The packaging sector – Data 2019 (3)
The final data for 2019 show us a sector still in good health: turnover up 2%, production expressed in tons less brilliant but still positive (16,800 t/000, +1.1% compared to 2018), turnover over 33.8 billion euros..
Barbara Iascone
Istituto Italiano Imballaggio
Let’s see in detail the evolution of the various supply chains.
The aluminium packaging sector registered a positive trend in turnover (+5%), however, decreasing in terms of weight (-5.6%).
Steel packaging registered a +1.3% in turnover, while production expressed in tons was practically stable (+0.3%).
Positive trends in glass packaging, where turnover grew by about 8% compared to 2018 and production was +3.6%. Bottles, which represent 89% of the production of glass packaging, alone grew by 4.3%.
As far as plastic packaging is concerned, turnover grew by about 1% while production rose by 2.6%, undoubtedly influenced by the trend of rigid packaging - bottles and flacons - the most representative in terms of weight, which alone registered an increase of 2.8%.
Both the turnover and the production of flexible converter packaging grew by 3%, with paper-based packaging also stable for 2019.
Paper and cardboard packaging grew by 1.9% in relation to turnover and 1.5% in terms of production in tons, influenced by corrugated cardboard packaging which alone grew by 1.2%.
Wood packaging is basically stable, with production at +0.1%.
Hypothesis 2020
In a year as complicated as the one we are experiencing it is difficult to try to quantify precisely the trends in the sector. However, we can say with certainty that the packaging sector is reacting well to the difficult economic situation. The sector has benefited from the food consumption and online sales trends, but we have to consider the repercussions caused by the very heavy declines in the Horeca sector.
Raw materials quotations
Analyzing the price quotations of raw materials used to produce packaging at the Milan Chamber of Commerce, there were generalized decreases in the first half of the year.
The only exception, in which we find increasing prices, concerns the raw materials used to produce paper and cardboard packaging.
Prices for corrugated cardboard grew by an average of 1% between January and June 2020, while prices for paper for chess production remained stable and sheetboard grew by 1.3%.
For paper from recycling, growth rates range from 3% to 7%.
Metal prices are falling: thin aluminum laminate has fallen by about 5% in the first half of 2020; container and capsule tape falls by 6% in the same period. A similar trend for aluminium from recycling.
As far as quotations for steel for packaging production are concerned, for a year now, only scrap prices have been quoted at CCM and in the first half of 2020 the drops are around 20%.
Plastics used to produce packaging are also decreasing, with the only exception of raw materials coming from recycling for LDPE granule for film, which is up 11.8% between January and June 2020. This item is however down compared to the same period of the previous year.
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