United Kingdom

Total alcoholic drinks packaging recorded healthy growth in 2020, despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While foodservice unit volumes plummeted, due to cafés, pubs and restaurants all being closed for extended periods in 2020,…

Flexible plastic accounts for the greatest pack type share in baby food packaging in the UK. This low-cost, compact pack type is ideal for small, convenient baby food packages, particularly in categories such as “other baby food”. This category…

In 2022, folding cartons took over from HDPE bottles as the main pack type in unit volume terms in UK beauty and personal packaging. This can be attributed to the fact that, in addition to being lightweight and easy to carry, folding cartons also…

Although it remains a much smaller pack type in unit volume terms, flexible paper continues to take share from the dominant packaging format of flexible plastic in countlines, as consumers increasingly opt for sustainable packaging options. This…

The UK’s dairy packaging market is dominated in unit volume terms by HDPE bottles and thin wall plastic containers. HDPE bottles dominate milk packaging, and are also gaining share in yoghurt, due to their robust barrier credentials. Milk is a…

The HDPE bottle continued to be the most-used pack type in the UK’s home care market in 2022. This was because HDPE bottles have a versatile range of application across the home care industry, serving as an ideal packaging material for various…

Fresh coffee beans was one of the best performers among the various hot drinks categories in 2023, benefiting from premiumisation. In particular, it has been benefiting from single-origin and speciality coffee, as consumers become more concerned…

Plastic pouches are seeing strong growth in dried ready meals and are therefore gaining share in this category. Major brands are using plastic pouches for their dried ready meal products due to their lightweight nature and compact size, which make…

The UK’s packaging industry is currently influenced by two prominent trends. Firstly, the widespread use of flexible plastic packaging, especially in areas like cheese packaging, which is being driven by its cost-effectiveness, convenience and…

In the UK, the 1,000ml pack remains the most popular size in the packaging of plant-based milk, and therefore also plant-based dairy as a whole, given milk’s dominance of the overall category. Consumers in the UK are now familiar with plant-based…