A number of drivers to growth in food packaging consumption are apparent. First and foremost of these is
the growing usage of packaged food as grocery multiples take share away from specialist butchers and
fruit/ vegetable shops, and increasingly shift to central packaging operations to reduce waste and control
stocks more effectively. Beyond that, there has been rising demand for ready-prepared foods, including
microwave meals for time-poor consumers – including some who were unlikely to eat frozen processed
foods in the past. Other key trends include the rise in smaller households, leading to increasing units of
smaller pack sizes, as well as the shift from metal, glass and other packaging to plastic packaging in areas
such as soups, sauces, pet food and other products.