Flexible packaging now has consumer conveniences, sustainability, reduced costs

By Tom Polischuk

Dynamic industry

The Flexible Packaging Association’s (FPA’s) Annual Meeting held in March reflected the generally upbeat view of economic and market conditions impacting the industry. One quick point stands out. William Burke, president and COO of Nordenia USA and chairman of the FPA, started out his presentation on the association’s annual State of the Industry Report with the news that FPA had picked up 32 new members.
According to the FPA, the total U.S. flexible packaging industry came in at $25.5 billion in 2010, of which $19.7 billion was classified as “value added”—defined as not including retail poly bags, storage bags (e.g., trash), and wraps. This reflected a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.6 percent during the last ten years.