Marketing, sales and consumer behaviour – April 2026
Market for packaging
According to a recent report by Fortune Business Insights, the global market value for packaging is expected to rise from $1,109.44 billion in 2025 to $1,590.68 billion in 2034. Amcor, Mondi, Berry Global and Smurfit Westrock are among the top ten players. You can find more information in the report summary.
According to another report by Fortune Business Insights, the global market value for metal packaging is expected to rise from $154.83 billion in 2025 to $209.91 billion in 2034. Ball, Amcor and Crown are among the top ten players. You can find more information in the report summary.
Aeternus (in Dutch) has published a financial analysis of the top 25 best performing Dutch packaging producers, wholesalers, printers and co-packers. The Top 3 consists of Frapak, Dampack International and ZNP Packaging. You can receive the report after filling in your details (in Dutch).
McKinsey has published an article entitled “No ordinary disruption: State of the packaging and paper industry”.
Annual U.S. Brand Owner Packaging Study
During the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, L.E.K. Consulting conducted the eighth annual U.S. Brand Owner Packaging Study. The results are discussed in a four-article series:
Part 1: L.E.K. Consulting 2026 CPG and Foodservice Brand Owner Packaging Study;
Part 2: Brand Owners Are Embracing Digital and AI in Packaging;
Part 3: Foodservice Brands Have Made Sustainability Their Packaging North Star;
Part 4: Brand Owners Have Shock-Proofed Their Sourcing Strategies.
Food packaging
Packaging Strategies has published their global 2026 Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies. The list is based on annual revenue from the previous year.
Glass bottles are the dominant packaging format in the global wine industry. In a recent UK study, Bangor University researchers found that 69.3% of respondents were willing to purchase wine in alternative packaging. The study (3.08 MB) is published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.
UMass Amherst researchers found that while “natural” claims can influence consumer perceptions, they are unreliable indicators of overall nutritional quality. They found no consistent nutritional advantage for products carrying natural claims.
By using product labels for all plant-based products plant-based eating behaviour is normalised, WUR research shows. Labelling plant-based products with a positive, friendly worded label and animal-based products with a negatively worded warning label also helps. The study (2.81 MB) is published in Appetite.
Belgians and Dutch believe in recycling, but don’t act consistently
The Circular Reality Scan 2026 (14.96 MB) by Ipsos reveals that consumers and companies in Belgium and the Netherlands consider themselves recycling frontrunners. At the same time, the study, commissioned by Renewi, exposes a structural gap between what people say and what they actually do, particularly at the point of purchase.
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