Driven by both consumption upgrades and policy guidance, the plastic flexible packaging industry is moving away from the “homogeneous competition” of the past and entering a high-quality development stage centered on technological innovation and green transformation. Based on the latest industry dynamics and data for 2026, we have further identified six major development trends to provide clear guidance for customers’ raw material selection. And this article discusses three major development trends.
Trend 1: Functional upgrades are deepening, and materials are being tailored to specific application scenarios
Functionality is no longer an “option,” but a core competitive advantage in product packaging, and it is evolving towards “scenario-based segmentation.” Unlike the previous focus on single functions like preservation and moisture resistance, current customer demands for packaging functionality have extended to multiple dimensions, including antibacterial properties, heat resistance, puncture resistance, and microwave compatibility. This directly influences the selection of raw materials.
According to industry data, functional composite flexible packaging will account for over 60% of the market by 2025, with the food packaging sector exhibiting the strongest demand for functional materials. Snack foods require highly transparent and easy-to-tear materials, while ready-to-eat meals demand heat-resistant and freeze-resistant composite structures, and pharmaceutical packaging requires strict standards for sterility and light protection. In terms of raw material selection, customers can precisely match their needs to their product characteristics: for antibacterial functionality, PE/PP substrates with antibacterial agents such as nanosilver and zinc oxide are preferred; for heat-resistant applications, BOPP/AL/PE aluminum-plastic composite structures or high-temperature resistant CPP materials are the mainstream choices; and for easily punctured products like nuts, MDO-PE (machine direction oriented polyethylene) material is recommended, as its mechanical strength is more than 30% higher than ordinary PE.
Trend 2: Iteration of high-barrier technology, with single materials replacing traditional composite structures
High barrier properties are key to extending product shelf life. While traditional composite structures relying on aluminum foil (PET/AL/PE) achieve excellent barrier effects, they suffer from drawbacks such as difficulty in recycling and incompatibility with microwave heating. By 2026, the core trend in high-barrier technology will be “de-aluminization” and “single-materialization,” a transformation that directly impacts raw material selection strategies.
International giants have already taken the lead in developing related technologies: Amcor’s AmLite technology achieves barrier performance comparable to aluminum foil by depositing an ultra-thin SiOx (silicon dioxide) or AlOx (aluminum oxide) coating on a PE substrate, while retaining the advantages of recyclability and microwave compatibility (oxygen transmission rate can be reduced to below 0.1 cc/m²·day); Mondi, through its MDO-PE technology, makes the stiffness of a single PE material close to that of PET, meeting the dual demands of high barrier properties and processing convenience. For customers, if environmental protection and recyclability are priorities, a full PE/full PP single-material structure with a barrier coating is the optimal solution; if extremely high barrier performance is required (such as for high-end coffee or pharmaceutical products), EVOH (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer) or PVDC coated materials can be chosen, with water vapor transmission rates controllable to below 0.5 g/m²·day. It is worth noting that the high-barrier flexible packaging market will grow at an average annual rate of 9.8% from 2026 to 2030, and the cost-effectiveness of related raw materials will continue to improve.
Trend 3: Optimized and upgraded user experience, with materials that balance convenience and sensory appeal
In the context of consumption upgrades, the “experiential aspect” of packaging has become a crucial factor influencing consumer decisions. This trend is reflected in various aspects, including convenience, tactile feel, and visual effects, with the choice of raw materials directly determining the quality of the experience.
In terms of convenience, easy-tear and resealable features have become basic requirements. Customers can choose to add EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer) heat-sealable materials, whose low initial sealing temperature (Low SIT) ensures easy tearing while preventing material deformation during the heat-sealing process. Stand-up zipper pouches, due to their suitability for the convenience needs of Generation Z, have an average annual growth rate of 8.5%. High-toughness PE and PP composite structures are preferred for raw materials, balancing stiffness and sealing performance. In terms of sensory experience, matte films and tactile films are increasingly widely used; BOPP materials with added matting agents can be chosen to enhance texture. Transparent packaging requires high-transparency PET or PE materials, combined with SiOx vapor deposition technology, to achieve a dual effect of “visibility + high barrier.”