such as biodegradable pouch packaging. The rise in eco-friendly pouch packaging is expected to witness growth in the country.

The Food Segment is Expected to Robust Growth

• The Canadian food packaging industry is pivotal in the nation's food supply chain, offering vital packaging services to food producers, sellers, and distributors across the country. According to Netpak, in recent years, the Canadian wholesale food packaging sector has seen a surge of trends and innovations geared toward bolstering sustainability, efficiency, and product preservation.
• Key trends shaping the industry include responding to heightened consumer eco-awareness, wholesalers pivoting toward sustainable materials, like biodegradable plastics, compostable packaging, and recyclable options, and technological strides have birthed innovative packaging, integrating features like temperature tracking, freshness indicators, and QR codes for enhanced traceability.
• According to Statistics Canada, in February 2023, of all aspects of the recent surge in inflation in Canada, the country witnessed a rise in food prices. Food is an essential commodity, and average grocery prices have increased 11% in the last year. Moreover, the demand for pet food in Canada, driven by the large number of households owning pets, particularly dogs and cats, creates a substantial market for packaging solutions.
• According to a statement from an article released by Hepper (a company specializing in pet blogs) in February 2024, over half of Canadian households (60%) have at least one dog or cat as pets. According to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, dog food sales reached around CAD 2.17 billion (USD 1.60 billion) in 2020 and are forecast to reach over CAD 3.46 billion (USD 2.56 billion) by 2025. In comparison, cat food retail sales are expected to reach just over CAD 1.7 billion (USD 1.25 billion) in 2025.
• Further, with higher retail sales of baked goods, there will be a greater volume of products requiring packaging. Pouch packaging is well-suited for packaging various baked goods, including cookies, as it is lightweight and versatile. According to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, retail sales of baked goods amounted to approximately USD 6.8 billion in 2022 and are forecasted to reach USD 7.78 billion by 2026.

Canada Pouch Packaging Industry Overview

The Canadian pouch packaging market is fragmented with domestic and global players such as Mondi PLC, Amcor PLC, Sealed Air Corporation, ProAmpac LLC, Huhtamaki Oyj, Sonoco Products Company, and Huhtamaki Oyj. Players operating in the region are focused on expanding their business through mergers, collaborations, acquisitions, product innovations, and others.

• February 2024: Amcor PLC, one of the global leaders in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, collaborated with Stonyfield Organic, the country’s leading organic yogurt maker, and Cheer Pack North America, a manufacturer of spouted pouch packaging, to launch the first all-polyethylene (PE) spouted pouch. The innovative pouch replaces Stonyfield Organic’s prior multi-laminate structure with a responsible pouch design for its YoBaby refrigerated yogurt.
• February 2024: Mondi PLC announced the acquisition of Hinton Pulp Mill, Alberta, Canada, for USD 5 million. Hinton Pulp Mill is in Hinton, Alberta, and is owned and operated by West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. The mill can produce approximately 250,000 tons of pulp per year. The acquisition of the mill is part of a long-term partnership between the Group and West Fraser, from which the Group will benefit from access to locally sourced, high-quality fiber from a well-established wood basket.

Canada Pouch Packaging Market Leaders

Canada Pouch Packaging Market News

• March 2024: CESAR Canine Cuisine, part of Mars, introduced a new product innovation, CESAR Filets in Gravy Wet Dog Food Mini-Pouch, which offers pet parents a new suitable feeding format. The new CESAR Filets in Gravy Wet Dog Food Mini-Pouch comes in comfortable peel-and-serve packaging and is available in three tasty flavors: Filet Mignon, Rotisserie Chicken, and Wood-Grilled Chicken.
• January 2024: C-P Flexible Packaging (C-P), a prominent player in the flexible packaging sector, unveiled Intelligraphix Systems, a dedicated division focusing on prepress, plate making, and color management services for flexographic printers. Intelligraphix Systems provides various services, including art file optimization, extended gamut preparation, flexographic plate making, color management, press profiling, file management, and cutting-edge quality checks.