Dynamics and Future Prospects for the Polish Packaging Market

The Polish packaging market is developing dynamically and is expected to reach a market volume of around 13 billion euros in 2025 – a growth of 33 percent compared to 2017. One driving factor is the rising per capita consumption of packaging, which is expected to rise to around 340 euros per person by 2025. This underlines the growing importance of packaging in all areas of life and highlights the potential of the Polish market in a European comparison.

In recent years, Poland has already established itself as one of the leading players in the European packaging trade: with a stable share of 10.4 percentof the total EU export volume, the country is the second largest exporter of packaging in the Union. Exports of paper and cardboard packaging (+1 percent) and glass packaging, which rose by a remarkable 9 percent, developed particularly strongly in 2023. This was offset in the same year by a decline in production values of around 6 percent compared to 2022. The main reasons for this were higher raw material prices and economic uncertainties that affected the entire industry.

 

Shift in Intended Use

A key change can be seen in the structure of intended uses. A slight decline in the share of food and beverage packaging is forecast. This is attributable, among other things, to the increasing establishment of ‘unpackaged’ retail. At the same time, demand for beverage packaging is declining, due to both improved tap water quality and the growing popularity of reusable packaging systems. In contrast, demand for packaging solutions for pharmaceutical products and cosmetics is rising steadily – an effect of the growing health and beauty market.

 

Material Shift: Paper and Cardboard on the Rise

Significant changes are also noticeable in the composition of materials. By 2025, paper and cardboard packaging are expected to achieve the same market share as plastic packaging – around 37 percent each. This trend reflects not only growing consumer awareness of environmental issues, but also regulatory pressure to significantly reduce plastic waste.

 

Sustainability as a Driving Force

Sustainability has become one of the most important factors in the packaging sector. Consumers are placing greater emphasis on environmentally friendly materials and transparent product information. In the cosmetics industry in particular, 49 percent of consumers look for packaging that provides information about ingredients and composition. 34 percent prefer environmentally friendly packaging solutions, while 32 percent prefer reusable ones. Biodegradable materials such as paper, cardboard and sugar cane are therefore becoming increasingly important.

 

Material Flows and Recovery Rates at a Glance

The report by the Institute for Environmental Protection (IOŚ-PIB) for 2022 provides an in-depth look at material flows and recycling rates in the Polish packaging market. It analyses recycling channels by material type in detail and highlights actual recycling volumes as well as import and export movements. The evaluation makes it clear that although Poland has made progress in several areas, it is still struggling with structural deficits – particularly with regard to compliance with European circular economy requirements.

A total of around 6.74 million tonnes of packaging were placed on the market in 2022 – a decline of five percent compared to the previous year. In the same year, around 7.07 million tonnes of packaging were subject to statutory recycling requirements. Of these quantities, around 3.61 million tonnes were actually recycled, corresponding to a real recycling rate of around 51 percent. Around 2.94 million tonnes were recycled domestically, while 913,100 tonnes were sent abroad for recycling. This was offset by 242,500 tonnes of imported packaging waste that was recycled in Poland.

The highest recycling volumes were for paper and cardboard packaging, with around 1.66 million tonnes – including 28,400 tonnes from composite materials. A large proportion of this was exported abroad, particularly to Germany. Plastic packaging achieved a recycling rate of 565,100 tonnes, with 19 percent of this waste being recycled outside Poland. The actual recycling rate was adjusted to around 532,000 tonnes after deducting around 60,200 tonnes of non-recyclable components. Glass packaging accounted for 635,000 tonnes, of which five percent was sent abroad for recycling. Wood packaging amounted to 268,900 tonnes and metal packaging to 117,400 tonnes – here too, a significant proportion of recycling took place outside Poland.

In view of the ambitious EU targets, there is an urgent need for action, particularly in the areas of plastics and metals. The planned deposit system, which is due to come into force in October 2025, could provide important impetus here. However, the decisive factor for the future will be whether recycling can be established in Poland not only as an ecological necessity, but also as an economically viable and innovation-promoting model.