United States Flexible Packaging Market

United States Flexible Packaging Market Size and Share:

The United States flexible packaging market size was valued at USD 33.6 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group estimates the market to reach USD 50.7 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.7% from 2025-2033. Due to factors such as the growing customer demand for convenience, increased attention to sustainability, the rise of e-commerce, expanding use in the food and beverage (F&B) industry, and the emphasis on product cost-efficiency, the market is experiencing growth rapidly.

The rising hectic life of people is fostering a greater demand for simple and user-friendly packaging. Flexible packaging such as pouches and single-serve sachets are appropriate for this purpose. These packaging options are lightweight, portable, and easily transportable, making them ideal for on-the-go consumption. In fact, ready-to-eat (RTE) or snack meals are chosen by around 60% of customers nowadays, that makes these flexible packaging solutions important in meeting this need. This trend of on-the-go consumption benefits the flexible packaging industry in the United States, especially with regard to food and beverage (F&B) products. Also, flexible packaging satisfies consumers' desire for convenience by keeping food, drinks, and other items in small, portable containers. 2023 research has anticipated that the this market would expand quickly in the coming years due to the increase in demand for on-the-go products in the F&B industry.

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of the products they buy, especially their packaging. Because of its lesser material utilization and space requirement, flexible packaging is often considered an environmentally friendly form of packaging compared to rigid packaging. For example, flexible pouches require about 60 percent less plastic than rigid bottles. One study revealed that 71 percent of the people buy sustainable products rather than those that are not sustainable. 80% of customers are very or somewhat concerned about the environmental aspect of the products they buy, which increased from 68% in 2023 and 66% in 2022. As a result, manufacturers are adopting biodegradable or recyclable materials for flexible packaging. In fact, the US market for green packaging is expected to grow at 4.3% annually, and flexible packaging is an important contributor to this trend.

United States Flexible Packaging Market Trends:

Advances in Packaging Technology

New technologies improve the performance of flexible packaging and therefore make it even more popular. For instance, advanced materials, such as barrier films, make flexible packaging much better at protecting food from oxygen, moisture, and light, thereby extending shelf life. For instance, a product with advanced barrier coatings in its flexible packaging is kept fresh for a long time without the use of preservatives. The packaging technique utilized in flexible materials also enables for more efficient production, which reduces costs. In fact, investment into flexible packaging industry's new technologies is gaining importance as according to forecasts, US packaging machines market is about to surge by 2.5% yearly amid efforts made by businesses for reconstruction with better performing equipment on technology grounds. These improvements in material science and manufacturing processes make flexible packaging even more reliable and cost-effective.

Boom in E-commerce and Online Shopping

A growing demand for flexible packaging is also a result of the rapid growth of online shopping. People order food, beverages, and personal care products online more frequently, which means these items need to be packaged to be kept safe during delivery. Flexible packaging is perfect for this, as it is lightweight and durable, thus adapting to a wide variety of products. For instance, according to a 2023 report, e-commerce sales of groceries in the U.S. reached $95.8 billion. This increases the demand for flexible packaging solutions for the transportation of food products. Besides this, many e-commerce brands also use flexible packaging as it is cheaper to ship and store than rigid packaging.

Cost Efficiency for Manufacturers

Manufacturers frequently use flexible packaging as it is less expensive than conventional packaging. It utilizes less materials, takes up less room, and costs less to deliver. This allows firms to save money on manufacturing and logistics. For example, the lightweight nature of flexible packaging has made its shipping expenses cheaper that rigid options. Manufacturers also have the flexibility to make packaging faster and with less capital investment in this type of packaging than rigid ones. This cost savings is especially appealing for small and medium-sized (SME) organizations. The flexibility of manufacturing also enables producers to generate a wide range of package sizes without investing in new equipment.

United States Flexible Packaging Industry Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the United States flexible packaging market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels from 2025-2033. The market has been categorized based on product type, raw material, printing technology, and application.

Analysis by Product Type:

• Printed Rollstock 
• Preformed Bags and Pouches
• Others
   

Printed rollstock is a packaging material that has been printed with designs, logos, and product information before being assembled into finished and final packages. The manufacturer uses them to create a number of different flexible packaging, like bags and pouches. Large production runs are one of the benefits that the printed rollstock brings to the manufacturer, while detailed and vibrant designs additionally provide great branding possibilities.

Another major market opportunity for flexible packaging is preformed bags and pouches. These prefabricated bags and pouches, unlike printed rollstock, are pre-shaped and closed and ready to fill. These containers are available in a range of sizes and shapes and sealing options like spouted, zipped, and stand-up pouches. In the food and beverage industry, prefabricated bags and pouches are primarily used for products such as snack foods, beverages, and prepared foods.

Analysis by Raw Material:

• Plastic
• Paper
• Aluminium Foil
• Cellulose
   

Plastics have emerged as the most dynamic raw material in flexible packaging because of their adaptability, less weight, and the great capability of being shaped in a wide variety of forms and sizes. It is used for manufacture of a wide range of packages including films, pouches, and wraps, meant for goods in the food and beverage, personal care, and pharmaceutical sectors. Most plastics, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP), are popular types, given their strength, moisture resistance, and competent oxygen barrier feature.

Flexible packaging through paper has been in the limelight owing to its positive environmental affect and sustainability. It is a very promising option for those enterprises and individuals who are environmentally conscious, as it is obtained from renewable materials, highly biodegradable, and often recyclable. It is used primarily for packaging the dry food items, snacks, and other products.

Aluminium foil is renowned for its exceptional barrier properties, making it perfect for keeping air, moisture, and light away from food products. It is designed exceptionally well for products that measure highly with respect to product freshness and integrity, such as snacks, dairy products, medications, and cosmetics. It is most usually complemented with some other materials like plastic to add to the protection profile of the packaging.

Cellulose is a naturally biodegradable material that is gaining the interest of the increasingly eco-friendly flexible packaging market. Cellulosic packaging is compostable since they are made from plant fibers. They thus provide an alternative to traditional plastic without sacrificing environmental benefit. Although cellulose is not as widely employed as plastic or paper, the green choice is gaining popularity among businesses driven to create eco-friendly packaging solutions. Most of them use it for the food industry, packaging fresh produce, sweets, or baked goods.

Analysis by Printing Technology:

• Flexography
• Rotogravure
• Digital
• Others
   

Flexography is a printing technology that is playing an important role in the flexible packaging market. It can print on a variety of surfaces such as plastics, papers, and foils. It employs flexible relief plates for transfer of ink onto the surface of the packaging. This technique is economical mainly for mass production with high speed. Flexography is suitable especially in high-volume production as it would give excellent results for packaging material such as labels, bags, wrappers, etc.

Rotogravure printing is high-quality and high-precision printing where engraved cylinders transfer ink to the substrate. Therefore, it provides the use of fine details along with good color reproduction. It is an ideal process for long runs of high-quality packaging because it merges sharp images with identical print quality. It is thus seen mostly as a premium packaging production process involving high-end food products, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Newly included digital print in the flexible packaging market is rapidly gaining favor because of the speed and low setup costs associated with it. By transferring digital data into ink delivered directly onto the packaging substrate, digital printing creates the impression of being a little advanced than traditional printing due to the custom designs, variable data, and personalization.

Analysis by Application:

• Food and Beverages 
• Pharmaceuticals
• Cosmetics
• Others
   

One of the biggest and fastest-growing markets for flexible packaging is the food and beverage (F&B) sector. Due to its capacity to maintain freshness and prolong shelf life, flexible packaging is used in this industry for snacks, ready-to-eat (RTE) meals, drinks, and other food items. Common forms of flexible packaging for food and drink packaging include pouches, sachets, and stand-up bags. This type of packaging is lightweight, space-saving, and frequently includes resealable elements, making it more practical for consumers.

Flexible packaging serves an important purpose in the pharmaceutical industry for safeguarding delicate medicinal items including tablets, capsules, ointments, and liquid prescription drugs. Excellent barrier qualities provided by flexible packaging shield goods from environmental elements including light, air, and moisture, which can compromise the efficacy and safety of pharmaceuticals. In this sector, medicines are frequently packaged in pouches, blister packs, and sachets because they provide tamper-evident features, convenient storage, and accurate dosage.

Another significant factor propelling the flexible packaging market is the cosmetics sector, which requires packaging that is both aesthetically pleasing and practical. Products including lotions, shampoos, skincare treatments, and cosmetics are packaged in flexible packaging. In addition to offering protection against contamination and spoiling, it gives designers the freedom to produce visually appealing designs and package types that appeal to customers. In this industry, stand-up pouches, tubes, and sachets are often utilized.

Regional Analysis:

• Northeast
• Midwest
• South
• West
   

The Northeast has proven to be a vast market for flexible packaging largely owing to its gigantic population and a flourishing consumer market, like food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and personal care. It also serves as an affiliate for multiple production facilities and distribution terminals, which keep flexible packaging in demand. There is also a rising emphasis on sustainability, with interests towards green packaging materials, along with renewed preferences in recyclable solutions among people. The further growth of flexible packaging in this area can also be attributed to the presence of numerous retail centers, coupled with sophisticated infrastructure.

With its states at the forefront of industrial production and manufacturing, the Midwest is a major participant in the flexible packaging industry of the United States. It has been extremely active in flexible packaging for F&B products, particularly for packaged snacks, cereals, and other processed food items because of the strongest agricultural sector in the region. The Midwest has an advantage in terms of location for distribution and logistics so that flexible packaging products can be efficiently delivered across the nation.

The South is a fast-expanding market for flexible packaging, because of its strong manufacturing sector and flourishing sectors including food processing, pharmaceuticals, and personal care. Because of its robust industrial and agricultural industries, this area plays a significant role in the nation's flexible packaging industry. Additionally, e-commerce and retail are growing in the area, which raises the need for flexible packaging options for product storage and transportation.

Given its various industrial activity and robust consumer demand, the West is an important customer base for flexible packaging. Progress in packaging materials and technology has been driven by the flourishing IT sector in the West. Furthermore, the region's focus on conservation and environmentally aware consumer choices have raised the demand for flexible packaging solutions that are recyclable and eco-friendly. A thriving food and beverage sector in the West is also advantageous, especially for natural, organic, and health-conscious goods, all of which depend on flexible packaging to preserve quality and freshness.

Competitive Landscape:

Major market players are emphasizing innovation, sustainability, and expansion in product lines to meet changing consumer requirements. Many companies are investing in the latest printing technologies, including rotogravure and digital printing, to offer improved personalized packaging alternatives. Significant priority is given to the development of green, sustainable packaging materials, such as recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable films, to continually alleviate damage. Prominent players in the industry are fostering partnerships with technology partners and suppliers toward waste minimization during manufacturing and maximizing efficient use of materials in all possible ways. They are also inclined toward improving supply chain efficiency against use of automation to reduce manufacturing costs. Many major companies are launching convenient flexible packaging choices, such single-serve packaging, easy-open designs, and resealable pouches, to capitalize on new consumer trends.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape in the United States flexible packaging market with detailed profiles of all major companies.

Latest News and Developments:

• In April 2024, Nylon Corporation of America (NYCOA), a custom manufacturer of engineered nylon resins, announced the launch of NY-Clear, an amorphous 6I/6T nylon that is targeted for flexible packaging and precision moulded applications.
• In April 2024, American Packaging Corporation (APC), a leader in flexible packaging solutions, announced the commercial launch of RE Design for recycle flexible packaging technology that is targeted at pet food products ranging from small pouches for pet treats to large bags (up to 38#) for pet kibble.  This new technology joins a portfolio of packaging technologies in APC's RE sustainable packaging portfolio.

United States Flexible Packaging Market Report Scope:

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the United States flexible packaging market from 2019-2033.
• The research study provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the United States flexible packaging market.
• Porter's Five Forces analysis assists stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the United States flexible packaging industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.