Demand for plastic caps and closures in the US is forecast to increase by 4.5% annually up to 2014, when the market will have a value of USD 7.7 bn (EUR 5.47 bn), according to a recently published report from US market researcher Freedonia (Cleveland, Ohio; www.freedoniagroup.com). The overall US caps and closures market is predicted to rise annually by 4.0% in the period, reaching USD 9.5 bn, or 275 bn units.

Growth will be boosted by increased use of more expensive dispensing and child-resistant closures. Gains in volumes will be supported by the popularity of single-serving containers, especially in the beverage market, and increased usage of plastic in applications traditionally filled by glass and metal containers, the researcher said, with plastic caps and closures accounting for 79% of the overall market in 2009.

The compatibility of plastic caps with glass containers and gabletop cartons will further contribute to growth, Freedonia said. However, gains will fall from those achieved in the 1999 - 2009 period, reflecting the already significant penetration of plastic containers in most markets. Among the major cap and closure materials, elastomer and rubber stoppers are forecast to experience the fastest growth up to 2014, based on increasing preferences for stoppers made from higher value-added elastomeric and synthetic rubber materials. Beverages, which represented over 50% of unit demand and 31% of value demand in 2009, are the largest market for caps and closures.

In the period to 2014, beverage applications are predicted to see below-average gains, based on weak consumption outlooks for major segments such as carbonated soft drinks and beer, and a sharp deceleration for bottled water. Pharmaceutical applications will experience the fastest gains in the period, helped by above-average consumption among older segments of the population and the need to comply with regulations and standards governing the child-resistant and senior-friendly security features for pharmaceutical packaging.