Packaging Industry in Germany

Slight decrease in packaging market

In 2005 the overall consumption of packaging amounted to 13 million tonnes, according to national packaging association. Paper-based packaging leads in packaging demand with 6.7 million tonnes, followed by glass with 3 million tonnes, plastics with 2.5 million tonnes, metal with 623,200 tonnes and liquid cartons with 244,400 tonnes.

All covered

The packaging industry in Germany plays a strong role in the economy. Besides major global players who take the lead in every sector of the market, there is enough room for a large range of mid-sized and even small-scale companies to operate in one or more packaging sectors. This leads to complete market coverage of products that are either exported or sold locally.

Innovation as key to success

Many companies have specialised in particular market segments and product categories and have proven to be very innovative. While some sectors such as metal or glass packaging have taken a long time to realise that they need to invest in research and development, other sectors have shown a high degree of innovation. This has mainly concerned paper-based packaging – where manufacturers win a variety of prestigious awards every year – and flexible packaging. Manufacturers have been especially innovative in the field of microwavability and in improving barrier characteristics of films.