Europe Single-use Packaging Market Size (2024 - 2029)

Europe Single-use Packaging Market Analysis

The Europe Single-use Packaging Market size is estimated at USD 10.07 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 12.71 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.76% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Europe is still one of the most significant users of single-use plastics for packaging solutions, with countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany leading the demand. Single-use plastics are mainly used to package drinking water in the area. Additionally, the increasing urbanization, changing dietary trends, the decreased availability of leisure time, and the increasing disposable income of those living in the regions contribute to the growing demand for single-use packaging solutions, especially in food, beverage, and consumer products.

• The demand for single-use packaging is growing owing to the evolving technology in food service with QSRs. Online food delivery has become a billion-dollar business. Aggregator platforms like Takeaway.com or Delivery Hero have expanded by selling reliable infrastructure solutions and attractive restaurant commission rates. 
• Platform-to-consumer delivery companies like Deliveroo or Uber Eats operate a more cost-intensive business model but are taking care of the whole delivery logistics. Those companies have also gained track over the last years, especially in densely populated regions. Both models will likely converge with a more robust demand for packaging solutions between in-house and third-party solutions.
• Moreover, the beverage industry is growing and becoming more dynamic in Europe. It is expected to significantly drive the market for single-use paper cups and paper cup carriers. Several prominent companies are supplying a variety of paper cups to fulfill the rising demand for on-the-go beverages across Europe.
• In addition, ordering drinks for takeaway and home delivery has grown in popularity. Likewise, cups, along with cup carriers, stirrers, and straws that are long-lasting and attractive, are observed to be in high demand.
• Single-use packaging, containers with antimicrobial chemicals, and packaging that requires less human interaction may gain popularity post-pandemic. For on-premise eating, for example, food service restaurants may use resealable throwaway packaging to carry leftovers home without being repackaged. Post-pandemic, off-premise sales via take-out and delivery applications are becoming increasingly crucial.
• The European Commission has proposed new rules across the EU to eliminate packaging waste by 2030, with a target of 15% less packaging waste by 2040 than in 2018. If passed, the revised legislation would ban the single-use of food and beverages served in restaurants and cafeterias and the single-use of fruits and vegetables, which could limit the market and the use of plastic single-use packaging in Europe. The proposal also aims to make packaging fully recyclable in 2030, with mandatory minimums for recycled content in new packaging.
• Meanwhile, the war between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in economic sanctions against European nations, high commodity prices, supply chain disruptions, and impacts on many markets. Some European countries are very reliant on imports of food and energy, making them particularly susceptible to economic shocks brought on by the Ukraine crisis. The war between Russia and Ukraine has made raw material energy and prices costs rise in several countries with production facilities, high commodity prices, supply chain disruptions, and impacts on many markets.

Europe Single-use Packaging Industry Segmentation

Single-use packaging is a type of packaging that is intended for single-use and then for disposal only. Plastic is the most widely used material in packaging and medical applications due to its versatility, ease of production, safety, sterility, and cost-effectiveness, followed by paper. Single-use plastic packaging includes grocery bags, cardboard boxes, bottles, food containers, straws, coffee stirrers, disposable cups, and cutlery.

The Europe single-use packaging market is segmented by material type (paper and paperboard, plastic, and glass), by end-user type (food, beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical, and other end users), and by country (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Rest of Europe). The market sizes and forecasts are provided in terms of value in USD for all the above segments.