Projected growth for secondary packaging market
The global secondary packaging market set to hit $300 billion by 2030, says new report.
SMITHERS, IN partnership with Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026, puts this down to the accelerating rise of e-commerce and intensifying focus on sustainability, according to a new report from Smithers, produced in association with Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026.
Smithers data shows that European e-commerce secondary packaging volumes will rise 45% by 2030, compared to 10.5% growth across the overall market. This shift means UK packaging demand is increasingly driven by warehouses, couriers, and returns rather than supermarket shelves, with implications for corrugated investment, pEPR fees, and recycling infrastructure.
Paper-based solutions are overtaking plastic. Paper fill is forecast to grow at 3.9% CAGR in Western Europe to 2030, driven by automated dispensers in e-commerce fulfilment centres. Types of paper fill include twisted paper, Kraft paper void fill, and flexi-wrap moulded pulp, which are replacing bubble wrap, air pillows, and foam. In the UK, paper is increasingly chosen not just for sustainability but for operational reasons by avoiding the Plastic Packaging Tax, reducing EPR penalties, and suiting kerbside recycling.
