The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) releases a new Plastics Market Watch report, Plastic Bottles Today: Innovating to Reach Today鈥檚 Consumer, which shows that demand for plastic bottles continues to grow in the United States. Plastic bottles and jars represent approximately 75 percent of all plastic containers, by weight. PLASTICS projects continued increases across products and sectors, including beverage, food and water, household, pharmaceutical and automotive chemicals and fluids.
Last year, for the first time ever, bottled water consumption exceeded carbonated soft drinks in sales in the United States, growing 8.5 percent, according to the Beverage Marketing Corp. Further, plastic accounted for 41.2 percent of all beverage packaging units in 2016 according to same group. Given the increased consumer demand for plastic bottles, PLASTICS鈥� new study is a timely look into the trends that shape the plastic bottling sector.
鈥淭he bottling segment of our industry is projected to grow six percent over the next three years,鈥� said PLASTICS鈥� Senior鈥刅ice鈥凱resident of Membership鈥刟nd鈥凚usiness鈥凞evelopment Mark Garrison. 鈥淩ecognizing this upward trend, we鈥檒l unveil the Bottle Zone at NPE2018: The Plastics Show, as it will prove an invaluable resource for companies that work with PET pre-forms, blow molding, molds, labeling, filling, closures, design and inspection equipment.鈥�
The study provides insight for the entire plastics industry and supply chain, as well as brands and other stakeholders, into the growth and usage of plastics for bottling and containers. Bottlers are currently using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to develop lighter packaging that saves costs in raw polymers, energy and transportation. The PET bottle designs are also more attractive to consumers in packaging and sustainability.
PLASTICS鈥� new Plastics Market Watch report attributes the incredible growth of PET to the high ranking of bottling in terms of plastics industry employment numbers, dollar value of shipments and capital expenditures. With bottling鈥檚 rapid rise, it鈥檚 vital manufacturers stay on top of key issues, challenges and advances affecting bottling. To that end, PLASTICS has created the Bottle Zone鈥攃overing more than 50,000 square feet on the exhibit floor at NPE2018鈥攚hich will feature more than 40 industry leaders presenting the latest advancements, technologies and supplies in bottling manufacturing.
NPE2018, the triennial international plastics manufacturing exposition representing the entire plastics supply chain, returns to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando May 7-11, 2018.
For more information, visit .