Flexible Packaging Market Size

Global Flexible Packaging Market size was valued at USD 279.91 billion in 2023 and is poised to grow from USD 294.19 billion in 2024 to USD 437.97 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period (2025-2032).

The flexible packaging market is growing dramatically, due to rising demand across food, beverage, pharmaceuticals and personal care industries. Consumer demand for convenience, extended shelf life and light-weight packaging is giving flexible packaging the edge over more traditional rigid formats. Urbanization and more demanding lifestyles have created a demand for on-the-go and single-serve packaging which has led to even more demand across all packaging formats in developing economies. Manufacturers are also under pressure to develop recyclable and biodegradable materials due to sustainability trends and their commitment to reducing plastic waste.

However, the market has some constraints. In the general flexible packaging industry and the larger packaging industry as a whole have challenges associated with regulated plastic utilizes, recycling facilities and fluctuating raw materials. And then, there is attention drawn to the environmental footprint around recyclable associated to multi-layer packaging structures. However, the industry continues to search for solutions and we have made great progress in material science, mono-material submissions, and the circular economy. While there may be hopping hurdles in the shorter-term due to regulatory challenges or scarce raw materials, the view for flexible packaging looks good overall, with smart packaging and digital print serialization to drive further value for mills and customers.

How are integrated AI‑IoT systems revolutionizing real‑time monitoring of food freshness in flexible packaging?

Flexible packaging is undergoing dramatic transformations driven by a synergy of AI and IoT. Pouches and films that embed sensors continuously monitor temperature, humidity and gas levels, transmitting this data to cloud systems. In just a few milliseconds, AI models analyze this data, identify amounts of food spoilage, and provide alerts before product integrity is compromised. This dynamic monitoring and alarming provides advantages to brands—freshness is not just a claim, but rather a quantified promise, reducing recalls, and elevating their brand credibility, and ultimately trust.

A notable and entertaining example was a recent arXiv report that highlighted battery-free, stretchable, smart packaging that included passive NFC antennas and gas sensors to continuously monitor fish freshness. Once spoilage was detected, the sensors could release antioxidants into the fish to extend freshness and shelf-life by as much as 14 days. This was proof-of-concept for passive IoT with embedded AI logic. The packaging was even acting as an agent to actively preserve food. This example raises questions for research on scalability, barriers to cost, and integration with their flexible packaging processes.

How Can AI Optimize Packaging Design and Material Use Efficiently?

AI is not only for monitoring: it is getting better packaging design. Machine learning solutions scour many material combinations, many geometric shapes, and various thicknesses to arrive at an optimal trade-off between strength, durability, and waste. For example, neural networks can simulate performance with an applied stress, identifying thinner layers or different biopolymers without losing the necessary protections.

An interesting example is EcoPackAI's work with beverage companies: AI-based redesigns reduced the amount of plastic in an optimized plastic bottle design by 18% and carbon footprints by 25%. This shows that AI can also reduce material use in flexible packaging, film laminate gauge, resin formulations, barrier layers, and still meet functional performance.