Output of packaged beverages in the USA is forecast to approach 39 billion gallons (147.6 billion liters) in 2010. As a result, demand for containers is set to reach 236 billion units, valued at USD 1…
Output of packaged beverages in the USA is forecast to approach 39 billion gallons (147.6 billion liters) in 2010. As a result, demand for containers is set to reach 236 billion units, valued at USD 19.7 billion. Production of packaged beverages will outpace shipments of unpackaged drinks such as fountain soft drinks and teas, draft beers, powdered mixes and bulk waters. The growth of beverage consumption, and related container sales, will be driven by healthy levels of consumer spending; expanding young adult, middle-aged and older populations; increasing interest in enhanced or functional beverages, and beverages with possible health benefits; tap water safety concerns; and continued high levels of new product launches accompanied by aggressive marketing campaigns. These and other trends including market share, market leaders, market size and company profiles are presented in “Beverage Containers”, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland, Ohio-based industry research firm. Plastic containers continue to represent the growth segment of the beverage container industry, with a significant share of the market from traditional metal, glass and paperboard containers over the past several decades, and now hold 57% of total volume packaged. Advances will be driven by the strong outlook for PET bottled waters. While bottles remain dominant, more rapid growth is anticipated for pouches as ready-to-drink beverages are converted to pouch packaging based on advantages in terms of reduced material consumption and portability. Metal containers, the leading beverage container type in unit terms due to heavy usage in the sizable soft drink and beer markets, will see limited advances based on marginal growth in soft drink demand, a flat outlook for domestic beer production and progress by glass bottles in the beer market. Glass containers will experience a continuing recovery as large-scale replacements of glass with plastic have generally already taken place. Glass will continue to expand its share of the slow-growing beer container market as producers make efforts to compete against import beers and rely on premium beers in glass to achieve an up-market image.