According to AMI, the market for packaging plastics has reached a state of maturity in Western Europe, with regional growth slowing to a level roughly in line with GDP. By way of contrast, many eastern European markets are experiencing dynamic growth driven by lower labor costs, rising consumer spending, and recent accession to the EU. Even so, the markets of Western Europe still accounted for 89% of polymer demand for use in packaging in 2007.

The market within the Central European countries of Poland, Hungary, Czech and Slovak Republics, Baltic States, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Romania has only really been able to achieve significant growth since the early 1990s following the collapse of the former Communist regimes.

One of the major challenges for the plastics packaging industry in Europe is the rising cost of raw materials. AMI’s report explores the industry response to increasing oil prices and the related pressure to reduce the environmental impact of packaging polymers.

The main market served by plastics packaging is the food and drink industry. Nearly all types of plastics materials find some application in this sector, which is estimated to account for 70% of all polymers used in packaging.

The report is available for $360. For more information, contact AMI at www.amiplastics.com [11]