It’s time to get those new plastic prototypes for packaging going. A recent report predicts that the globe’s demand for packaging will increase as much as 7.8% per year over the next several years, making it a $22.2 billion business by 2014. This would be a notable increase over the recorded pace of the industry between 2004 and 2009. The report states that this increase will be tied to an increase in manufacturing across the globe and the continued growth of the online retail industry. The United States is currently the biggest consumer of protective packaging, but it is actually expected that the biggest increases will come from developing regions around the world. Asia in particular is expected to see growth in the double digits.
How does this affect the average plastics injection molding company? The demand will increase in particular for affordable protective packaging that will prevent goods from being damaged during shipping. Custom formed plastic is excellent for this purpose, and if it is something that can be reused, all the better.
One of the other areas that is also expected to receive a lot of attention is that of biodegradable packaging. With concerns about the environment on the rise, more companies will be looking to meet the demands of consumers who want to shop with businesses that utilize greener practices. While bioplastic might not be the most suitable material for a plastics injection molding manufacturer to use these days, who knows what may lie in the future.