PUBLISHER: Future Markets, Inc. | PRODUCT CODE: 1294072
PUBLISHER: Future Markets, Inc. | PRODUCT CODE: 1294072
In Europe, single-use plastic item bans and regulations have already been enacted or are being planned or considered, while similar bans or regulations have been implemented or planned in the rest of the world. Fiber-based packaging offers sustainable and transformative solutions for substituting single-use plastic packaging.
Traditionally used for packaging dunnage and egg boxes & carton, Molded fiber packaging (MFP) is increasingly used in primary and secondary packaging as an alternative to plastics in handling and packaging of products from food containers to packaging of household items, industrial supplies, electronics to single-use medical service items to provide protection in shipments, customer convenience, and other economic packaging and environmental benefits. Molded pulp products are a sustainable alternative to rigid single use plastics including food containers and tableware, electronic product packaging, compostable containers for agricultural seedlings, medical and health products, building materials and furniture. Driven by the development of innovative barrier solutions and increased demand for fiber-based packaging, other markets such as FMCG are beginning to adopt MFP
The starting material of MFPs, Molded fiber or molded pulp, is typically made from biodegradable lignocellulosic fibers, including recycled paper, newsprint, cardboard and other natural planted fibers. It is recyclable, compostable, and eventually biodegradable and can be used as an alternative to oil-based packaging products such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) or vacuum-formed polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The market for natural fiber packaging products has been consistently growing for more than a decade, and molded fiber producers are struggling to keep pace with demand, necessitating production capacity increases.