Improved demand and cost factors lead to rise in European flexible packaging prices in Q2 2024. This is reported by the industry association Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE)representing the interests of more than 80 small, medium-sized companies, and multinational manufacturers.

The price of flexible packaging materials across Europe continued the slow increase seen in Q1 as demand continued to rise for most substrates in the three months to end June 2024. Prices were also affected by supply side cost rises for both raw materials and logistics services. Leading the rises was 60gsm one-sided coated paper, which saw an increase of almost 10% in Q2 compared with the previous 3 months and some 40% higher than the benchmark 100% of Q1 2020.

LDPE added 6% but is still 56% higher than Q4 2020 level while HDPE added 5%, climbing to 42% above the benchmark. Seven-micron aluminium foil also climbed 5%, followed by rises of 3% for 15-micron BOPA film and 2% for 12-micron PET film. Only 20-micron BOPP film bucked the upward trend, remaining stable. LDPE, HDPE and 12-micron PET are now back to the levels seen at the start of 2023, while all other materials remain well below the prices seen at that time. However the price of 20 micron BOPP has remained relatively steady during the last 12 months.