The packaging market continues to be on an upward and dynamic trend in 2024 as well, against the background of the high interest in resistant packaging and sustainable products, but also in the context of the acceleration of e-commerce that drives the demand for packaging. In a slightly unpredictable economic context, the packaging market is going through a process of redefinition, in which business reinvention and offering quality products are mandatory, putting pressure on the players in the field, according to the forecasts of INATECH Packaging, one of the largest protective packaging companies in the country.

“The packaging market maintains an upward and dynamic trend, so we need to constantly reinvent ourselves. We see 2024 as a fairly good year for the packaging market, but not under the same conditions as before. The market is reconfiguring its course and the direction is towards a new level of excellence and innovation. Sustainability has a strong echo in 2024, with Romanian businesses being oriented towards integrating more and more environmentally friendly products in their activity, but also aiming to reduce costs as a whole. That’s why the winners will be the players in the market who adapt and reinvent themselves and who offer complete packaging solutions that cover the varied needs of companies”, says Cristian Bădescu, CEO of INATECH Packaging.

Companies are increasingly interested in durable and sustainable packaging

The beginning of 2024 shows a year with a higher level of uncertainty, which puts pressure on cost optimization in client companies. Thus, one of the main trends this year is the increase in interest in quality packaging, resistant to a longer process of handling and transportation, at an optimal cost, which will meet the needs of companies and help them reduce waste and costs.

e-Commerce, the engine of the packaging market in 2024

The main demand for packaging will be generated by the e-commerce, pharma (temperature-controlled packaging), electronic components, and logistics industries. Still, the e-commerce market, with the emergence of more and more online stores and the increase in the number of online orders, will bring significant growth in the packaging market, following last year’s trend when it generated a 24% increase in demand for the INATECH group. In this sense, Romanian e-commerce will also contribute to the development of the Romanian packaging market in the region.

2024, the year of sustainable and ecological packaging

With pressure to reduce the impact on the environment and the implementation of ESG solutions, companies will turn more and more towards the purchase of sustainable packaging, made from recycled materials, but also towards ecological packaging, made from paper and cardboard.

“Certainly, in 2024 the word <sustainability> will have a strong echo in the business environment in general – many companies adopting solutions favorable to the environment. There is a growing desire among customers to reduce the use of plastic packaging. Sustainable packaging will become not just a trend, but an imperative necessity. This trend represents not only an evolution of consumer preferences but also an essential strategic direction for the packaging industry, with positive implications for the environment and customer relations. We have prepared and developed this segment ahead of time, constantly, to offer the types of sustainable packaging desired by companies, but also by private consumers, and we see this segment as a basic pillar for INATECH’s business”, says Cristian Bădescu, CEO of INATECH Packaging.

At the same time, the packaging market in 2024 is also characterized by the transition to minimalist packaging. Going back to basics involves using packaging with a simple but effective design that focuses on functionality rather than an over-the-top branding campaign.

In conclusion, the packaging market in 2024 will be characterized by a slight growth, largely fueled by changes in consumer behavior, oriented towards higher quality and sustainable packaging.

Founded in 2010, the INATECH group, which includes INATECH Packaging (packaging division), Isoteckline (construction insulation division) and iFOAM AG (customized packaging division), is one of the largest protective packaging companies in Romania and Eastern Europe, with a complete range of packaging and constantly diversified with new types of packaging, currently counting more than 5,000 unique codes in the product portfolio.

The company has both a division of protective packaging and insulating materials and a production line of customized packaging, through which it serves numerous industries including automotive, e-commerce, logistics, pharmaceuticals, electronics, aeronautics, construction, furniture production and others. With a warehouse in Domnești-Ilfov and Oradea-CTP Cargo Terminal, INATECH Packaging serves the markets of Bulgaria, Hungary, Republic of Moldova, Germany and Austria, the export segment representing 10% of the business.

In 2023, INATECH entered the segment of recycling and processing plastic waste for the production of recycled granule raw material, necessary for product protection, as part of the sustainability strategy of the whole group.