Marketing, sales and consumer behaviour – May 2025
EU: HDPE and PP recycling market
A report (10.19 MB) by PRE in collaboration with ICIS shows that fast-paced growth of HDPE and PP recycling has come to a halt, with capacities plateauing in 2023. The report provides data on production, collection, and recycling for the EU 27+3 region. Key challenges, including insufficient collection, unregulated imports, and a lack of enforcement measures, continue to hinder the expansion of the recycling industry. PRE has also released a position paper (48.59 MB) outlining six strategic areas for immediate action that must be urgently applied to prevent the collapse of the European plastics recycling industry.
Global digital print market
According to Smithers, the value of the global digital print market will increase from $167.5 billion in 2025 to $251.1 billion in 2035. The highest growth rates will be in packaging, where digital is already well established in narrow-web; and is now gaining traction in corrugated, cartons, flexible packaging, rigid plastics and metal print. You can download an infographic after filling in your details.
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in packaging
According to L.E.K. Consulting, nearly 1,800 packaging transactions closed between 2018 and 2024. However, this period saw tremendous volatility. Transaction volume peaked in 2021 (56% p.a. growth 2020-21) and then declined across subcategories between 2021 and 2024 (25% p.a. decline).
Packaging machinery market in Mexico and Brazil
PMMI has published reports on the packaging machinery market in Mexico and in Brazil. You can download an executive summary of the report on Mexico and the report on Brazil after filling in your details.
EU Single Market Strategy
The European Commission has presented a Single Market Strategy to create a more simple, seamless and strong EU home market. The strategy focuses on several priorities, including dismantling barriers. While recognising the need to work on removing all barriers, the strategy focuses on removing the 10 most harmful ones reported by businesses – the terrible ten (206 kB). One of the terrible ten is the fragmentated rules on packaging. Divergent national requirements linked to labelling make it difficult to trade across the Single Market. Also, the large diversity of EPR schemes set up in Member States has led to regulatory complexity and high administrative burdens for companies. As part of the strategy, the Commission is also introducing (337 kB) a new category of companies (250-749 employees) - small mid-caps (SMCs) - to reduce administrative burden.
Consumers and the environment
The Environmental Barometer 2024 (summary, 3.53 MB) by Fost Plus examines Belgian consumers’ attitudes and behaviours regarding environmental issues. Compared to the previous edition in 2014, consumers are clearly more aware of environmental challenges and their own impact on the planet. However, this is not always reflected in actual purchasing behaviour.
The Paper & Cardboard Information Centre (in Dutch) has investigated how well Dutch people are aware of the production and sustainability of paper. The survey (in Dutch, 651 kB) shows that 76% know that paper is a circular product, but only 19% are aware that wood fibre for paper production always comes from certified and therefore sustainably managed forests.
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