Changing consumer dynamics particularly in the food and non-food packaging industries, economic recovery, and growing prominence of developing Asian, Middle East and Latin American markets will further accelerate the pace of development. Plastic film, used for packaging of both food and non-food products apart from various other plastic products, is the largest sub-sector of the plastics processing industry.
Primary applications of plastic films include food packaging, shrink-wrap, stretch-wrap, carrier bags, bin bags, and heavy-duty sacks, and agriculture and building applications. Globalization and consolidation have impacted the plastic film industry to a considerable extent. Changing consumer dynamics and patterns are revolutionizing the food-packaging market, which is witnessing an increased preference for plastic film and sheets, compared to other flexible packaging materials such as kraft paper, aluminum foil and cellophane film.
Cast film continues to make inroads into those application areas that are historically led by BOPP film. Significant advancements in process capabilities coupled with enhanced resins and improved equipment have filled most of the wide existing gap between BOPP film and Cast PP film. The second-generation LLDPE products are likely to substitute plastics in film and other non-plastics because it offers improved properties such as greater degree of film toughness, processability, clarity and lower cost.
The plastic films industry is characterized by product diversity and competition in the market remains fragmented with the presence of both large-scale manufacturers and small producers. Major players profiled in the report include Achilles Corporation, AEP Industries Inc., Applied Extrusion Technologies (AET), Bemis Company, Inc., Berry Plastics Corporation, British Polythene Industries, DuPont Teijin Films, ExxonMobil Chemicals, Futamura Chemical Co., Ltd., Inteplast Group Ltd., Nylex (Malaysia) Berhad, Okura Industrial Co., Ltd., Polyplex Corporation Ltd., Reynolds Flexible Packaging, Quinn Plastics, SABIC Innovative Plastics, Sealed Air Corporation, SINOPEC Shanghai Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Bakelite Company Limited, Toray Plastics, Toyobo Company Ltd., Trioplast Industrier AB, Unitika Ltd., and Vibac Group, among several others.