Europe Dairy Packaging Industry

Europe Dairy Packaging Market Analysis

The Europe Dairy Packaging Market is expected to register a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period.

• In April 2020, carton giant SIG was selected to supply one of the largest European greenfield UHT milk projects, spearheaded by Hochwald, one of the largest German dairy cooperatives. As part of the mega project, Hochwald will build a new plant with a capacity of more than 800 million litres of milk per annum. Milk will be processed and sold as UHT milk, cream, condensed milk and flavoured milk for the European market and export to China, Middle East and Africa from 2022. Such developments leading to the increase in the production of milk is expected to provide a boost to the dairy packaging market in the region.
• Moving forward to recyclability, the structure proposed for the European region is highly complex. Multiple stakeholders, especially converters and recyclers have been witnessed to expand operations, collaborate and launch technologies aiding the Circular Economy Initiative.
• For instance, ALPLA, a major Austrian converter, and recycler of plastics have a core product, a bottle made from PET which is recycled plastic to be used again and again. The firm collaborated with other businesses, including Nöm, an Austrian dairy company to supply ALPLA 100% recycled PET bottles for its milk products. ALPLA, additionally, is a signatory to the Circular Plastics Alliance, an initiative supported by the European Commission to boost plastic recycling inside the EU to 10 million tons by 2025.
• However, the regulations regarding the use of plastic for packaging aided the growth of the glass packaging format for milk. Countries, like Russia and the United Kingdom, embraced this format of packaging for fresh milk.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant reduction in demand for dairy products from the EU and non-EU countries. This represents a serious threat to the EU dairy sector. The situation on this market, which remained stable over the last year, has shifted: a drastic fall in prices, difficulties in exporting products, a steep increase in packaging prices, and an increase in freight prices make exports to third countries uneconomic The reduction in consumption caused, among other things, by the total loss of the HoReCa market, is posing a real threat to farmers and processors. According to European Parliment it is estimated that the European dairy sector is currently losing EUR 120 million.
• In April 2020, the European Dairy Association (EDA) has called on the European Commission for support in protecting the sector against the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. The association called for "immediate action" to help the milk processing industry deal with the ongoing crisis.

Europe Dairy Packaging Market Trends

PET is Expected to Witness Significant Growth

• The primary factor behind expanding the sales of dairy products are the different forms of packaging available nowadays. Earlier, milk was available only in gable-topped cartons. At present, milk is delivered in portable, brand-friendly PET bottles, which is an attractive option for increasingly busy consumers.​
• Some of the newest milk and drinkable dairy products, such as yogurts and smoothies, are presented in single-serve and sleek PET bottles. While PET bottles allow brands to differentiate themselves from competitors on store shelves, it can be molded into a wide variety of sizes and shapes, thus offering more possibilities than cartons in promoting brand recognition.​ The increasing demand of dairy products thus is resulting in increased demand for PET packaging.
• For instance, in April 2020, UK ice cream brand Magnum launched its ice cream tubs range in the UK using packaging made with recycled plastic. Following a successful pilot last year, Magnum became one of the first ice cream brand to use recycled polypropylene plastic in packaging. According to the company, the tubs will be rolled out in Europe in 2020 and globally in 2021.
• Also, compared to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) packaging, the glossy appearance of PET bottles with ultraviolet barriers often stand out for extending the shelf life of dairy products, making the glass-like transparency a standard for premium fresh milk.​
• Moreover, due to the introduction of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymers, plastic bottling applications have increased. High-density polyethylene plastic bottles are the popular packaging choice for fresh juice and milk. For instance, around four billion HDPE milk bottles in the United Kingdom are produced and purchased each year.​

United Kingdom is Expected to Grow Significantly

• The market for dairy plastic packaging in the United Kingdom is anticipated to register a significant revenue due to substantial manufacturing facilities. ​Further, the increase in regulations against the use of plastic is anticipated to lay a significant effect on the market. For instance, in March 2020, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer revealed that the plastic packaging tax would see companies paying EUR 200 per metric ton of packaging made from less than 30% recycled plastic from April 2022.​
• The tax was created to encourage the use of more recycled plastic. The announcement was delivered as part of Budget 2020, which the government of UK describes as the first budget of a new government, the first of a new decade, and the first since the UK's departure from the European Union (EU).​
• Among various industries using plastic, the dairy industry is focusing on reducing plastic use. The UK's Food and Farming Minister, Lord Rooker, called for the country's dairy industry to become more sustainable, targeting a 50% reduction in the number of plastics used in milk packaging as a critical goal for 2020. This indicates even more growth for greener packaging in a country that has already shown innovative diversity.​
• In the latest instance, Leeds-based waste and recycling sack supplier Cromwell Polythene purchased Derbyshire-based Moorgreen Flexible Packaging, which recycles and manufactures polythene, films, bags, and sacks. ​
• Moreover, the region has been witnessing a switch in the use of plastic from fossil-based to other types. For instance, Arla, a dairy product packaging firm, switched from fossil-based plastic to bio-based plastic derived from sugar cane or forest waste for the 600 million Arla milk cartons that make them 100 renewable. They also contribute 25% less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere compared to their fossil-based plastic predecessors.​

Europe Dairy Packaging Industry Overview

Packaging manufacturers in the dairy industry have the potential to shift rivalry, opening up numerous new avenues for differentiation and value-added services. As the market is characterized by the concentration of distinguished brands, as well as new players, the firm concentration ratio is quite high. All in all, the overall dairy packaging market is shaped by moderate barriers of exit, high preference for established brands, moderate level of advertising expense, and a high level of competitive advantage through innovation.

• July 2020 - Dairy company First Milk announced to aim for a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 by investing EUR 5 million into boost capacity at its various factories.
• December 2019 - Niederosterreichische Molkerei (NOM) partnered with ALPLA for establishing a new benchmarks in environmentally beneficial packaging for milk products with its debut of a milk bottle made of 100 percent recycled PET. ALPLA created these bottles and made them at the Steinabruckl site.

Europe Dairy Packaging Market Leaders