Europe Protective Packaging Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The Europe Protective Packaging Market is segmented by Material Type (Plastics, Paper and Paperboard), Product Type (Rigid, Flexible, Foam Based), End-user Vertical (Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Consumer Electronics, Beauty and Homecare), and Country.

Europe Protective Packaging Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

Europe Protective Packaging Market Size

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Europe Protective Packaging Market Size
Study Period 2019 - 2030
Base Year For Estimation 2024
Forecast Data Period 2025 - 2030
Historical Data Period 2019 - 2023
CAGR 3.40 %
Market Concentration Medium

Major Players

Europe Protective Packaging Market Major Players

*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order

Compare market size and growth of Europe Protective Packaging Market with other markets in Packaging Industry

Advanced Packaging

Packaging Equipment

Contract Packaging

Overall Packaging

Packaging Customers

Packaging Forms

Europe Protective Packaging Market Analysis

The Europe Protective Packaging Market is expected to register a CAGR of 3.4% during the forecast period.

  • The market in the United Kingdom is mainly growing due to the Flexible Packaging sector. Global packaging vendors are expanding in this region, and local companies are being acquired, which is indicative of the market potential in the area. For instance, in January 2020, Macfarlane Group acquired protective packaging solutions provider Armagrip for undisclosed sums.
  • Beauty brands in the region are taking greater care in packaging and logistics operations. Product innovations, such as downgauging and the emergence of alternative raw materials, are expected to translate into future growth opportunities. Moreover, for industries with a bulk need for packaging materials, the vendors also provide packaging equipment and raw materials to maintain businesses with high volume and huge value customers.
  • Moreover, the market is witnessing new partnerships and M&A activities to address new challenges emerging in the market and drive growth. For example, Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm, agreed to acquire Pregis LLC, protective packaging materials and automated systems manufacturer, from Olympus Partners, which after five years of ownership and a series of acquisitions, resulted in Pregis LLC's growth from 14 to 22 manufacturing sites in North America and Europe.
  • Although light-weighting of the board has long been affecting the corrugated industry, light-weighting and proper-sizing play a critically important role in this industry, not only in response to buyer's demands for efficient packaging but also in response to buyer's demands for efficient packaging also in response to the logistics system's adoption of dimensional weight (DIM) pricing, in some scenarios, substituting a heavier board grade can provide a better impact overall as it allows for the eradication of additional protective elements. Light weighting has been quite successful in Western Europe. The importance of lightweighting will continue to be felt even in the coming years as it is cost-saving.
  • Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the lockdown enforced and social distancing norm has elevated the consumer to order their requisite through online medium. The food and beverage sector has also been witnessing rising demand for takeaway and online delivery, driving the growth of the protective packaging market in the region.

Europe Protective Packaging Industry Overview

The Europe protective packaging market is moderately fragmented and consists of various vendors providing these products and solutions. Players in the market focus on product innovations and strategic initiatives such as merger and acquisition, partnerships to capture the market share. Some of the recent developments in the market are:

  • July 2021 - Europe will have more packaging technology due to the Sonoco Protective Solutions. Later this year, the business will expand its Sochaczew, Poland, facility to include a Sonopost manufacturing operation, utilizing its current manufacturing infrastructure.

Europe Protective Packaging Market Leaders

  1. Intertape Polymer Group Inc.

  2. Sealed Air Corporation

  3. Sonoco Products Company

  4. Smurfit Kappa Group plc

  5. DS Smith plc

  6. *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Intertape Polymer Group Inc., Sealed Air Corporation, Sonoco Products Company, Smurfit Kappa Group plc, DS Smith plc
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Europe Protective Packaging Market News

  • July 2022 - Sealedair has introduced the BUBBLE WRAP brand paper bubble mailer, a fiber-based padded mailer that can recycle in curbside bins. This product complements SEE's other paper mailer offerings, which include SEALED AIR brand return-ready mailers, padded mailers, and rigid mailers.

Europe Protective Packaging Market Report - Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

  • 1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition
  • 1.2 Scope of the Study

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4. MARKET DYNAMICS

  • 4.1 Market Overview
  • 4.2 Industry Attractiveness - Porter's Five Forces Analysis
    • 4.2.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
    • 4.2.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers/Consumers
    • 4.2.3 Threat of New Entrants
    • 4.2.4 Threat of Substitute Products
    • 4.2.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry
  • 4.3 Market Drivers
    • 4.3.1 Increasing Trend of E-commerce
  • 4.4 Market Challenges
    • 4.4.1 Alternative Forms of Packaging
  • 4.5 Assessment of Impact of COVID-19 on the market

5. MARKET SEGMENTATION

  • 5.1 Material Type
    • 5.1.1 Plastics
    • 5.1.2 Paper and Paperboard
    • 5.1.3 Other Material Types
  • 5.2 Product Type
    • 5.2.1 Rigid
    • 5.2.1.1 Molded Pulp
    • 5.2.1.2 Paperboard-based Protectors
    • 5.2.1.3 Insulated Shipping Containers
    • 5.2.2 Flexibles (Mailers, Paper Full, and Air Pillows)
    • 5.2.2.1 Bubble Wraps
    • 5.2.3 Foam Based
  • 5.3 End-user Vertical
    • 5.3.1 Food and Beverage
    • 5.3.2 Pharmaceutical
    • 5.3.3 Consumer Electronics
    • 5.3.4 Beauty and Homecare
    • 5.3.5 Other End-user Verticals
  • 5.4 Country
    • 5.4.1 United Kingdom
    • 5.4.2 Germany
    • 5.4.3 France
    • 5.4.4 Italy
    • 5.4.5 Rest of Europe

6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

  • 6.1 Company Profiles*
    • 6.1.1 Intertape Polymer Group Inc.
    • 6.1.2 Sealed Air Corporation
    • 6.1.3 Sonoco Products Company
    • 6.1.4 Smurfit Kappa Group plc
    • 6.1.5 Huhtamaki Group
    • 6.1.6 DS Smith plc
    • 6.1.7 International Paper Company
    • 6.1.8 Storopack Hans Reichenecker Gmbh
    • 6.1.9 Crown Holdings, Inc.,
    • 6.1.10 Pregis Corporation

7. INVESTMENT ANALYSIS

8. FUTURE OF THE MARKET

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Europe Protective Packaging Industry Segmentation

Protective packaging is materials that are built to protect and add a buffer to a product from potential harm or damage/destruction while shipping or warehousing. Protective packaging can be used either as primary packaging or secondary packaging material depending upon the products' end-use application. The scope of the market is comprehensive and is limited to Europe.

Material Type Plastics
Paper and Paperboard
Other Material Types
Product Type Rigid Molded Pulp
Paperboard-based Protectors
Insulated Shipping Containers
Flexibles (Mailers, Paper Full, and Air Pillows) Bubble Wraps
Foam Based
End-user Vertical Food and Beverage
Pharmaceutical
Consumer Electronics
Beauty and Homecare
Other End-user Verticals
Country United Kingdom
Germany
France
Italy
Rest of Europe
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Europe Protective Packaging Market Research FAQs

What is the current Europe Protective Packaging Market size?

The Europe Protective Packaging Market is projected to register a CAGR of 3.4% during the forecast period (2025-2030)

Who are the key players in Europe Protective Packaging Market?

Intertape Polymer Group Inc., Sealed Air Corporation, Sonoco Products Company, Smurfit Kappa Group plc and DS Smith plc are the major companies operating in the Europe Protective Packaging Market.

What years does this Europe Protective Packaging Market cover?

The report covers the Europe Protective Packaging Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report also forecasts the Europe Protective Packaging Market size for years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.

Europe Protective Packaging Industry Report

Statistics for the 2025 Europe Protective Packaging market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Europe Protective Packaging analysis includes a market forecast outlook for 2025 to 2030 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.