Plastic Caps & Closures in Beverages Now in the Lead
How are plastics faring in caps and closures?
Lilli Manolis Sherman
Senior Editor
How are plastics faring in caps and closures? In the beverage sector, by far the single largest market globally, plastic closures (49%) overtook metal closures (48%) in 2012, driven partly by the associated gain in plastic containers and partly by further advances in closure design, materials and systems. This according to market research firm Canadean, part of U.K.-based Progressive Digital Media LLC.
Canadean’s Nov. 2013 report, Innovation in Caps and Closures, notes that lightweight packaging in general has been a strong trend in the beverage industry, and technologically advanced lightweight caps provide greater potential for energy reduction and material savings. The report also projects that innovation in plastic closures is expected to further widen the gap between plastic and metal, with 52% of the market expected to be held by plastic closures in 2017.