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The global packaging market size during the Covid-19 pandemic is projected to grow from US$909.2bn to US$1trn by 2021, according to Covid-19 Impact on Packaging Market – Global Forecast to 2021, a recent report from Research and Markets.

The drivers behind this growth include the increased demand for fast-moving consumer goods and pharmaceutical packaging, and rising ecommerce sales due to lockdowns.

The report said plastic is projected to lead the market during the forecast period. Because demand for many end-use industries is growing, the use of plastic packaging will see a significant rise during the Covid-19 crisis, the report found.

Also, the Asia-Pacific region is projected to be the largest packaging market, at least through next year. The growth in the region is fuelled by the easy availability of packaging raw materials such as plastic, fibre, and glass and the presence of manufacturing facilities of most of the packaging companies. The market sizes estimated in the study were validated through primary interviews conducted with various industry experts globally.

The full report can be bought here.

Food & Drink Business

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Every three years, Australia's food and beverage manufacturing industry gathers at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre for foodpro – and this year Food & Drink Business was there as an exclusive media partner of the foodpro Industry Hub. In two minutes, here's a taste of some of what caught our eye across the show floor – the latest in processing and packaging, automation and robotics, food safety, sustainability and AI, and the people behind it.