Cold Chain Packaging Market

Historical and Future Outlook on Cold Chain Packaging Market

The rising demand for efficient preservation of food, beverages, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics has brought the cold chain packaging solutions in the limelight since the past decade. According to FMI, the global cold chain packaging market value grew at over 13.5% CAGR during 2015 and 2019. As the food & beverages industry grew exponentially during this period, the cold chain packaging manufacturers witnessed significant surge in demand.

With the fast adoption of reusable packaging, the cold chain packaging industry is anticipated to experience impressive growth in the coming years. End-users are set to keep ramping up demand which in turn will create lucrative prospects for market players during the assessment period. According to FMI, the global cold chain packaging market is set to grow at over 14.5% CAGR through 2030.

Application of Cold Chain Packaging in Food and Beverage Industry

The growing food & beverages industry has substantially boosted demand for a range of packaging, including cold chain packaging. As per the International Business Development Report, food and beverage sales in US reached ~US$ 1100 billion in 2015.

The standardization of validated analytical methods for food and beverages is aiding in the rise in requirement for maintaining food safety and protocols, which in turn is fuelling the sales of cold chain packaging. According to the United States of America Food & Beverage Report, the packaged food sales reached at nearly US$ 400 billion in 2015 in America, while the sales of frozen foods and canned foods grew by 1.5% and 3.6% CAGR respectively through 2016.

As these data indicate promising growth of the food & beverages industry, the cold chain packaging manufacturers are likely to experience significant increase in sales in the coming years.

Why Sustainability is Key for Cold Chain Packaging Manufacturers?

With the rise in environmental concern, the inclination towards bio-degradable products has brought major changes in the cold chain packaging industry. In order to meet the sustainability goals, the manufacturers are focusing on reusable packaging solutions. As stated in the State of the Industry Report 2020 published by the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA), the global reusable transport packaging market including cold chain packaging is highly lucrative and evolving fast. As per the report, reusable pallets contributed US$ 62.3 billion to the overall market value in 2020, while reusable rigid containers, crates, totes, trays & bins accounted for US$ 17.7 billion market share.

Furthermore, various governmental regulations and initiatives are catering to the surge in demand for reusable cold chain packaging. For instance, on 4^th March, 2020, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change held a hearing titled “America’s Plastic Waste Crisis” with the focus on the issues related to the United States plastics recycling market.

Key Challenges Faced by the Cold Chain Packaging Manufacturers

The manufacturing of cold chain packaging involves complex process cycle and is relatively costlier than the conventional production process. Shipping high-value consignments over long distances while maintaining proper refrigeration, requires collaborative efforts and proper attention, without which the process can be disrupted.

Furthermore, several regulations on cold chain management often work as challenging factors to the manufacturers. For instance, refrigerant gases such as Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) used in cold chains are responsible for high Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions which affects the environment and also creates compliance hurdles during the shipping across geographies.

Country-Wise Analysis

What’s Spurring Cold Chain Packaging Growth in the US and Canada?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the food, agriculture, and related industries contributed to US$ 1.109 trillion to the United States gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019, a 5.2% share. As per the report, the food & beverages industry grew to ~US$ 500 billion in 2019 and is subject to expand fast in the coming years. Due to these driving factors, the United States is set to maintain the lead throughout the forecast period.

Canada is another key region of the North America cold chain packaging market and is projected to exhibit steady growth through 2030. The rising demand from the food, beverages, pharmaceutical industry is propelling growth in Canada.

According to the report published by the Government of Canada, the food & beverage processing industry is the second largest manufacturing industry in Canada in terms of value of production with sales of goods manufactured worth US$ 117.8 billion in 2019, which accounts for 17% of total manufacturing sales and for 2% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Canadian processed food and beverage products are exported to some 192 countries with a significant proportion exported to a few countries. As per the data revealed in their report, in 2019, 86% of the export went to the United States (72%), China (8%), and Japan (6%).

These figures reveal the growing opportunities for the cold chain packaging manufacturers and suppliers in North America.

What Keeps Germany Cold Chain Packaging Market Ticking?

Germany is one of the prominent packaging markets globally. Backed by the rapidly growing demand for reusable packaging and the exponential growth of the key end-use industries such as food, beverages, pharmaceutical, chemical, and others, Germany is in the spotlight for the cold chain packaging manufacturers.

According to the report named “The Pharmaceutical Industry in Germany” published by Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), pharmaceutical spending in the statutory health insurance sector reached a new high of EUR 37 billion in 2015, recording an annual spending increase of 4.3% or more than EUR 1.5 billion. As per the report, the number of packages sold in the Germany pharmacy market increased 3% from 1.43 billion in 2014 to 1.47 billion in 2015, and is likely to grow further in the near future. This is expected to fuel the sales of cold packaging in Germany.

France Cold Chain Packaging Market

France emerged as another lucrative market for cold chain packaging in Europe. The rising demand from the food, beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries is expected to catalyze the growth in France.

According to the report titled “France Country Commercial Guide” published by the Government of Privacy Shield Framework, the France cosmetics industry grew from US$ 11,200 billion in 2016 to US$ 11,896 billion in 2019, while the total local cosmetics production grew from US$ 21,750 billion in 2016 to US$ 22,680 billion in 2019.

As the cosmetics industry in France is forecast to grow further, the sales footprint of the cold chain packaging manufacturers is expected to grow exponentially during the forecast period.

China Cold Chain Packaging Market to Maintain the Lead

China cold chain packaging industry is highly progressive owing to the rise in demand from its well-developed diverse end-use industries such as beverages, cosmetics, food, and others. According to the International Trade Administration, the food & beverages industry in China reached approximately US$ 595 billion in 2019, which is a 7.8% increase over 2018. As per their report, the United States quick-service restaurant (QSR) franchises in China remain strong but face increased competition from Chinese franchises in such categories as leisure drinks and “hotpot” restaurants serving takeout meals. These statistics represents the high potential of the food and beverages industry in China.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the retail sales of cosmetics of enterprises reached approximately 400 billion Yuan in 2019 and is projected to grow exponentially through 2030. This in turn is expected to create ample of opportunities for the cold chain packaging manufacturers in China.

How Big is Cold Chain Packaging in South Korea?

The rapidly surging demand from the food & beverages industry is keeping South Korea in the spotlight for the cold chain packaging manufacturers. As stated in the report by South Korea Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), the foodservice industry in South Korea is expected to reach at US$ 104.7 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 3.6% since 2020. As per the report, South Korea, with a population of ~51.6 million, is the largest foodservice market in the four ‘tiger’ economies: South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.

The report published by the Government of Canada in January, 2020 stated that South Korea food industry is highly potential and an important market for Canadian agri-food and seafood exporters. As per their report, the full implementation of the Canada-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) in 2032 will offer more export opportunities for wide varieties of Canadian agri-food and seafood products in the coming years. This in turn is expected to increase the sales footprint of the cold chain packaging manufacturers in South Korea.

Category-wise Insights

Phase Change Cold Storage Products Emerge as Lucrative

Phase change cold storage products such as plates, micro capsules, bags & balls are presently leading in the market in terms of product type. The phase change cold storage products have significantly changed the way cold chain packaging solutions are designed. As phase change cold storage products are highly efficient in providing smaller and lighter thermal packaging solutions, they are preferred over their water-based counter parts.

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Pallet shippers, insulated containers, foam bricks, gel packs, and others are other key segments in terms of product type and are set to sustain their positions throughout the forecast period.

Reusable Packaging to Spur Growth

Presently, reusable packaging is the highly sought-after packaging format of the cold chain packaging solutions followed by disposable packaging formats. While reusable cold chain packaging has lower waste management cost and environmental impacts, it requires limited storage space and have higher efficiencies in transport which make it highly preferred by the manufacturers.

Furthermore, the growing focus on bio-degradable products, various governmental campaigns, and regulations are further rising the requirement of this format of cold chain packaging. The Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management, the European Association of Beverage Wholesalers, the Environmental Action Germany, and the Association of Small and Independent Breweries in Europe joined hands to organize the 6^th European ReUse-Conference named “Reusable Packaging in Europe: Boosting Business and Closing the Loop” on 23^rd March, 2017 in Brussels.

Polymer Materials to Gain Traction

Polymer is the mostly preferred material for the cold chain manufacturing in the current market. The barrier resins of polymer are highly useful in preserving freshness and extending shelf-lives of food and beverages. Additionally, they are light-weight, cost-effective, and non-reactive with food, beverages, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products inside, which make them highly required by the diverse end-use industries.

Metal, and paper are other key segments of the cold chain packaging solution in terms of material, which are fuelling sales of the suppliers and manufacturers.

Food Industry Remains Leading End User

Food industry is the leading end user of the cold chain packaging market. The fast growth of the food industry is bolstering the cold chain packaging manufacturers growth since the past decade and tends to boost the sales further through 2030.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), feeding a world population of 9.1 billion people in 2050 would require raising overall food production by some 70% through 2050. Definitely this depicts the growth scope of the global food industry which is expected to increase the demand for the cold chain packaging solutions in the coming years.

Competitive Landscape

The cold chain packaging market continues to be fragmented. In order to excel through the tough competition, manufacturers continue to invest in product diversification.

For instance,

• Pelican Products, Inc. launched its new range of cold chain packaging solutions such as Single Use Cold Chain Parcels, Reusable Cold Chain Pallets, and others in the last year
• Softbox Systems Ltd. launched its new extensive range of cold chain packaging products such as TEMPCELL MAX, SILVERPOD MAX, TEMPCELL ECO, and others in the last year
• TemperPack Technologies, Inc. launched its new CimaCell® Curbside Recyclable Insulated Box Liner in order to fulfil the requirement of the wider range end-use industries

Some of the key market players are-

• Sonoco ThermoSafe
• Pelican Products, Inc.
• Sofrigam SAS
• Cryopak Industries Inc.
• CSafe Global, LLC
• Softbox Systems Ltd.
• TOWER Cold Chain Solutions
• DGP Intelsius LLC
• TemperPack Technologies, Inc.
• Tempack Packaging Solutions SL.

*The list is not exhaustive, and only for representational purposes. Full competitive intelligence with SWOT analysis available in the report

Cold Chain Packaging Market Report: Scope

Key Questions Answered by the Report

• At what CAGR is the global cold chain packaging market expected to grow?

  According to FMI, the global cold chain packaging market is expected to grow at over 14.5% CAGR (value) during the forecast period 2020 and 2030.

• Which are the top companies in cold packaging market?

  Some of the top companies in global cold packaging market are Sonoco ThermoSafe, TOWER Cold Chain Solutions, Sofrigam SAS, Softbox Systems Ltd..

• Which is the best-selling cold chain packaging?

  Presently, phase change cold storage products such as plates, micro capsules, bags, and others account for highest sales.

• Which are the leading markets for cold chain packaging maufacturers?

  The United States, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, China, and others are lucrative markets for cold chain packaging.

• Which is the leading packaging format for cold chain packaging?

  Currently, reusable packaging format continues to be the format of choice for end-users.

• Which material type is highly sought-after in the cold chain packaging market?

  Polymer is the highly sought-after material in the cold chain packaging market.

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• Is this research conducted by FMI?

  Yes, the research has been conducted by expert analysts of FMI through a combination of primary research and secondary research. To know more about how the research was conducted, you can speak to research analyst.

• What research methodology is followed by FMI?

  FMI follows a methodology that encompasses demand side assessment of the market, and triangulates the same through supply side analysis. This methodology is based on use of standard market structure, methods and definitions. Request detailed methodology.

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• What are the sources of secondary research?

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Key Segments

Product Type

• Pallet Shippers
• Insulated Containers
• Foam Bricks
• Gel Packs
• Protective Packaging (Foams Sheets, etc.)
• Phase Change Cold Storage Products (Plates, Microcapsules, Bags and Balls)

Packaging Formats

• Reusable Packaging
• Disposable Packaging

Material Type

• Polymer
  • Polyethylene
  • Polypropylene
  • PET
  • EPS
  • Polyurethane
  • Others (Extruded Polyisocyanurate, etc.)
• Metal
• Paper

End Use

• Food
  • Meat, Poultry & Seafood
  • Dairy Products
  • Fresh Produce
  • Bakery & Confectionary
• Beverages
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
• Pharmaceutical
• Cosmetics & Personal Care
• Chemical
• Others (Homecare, etc.)

Region

• North America
• Latin America
• Europe
• Middle East and Africa (MEA)
• East Asia
• South Asia
• Oceania