United States and Europe Reusable Plastic Returnable Transport Packaging - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The United States and Europe Reusable Plastic Returnable Transport Packaging Market size is estimated at USD 23.25 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach USD 27.28 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 3.25% during the forecast period (2025-2030).

Adopting sustainable returnable packaging in the logistics industry to reduce the cost of their logistics packaging across their operations creates demand in the market.

Key Highlights

• The benefits of using RPC, such as lower cost and less wasteful supply chain that delivers savings directly to the bottom line, protect quality and freshness, optimizes the overall supply chain reducing environmental impact by preventing packaging waste, are the factors propelling the growth of the market.
• The increasing demand for the export and import of goods, coupled with the growing e-commerce industry in the United States and Europe, is expected to drive the growth of the market significantly during the forecast period. According to the US Census Bureau, the total imports and exports of goods in the United States accounted for USD 2.83 trillion and USD 1.75 trillion, respectively, in 2021.
• However, adopting reusable plastic RTP largely depends on the stakeholders across the supply chain realizing its benefits. According to a survey by Orbis Corporation, 46% of the supply chain executives mentioned resistance to process change as the major factor that may impede their supply chain performance. Thus, the lack of acceptance from people in the industry poses a challenge to the growth of the studied market.
• The governments in the studied regions are also emphasizing using reusable and recyclable packaging alternatives to enable a waste-free and circular economy, which is one of the important factors contributing to the growth of the studied market. The European Commission has increased its legislative efforts to reduce solid waste and promotes a circular economy.
• Several key players in the market are developing solutions with technological advancements to increase their operational efficiency. For instance, in April 2022, CHEP, in partnership with BXB Digital, developed digital solutions based on the Internet of Things (IoT) that seek to increase the operational efficiency of their customers' supply chains. A set of CHEP's reusable pallets and containers have been equipped with track and trace devices across Southern Europe to increase visibility over the platforms and the products transported on them.
• The COVID-19 outbreak affected international trade and the supply chains of essential and non-essential goods and services worldwide. The decline in industrial production due to the pandemic significantly affected the growth of the market.

Reusable Plastic Returnable Transport Packaging in the US & Europe Market Trends

Pallets to Account for Major Market Share

• Plastic pallets are used to store and ship full loads of products. Their contoured, all-plastic structure protects the product from damage from nails, rust, or splinters (commonly found in wood pallets). This factor is driving the demand for these pellets in the United States.
• In addition, reusable packaging eliminates injuries from box cutters, staples, and broken wooden pallets. Big 5 Corporation, a major sporting goods retailer with 240 stores in the Western United States, shifted to nestable plastic pallets, which eliminated injuries and equipment damage from wood pallets falling apart. This move improved ergonomics, made for cleaner facilities, increased worker productivity, and saved space in the warehouse.
• Various retailers from the food and pharmaceutical industries are replacing wooden pallets with plastic pallets due to sanitation and safety are top priorities in both sectors and the adoption of automation technology in the company's warehouse is catering to the demand because deformed wooden pallets threaten to block the mechanical conveyor belts. For instance, recently, one of France's largest food retailers has replaced its wooden pallet in its logistics operations and is now building up its inventory of plastic pallets. For the internal flow of goods between its 29 warehouses and 1,600 supermarkets in the chain, the freight forwarder has purchased 330,000 Craemer CS1 plastic pallets.
• Companies in the region are constantly launching HDPE Plastic pallets to meet the end-user needs. For instance, in September 2021, Craemer Group announced the launch of TC3-5 Palgrip, the completely closed plastic pallet with a fully anti-slip coated top deck that puts safety and hygiene at the forefront. It is made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, perfect for hygienic-first operations since the top and bottom decks are completely closed.

Food and Beverage End-user Vertical to Grow Significantly

• In the food and beverage industry, RTP packaging is used throughout the supply chain, such as for transporting food and beverage raw materials from farms to processing plants. RTP packaging solutions such as plastic food pallets protect beverage bottles and cans during processing, storage, and distribution applications throughout the supply chain. Reusable Plastic Containers (RPCs) are designed and used for packing and transporting perishable food items from farm and food processing facilities to retail and food service establishments in the United States and Europe.
• In Europe, considering beverages, cross-border product flows include transportation of milk, water, dairy products, beer, soft drinks, and wine. According to the European Union Study, except wine, all the other beverages are consumed by more than 90% in the country where they are produced. However, a substantial amount of wine travels across borders in the EU-internal market while a large amount of that is exported in bulk containers in the area of consumption.
• Several countries in Europe are emphasizing on recycling of various types of packaging. Earlier, returnable transport plastic packaging was not included in the packaging laws by the national governments; however, in recent years, they have included this packaging also. For instance, in July 2021, the German Packaging Act was amended, which made it mandatory to register in the LUCID portal from July 2022 if any business place packaging, including B2B transport packaging, commercial packaging, and returnable packaging, among others.
• Market developments such as various partnerships within the value chain are helping the market growth in the region. For instance, in February 2021, CHEP, a supply chain solutions company, announced a new five-year contract with Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), which will be in effect until April 2025, to supply pooled pallets across the Western Europe region.

Reusable Plastic Returnable Transport Packaging in the US & Europe Industry Overview

The US and European Reusable Plastic Returnable Transport Packaging Market is fragmented, as the market players are operating in a highly competitive landscape and are continuously upgrading their product portfolio in order to hold their positions.

• August 2021 - Sohner Kunststofftechnik added two large-format standard solutions to its range of foldable large load carriers MegaPack ALPHA 1500 x 800 x 800 and MegaPack BETA 1800 x 800 x 800. These plastic containers are appropriate for shipping high-volume automotive components with relatively low weights, such as seat frames, paneling, and wiring.
• November 2021 - Tosca introduced a new product NeRa Pallet. It is a nestable, rackable, and stackable heavy-duty plastic pallet that can deliver game-changing efficiencies throughout the automated distribution supply chain.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

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