Industry & Economic Information

Resources for the Flexible Packaging Industry

Industry Resources

The Flexible Packaging Association promotes a general financial and economic understanding of the flexible packaging industry by gathering, analyzing and disseminating industry and economic information that monitors the health and performance of key industry attributes.

Disaster Recovery Plans

This document contains a list of FPA members who are interested in developing agreements between members to help with disaster recovery plans. One of the issues generally addressed in these plans is how a company with only a single manufacturing facility will fulfill their supply commitments in the event of a disaster. Given the current Coronavirus crisis, FPA updated the list of companies who are interested in signing agreements to assist in this regard.

Flexible Packaging Business Statistics

State of the Flexible Packaging Industry Report. This flagship FPA annual report provides a comprehensive view of the total U.S. packaging and flexible packaging segment of the industry.

Pulse of the Industry Report. FPA conducts a quarterly survey to gather data and report back to members regarding performance against several key industry attributes.

Cost Earnings Report. Published annually, the Cost Earnings Report examines key operating factors, including cost component information on labor; sales, general, and administrative expenses; materials and other manufacturing; receivables aging; capital spending; inventory turnover; and delivery lead times.

  • The report is available only to FPA converter members who participate by returning completed surveys.

FPA/PMMI Best Practice: Transitioning Flexible Materials Report

To help identify the key challenges experienced by CPGs when transitioning between different flexible materials, the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) partnered with PMMI Media Group Custom Research to develop best practices to address these challenges. The main objectives of the project were to uncover the key operational challenges and barriers to switching between flexible materials in CPG production lines; and to create a best practices document as an industry guide for CPGs, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and materials suppliers/converters on the most effective way to transition between flexible materials.

Flexible Packaging U.S. Market Profile & Segmentation Report

This report provides a profile of the U.S. flexible packaging market size (volumes and revenue) and composition by material for various flexible packaging categories including bags, wrappers, stand-up pouches, retort pouches, lidding, shrink sleeves and labels, shrink wrap, stretch films, retail carry bags, storage and trash bags, and medical packaging.

Polyethylene Report

Polyethylene Market Overview: Thriving in Leaner Times Report. Prepared exclusively for FPA by Chemical & Polymer Market Consultants, this report complements the presentation “Polyethylene Market Overview: Thriving in Leaner Times” conducted by Esteban Sagel during FPA’s Annual Meeting in Tucson, Arizona on March 22, 2024.

ChemPMC expects total polyethylene demand to decrease by 2% this year, with production rising by 4% and exports by 12%. Those exports are feeding an already oversupplied global market, which will result in additional pressure for polyethylene producers’ margins to compress. Prices in 2024, after weather-related increases in the first quarter, should moderate and even decline for the balance of the year, driven by poor supply and demand dynamics.

Polypropylene Report

Annual Polypropylene Market Overview. Prepared exclusively for FPA by Chemical & Polymer Market Consultants, this report complements the presentation conducted by Esteban Sagel during FPA’s FlexForward® Fall Conference in Kansas City, Missouri on October 12, 2023.

North America’s polypropylene market is not doing great. Most end uses of polypropylene are decreasing in the region, resulting in demand losses in 2022 and 2023. The main driver of this trend are changes in consumers’ behaviors, as the COVID pandemic comes to an end. Exports of polypropylene are the only saving grace for regional producers, showing growth in 2022 and 2023. Proximity and similar cost dynamics make the markets closest to North America the preferred destination for those exports. Nevertheless, the increase in exports has not been enough to compensate for the fall in domestic demand.

Flexible Packaging Online Conversations Overview

This bi-annual report is prepared for FPA by The Cyphers Agency and provides information on online news conversations and social media relating to flexible packaging. The FPA Online Conversation Monitoring Report is for FPA Members only.

Flexible Packaging Industry Compensation Report

FPA publishes the Flexible Packaging Industry Compensation Report every three (3) years. Surveys are sent to FPA converter member companies, and only those companies who return completed surveys are eligible to receive the report. The Compensation Report provides participating members a wealth of information regarding both hourly and salaried flexible packaging compensation and benefits data.

Additional Associations

View a comprehensive list of additional associations within the packaging industry.

RELATED ASSOCIATIONS

Packaging Schools

View a comprehensive list of the colleges and universities offering packaging-related programs and degrees.

PACKAGING SCHOOLS

FPA's Press Room

FPA compiles a collection of articles, press releases, regulations, and other flexible packaging related publications across a variety of categories.

FPA's Industry News covers recent updates in the flexible packaging industry while Trends in Packaging keeps you apprised of packaging trends that positively impact the environment, consumers and businesses.

See the Press Room's INDUSTRY NEWS or TRENDS IN PACKAGING.

FPA'S Industry Resource Publications

FPA's releases e-books, studies, and reports throughout the year. Keep up to date with their newest Industry Resources.

GET THE INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS