Market Trends of Metallocene Polyethylene (mPE) Industry
Increasing Demand for mPE from Packaging Industry
- Metallocene-based grades of polyethylene have high impact strength, puncture resistance, and environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR), along with very good organoleptic properties.
- These products are used in a wide range of film applications in the field of consumer, industrial, and institutional packaging. It is also suited for the production of caps and closures for non-carbonated drinks by compression molding. Other typical applications are high-performance film applications such as food and medical packaging, among others.
- These polymers are majorly used for applications such as wraps to cover bulk items of cargo, films in the packaging of agricultural products before, during, and after harvesting, food packaging films, In thin-walled containers, and others.
- The applications of these polymers in the packaging end-user industry are on the rise because these can significantly reduce the film thickness compared with LDPE, HDPE and LLDPE, and other products.
- Furthermore, Food Drink Europe stated that in 2022, The Europe food and beverages industry employs 4.6 million people and generates EUR 1.1 trillion (USD 1.159 trillion) in revenue and EUR 230 billion (USD 242.37 billion) in value-added, making it one of the largest manufacturing industries in Europe. Thereby, increasing the food and beverages industry in the region, the demand for food packaging increases, in turn boosting the demand for mPE.
- The Chinese packaging industry has grown at a rapid and consistent rate in recent years, owing to expanding economy and a rising middle-class population with greater purchasing power. Food packaging is a major player in the packaging industry, accounting for roughly 60% of the total market share in China. According to Interpak, in China, in the foodstuff packaging category, total packaging is expected to reach 447 billion units in 2023, thereby indicating an increased demand for the studied market from the packaging industry.
- Thus, the aforementioned factors are boosting the demand for the market studied during the forecast period.
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Asia-Pacific to Dominate the Market
- The demand for mPE from the Asia Pacific region is primarily driven by its growing number of applications in packaging, building and construction, automotive, healthcare, and others.
- The rising population, increased spending power, rapid urbanization, and development of the retail sector in countries like India, China, South Korea, and others are factors augmenting the growth of the packaging materials industry.
- In Asia-Pacific, the demand for packaged food is growing, owing to lifestyle changes, the growing disposable income of people, the increasing number of working professionals, and the growing preference for fast food. Consumers prefer ready-to-consume foods because they are fresh, require considerably less time for cooking, and have attractive and sturdy packaging, supporting the demand for the market studied.
- According to the Packaging Industry Association of India (PIAI), the Indian packaging industry is expected to grow at a rate of 22% during the forecast period. Moreover, the Indian packaging market is expected to reach USD 204.81 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 26.7% between 2020 and 2025. Therefore, the mPE market is expected to grow in the region.
- Healthcare is one of the largest sectors of the Indian economy in terms of both employment and revenue. According to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), India's public expenditure on healthcare touched 2.1 % of GDP in FY23, and India has ranked ninth globally for medical tourism. The Indian medical tourism market is expected to reach USD 13.42 billion by 2026, compared to USD 2.89 billion in 2020.
- Furthermore, China is one of the largest and fastest-growing healthcare markets in the world. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, in August 2022, the retail sales figure of various pharmaceuticals in China amounted to about CNY 51.92 billion (USD 7.511 Billion). With the increase in demand for pharmaceuticals, the market for healthcare packaging is expected to increase in the coming years.
- Moreover, the automotive industry also plays a significant role in the increase in demand for mPE in the Asia Pacific. For instance, according to OICA, the total motor vehicle production of Asia Pacific in 2022 accounted for 50,020,793 units which increased by 7% compared to 2021.
- Hence, with the rapid increase in various end-user industries, the demand for metallocene polyethylene (mPE) is expected to increase rapidly over the forecast period.
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