Packaging Industry in Belgium

Euromonitor International's Packaging Industry in Belgium report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides historic market size data by industry, allowing you to identify the most popular pack types. It identifies the leading companies, and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market- be they new product developments, recycling or legislation issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

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Executive summary

Eco-tax causes controversy

A new eco-tax system came into effect in 2007, and concerned all packaged goods. It would target the production process, being dependant on packaging weight and CO2 emissions. This has since caused some controversy and arguments among manufacturers, retailers and their trade associations. The government’s decision has been claimed to render a growth in retail prices unavoidable every year since the tax change shows mostly on economy products, and to be unnecessary considering Belgium is the European country with the highest recycling profile. The tax applies in particular to plastic bags, plastic films and aluminium foil.

Europe’s best recyclers

Belgium is the leading country in Europe in terms of recycling and recovery. A very efficient packaging waste management scheme has been put in place. Belgian consumers are committed to doing their share of waste recycling, by sorting waste. This has been of an enormous help to authorities, manufacturers and retailers in their mission to exceed European targets for recycling and packaging waste recovery. As Belgium’s capital is the headquarters for the European Commission, it is even more important for the country to show a good example. The non-profit organisation FOST plus, has co-ordinated the efforts that has put Belgium in the lead in Europe for recycling. The success has been achieved for less €10 per inhabitant per year, which is a very low cost for such an initiative.

More recycling, more waste too

In Belgium, as in many other European countries, the number of small households is increasing. People are choosing to live alone or in small families, with large families being quite rare these days. This means that the consumption of packaged goods has increased. Many small households means many small packaged goods reduced to provide single-serve portions, while in large households larger family-sized packages are purchased. The result of this is more waste to recycle. So even if Belgians are exemplary recyclers, they might not be able to do so much for the environment after all, as they have too much waste to recycle. Because of all this there will be increasing pressure on Belgians to change their consumption habits. More serious decisions will have to be made when choosing packaging volume.

Packaging innovation led by consumer trends

Due to the increasing number of single person and small households in Belgium and other countries in Europe, packaging has been developed. Packaging companies have had to listen to consumer demand and produce new products especially made for consumption in small households, such as single-serve packages. Together with this, the lifestyle in today’s society has become more “on-the go”, which means that packages and closures have to be adapted so that they are convenient enough to be purchased by consumers.

The new way of living, a hectic fast-paced life has affected the industry significantly. Demand has increased for premium and value-added products such as functional foods, premium fruit/vegetable juices, and also other products like disposable cleansing wipes. The demands are resulting in the packaging industry focusing on producing products in attractive and functional packaging. As lifestyles become more fast-paced, demand has increased for products that are ready to eat (single-serving meal solutions for example) and microwaveable products. These packages are usually made of plastic, which causes a decrease in the metal packaging sector.

Table of contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ECO-TAX CAUSES CONTROVERSY

EUROPE’S BEST RECYCLERS

MORE RECYCLING, MORE WASTE TOO

PACKAGING INNOVATION LED BY CONSUMER TRENDS

MARKET BACKGROUND

PACKAGING LEGISLATION

European legislation

National use of the European legislation

Changes in pack formats

Plans for a new eco-tax

RECYCLING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Packaging waste management at home

Non-profit organizations come to the rescue

Motivated recyclers

The Belgian collection system

Green Dot logos to mark environmental dedication

Packaging prevention facing challenge with change in shopping habits

CORPORATE ACTIVITY IN PACKAGING

M-REAL SELLS M-REAL MEULEMANS SA TO AUTAJON GROUP

VISUAL IMPACT OF PACKAGING AS IMPORTANT AS EVER

MAJOR MARKET PLAYERS

TETRA PAK BELGIUM NV

Acquisition of Novembal

Innovation

Summary 1 Major End-Use Markets for Tetra Pak Belgium NV by Pack Type 2008

ELOPAK BV

Health awareness and international business

Consumer trends - a priority

Summary 2 Major End-Use Markets for Elopak BV by Pack Type 2008

RPC COBELPLAST NV

Innovation

Healthy performance

Summary 3 Major End-Use Markets for RPC Cobelplast NV by Pack Type 2008

RPC BRAMLAGE ANTWERPEN NV

Summary 4 Major End-Use Markets for RPC Bramlage Antwerpen NV by Pack Type 2008

RPC PACKAGING GENT NV

Summary 5 Major End-Use Markets for RPC Packaging Gent NV by Pack Type 2008

RESILUX NV

Leading PET pre-form producer

Mono-layer and multi-layer bottles production

2007 Results

Prospects

Summary 6 Major End-Use Markets for Resilux NV by Pack Type 2008

CROWN VERPAKKING BELGIE NV

Global

Regional divisions

Positive results for Belgian plants

Food cans and can ends

Beverage cans and ends

Aerosols

Further segmentation

Summary 7 Major End-Use Markets for Crown Verpakking Belgie NV by Pack Type 2008

CROWN SPECIALITY PACKAGING BELGIUM NV

Speciality packaging

Summary 8 Major End-Use Markets for Crown Speciality Packaging Belgium NV by Pack Type 2008

AMCOR FLEXIBLES TRANSPAC NV

Belgian production facilities

Research centre supports Amcor Flexibles Europe

Summary 9 Major End-Use Markets for Amcor Flexibles Transpac NV by Pack Type 2008

AMCOR PET PACKAGING EUROPE NV/SA

Summary 10 Major End-Use Markets for Amcor PET Packaging Europe Nv/sa by Pack Type 2008

VAN GENECHTEN PACKAGING

Summary 11 Major End-Use Markets for Van Genechten-Biermans NV by Pack Type 2008

GERRESHEIMER MOMIGNIES SA

Popular with premium cosmetics brands

Multi-faceted service and speciality glass packaging

OpalNuance to attract upmarket customers

Coloured glass for the premium market

Summary 12 Major End-Use Markets for Gerresheimer Momignies SA by Pack Type 2008

ACG PACKAGING

Product portfolio

High frequency welding

Summary 13 Major End-Use Markets for ACG Packaging by Pack Type 2008

ANL PLASTICS NV

Background

ANL Plastics ecoPP

Summary 14 Major End-Use Markets for ANL Plastics NV by Pack Type 2008

EPOCA PRODUCTS NV/SA

Products

Summary 15 Major End-Use Markets for Epoca Products NV/SA by Pack Type 2008

KVA PACKAGING

Background

Continued investment

Summary 16 Major End-Use Markets for KVA packaging by Pack Type 2008

AMCOR FLEXIBLES FOOD

Markets served

New twist-wrap pack

Summary 17 Major End-Use Markets for Amcor Flexibles Food by Pack Type 2008

HELVOET PHARMA

Product development and innovation

New product: Omniflex3G

Summary 18 Major End-Use Markets for EuralPack Belgium N.V. by Pack Type 2008

TRANSBOX NV

Product range

Summary 19 Major End-Use Markets for Transbox NV by Pack Type 2008

MAJOR PLAYERS BY PACK TYPE

RIGID PLASTIC

Hectic lifestyles generate pickier demand

Rigid plastic sales boosted by innovations

Amcor PET goes green

PET supplied by O-I for Belgian Tropicana production plant

Summary 20 Major Rigid Plastic Packaging Companies by Pack Type 2008

METAL

PET is taking over the market

Lack of metal manufacturers in Belgium

May the strongest survive on the metal market

Summary 21 Major Metal Packaging Companies by Pack Type 2008

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

High prices in oil and raw materials

Sustainable packaging

Pouches

Summary 22 Major Flexible Packaging Companies by Pack Type 2008

GLASS

Small amount of national production

The rest of Europe is dominating the markets

LIQUID CARTONS

Off-trade distribution channels remain successful

International players on the home field

Swedish leader on top

SIG Combibloc meeting demand for smaller sizes

Tropicana gives Elopak a boost

PAPER-BASED CONTAINERS

Green movement favours paper

Imports lead the market

Domestic players remain in the Belgian industry

Summary 23 Major Paper-based Container Companies by Pack Type 2008

CLOSURES

Closures adapt to hectic lifestyles

Two-sided business

International influence

Change of custody of Amcor White Cap

PROCAP Hoboken NV in plastic closures

Summary 24 Ranking of Major Closure Companies 2007