Milk Packaging Market Size - By Packaging Type, and By Material – Global Forecast, 2025 – 2034

Milk Packaging Market Size

The global milk packaging market was valued at USD 41.2 billion in 2024, with a volume of 17,689.8 kilo tons and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% to reach USD 65.2 billion by 2034, with a volume of 26,664.9 kilo tons. The growth of the milk packaging industry is attributed to factors such as the increasing consumption of dairy products coupled with the rapid expansion of the organized retail and e-commerce sector.
 

The US milk packaging industry, which relies heavily on imported raw materials like polyethylene, polypropylene, paperboard, and Aluminum foil, was severely affected by the retaliatory tariffs introduced by the Trump administration. Such tariffs involved a 25% duty on imports from Mexico and Canada and up to 125% on Chinese packaging materials, resulting in a drastic increase in the cost of production. Canada and Mexico are vital sources of resins and Aluminum, while cost-effective plastic laminates and films come from China. Consequently, manufacturers faced supply chain disruptions and higher input prices, which narrowed profit margins and limited pricing flexibility.

The increasing consumption of dairy products serves as a primary factor behind the growth of the milk packaging market. According to Statista, India maintains its position as the leading consumer of cow milk globally since it drinks 89 billion metric tons annually. The European Union consumed 23.6 billion metric tons of milk which ranked as the second-biggest milk consumption after India. With the increasing consumer awareness regarding health and nutrition, the demand for milk and milk based beverages is set to see exponential growth, which requires efficient, secure, and convenient packaging solutions that can preserve the product quality while ensuring extended shelf life. Additionally, the diversification of dairy offerings such as flavoured milk, organic milk, lactose free variants, and fortified beverage further require different packaging format to cater specific consumer segment, all of which supports market growth of market.
 

The rapid expansion of the organized retail and e-commerce sector is a major growth driver for the milk packaging industry. Supermarkets, hypermarkets, and convenience stores are driving the demand for standardized, branded, and visually appealing packaging, which ensures product safety and visibility on the shelf. These retail environments heavily rely on attractive packaging formats to attract consumers, product differentiation, and providing critical information such as nutritional content, shelf life, and origin. Furthermore, the rise of e-commerce and online shopping has significantly transformed the consumer buying behaviour. Modern consumers are increasing shifting towards home delivery of fresh and packaged dairy products, which further propels the demand for durable, leak-proof, and transport friendly packaging formats. This dual channel expansion are pushing manufacturers for development of flexible packaging, tetra packs, and eco-friendly cartons to cater the online and offline requirements.
 

Milk Packaging Market Trends

• The shift towards environmentally friendly and sustainable dairy packaging to cater the consumer expectations is a significant trend in the market. Several manufacturers are emphasizing towards biodegradable and compostable packaging such as plant based plastic and paper boards, along with recyclable and circular economy solutions, which is driving investment towards recyclable packaging to minimize wastage.
   
• The increasing popularity of shelf stable dairy products is another trend in the market. This trend is driven by the increasing consumer preference towards minimal storage effort for UHT milk, long-life yoghurt, and similar products. The shelf stable packaging includes aseptic packaging, which maintains product safety without the need for refrigeration, and high barrier laminates, that seals the product effectively and prevent contamination while preserving its nutritional value.  
   
• Another significant trend in the milk packaging format is the increasing usage of convenience driven packaging solutions such as single-serve options, resealable & spill proof packaging, and compact & stackable designs, which can optimize storage and portability. This trend is driven by the busy lifestyle, rapid urbanization, and consumer preference for on the go consumption.
   

Milk Packaging Market Analysis

Based on the packaging type, the milk packaging industry is segmented into bottles, cartons, pouches, cans, and others.
 

• The cartons packaging is the largest segment in the market and was valued at USD 15.6 billion in 2024. The growth in this segment is driven by the rising demand for aseptic and long shelf life packaging coupled with the increasing consumer preference for sustainable packaging material such as renewable paperboard and are often perceived as sustainable packaging compared to plastic packaging. Additionally, these cartons are stackable and space saving that can further reduce transportation costs and emission. Many value-added milk products such as lactose free and vitamin enriched milk rely on cartons packaging due to their superior light and oxygen barrier properties, which further supports the growth of this segment.
   
• The pouches packaging is the fastest growing segment in the market and is projected to grow with a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period. The growth in this segment is driven due to their cost effectiveness format for milk packaging, which makes them ideal for price sensitive in emerging markets. Moreover, flexible pouches use less material per unit, which results in less raw material consumption. Furthermore, the increasing adoption of multi layered high barrier films for longer milk quality preservation along with the improved printing quality for branding further supports the growth of this segment in market.
   

Based on the material type, the milk packaging market is bifurcated into glass, plastic, metal, paperboard, and others.
 

• The plastic material is the largest segment in the milk packaging industry and was valued at USD 14.1 billion in 2024. Plastic packaging such as HPDE and PET bottles are lightweight, impact resistant, and easier to transport, which makes them ideal for long distance logistics and e-commerce grocery channels. Also, plastic allow easy incorporation of resealable caps, and ergonomic handles that can further enhance user convenience while reducing spoilage and wastage. Additionally, the increasing emphasis toward recyclability and circular economy initiative is pushing manufacturers to reduce virgin plastic content and further shift towards rPET content to comply with ESG goals, which supports the growth of this segment.
   
• The paperboard material is the fastest growing segment in the market and is projected to grow with a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period. The increasing consumer preferences for sustainable and renewable material is primarily driving the growth of this segment. Paperboard offers high quality printability, which makes them ideal for brand differentiation, nutritional labelling, and promotional communications. Moreover, the growth of premium and specialty dairy segment is driving the demand for organic, lactose free and flavoured milk products to appeal to health conscious and premium buying consumers.
   

• The U.S. dominated the milk packaging market, accounting for USD 10.9 billion in the year 2024. The regional growth is driven by increasing demand for fortified and functional dairy beverage, which require protective and specialized packaging solutions to maintain nutritional efficacy. Furthermore, the rapid expansion of e-commerce and direct to consumer model has led to increase in demand for robust and tamper evident packaging to ensure product safety during transportation. According to Statista, the revenue generated by the e-commerce market in the U.S. accounted for USD 1.2 trillion in 2024 and is projected to reach 1.8 trillion by 2029.  Moreover, the increasing consumer preference for eco-friendly and sustainable packaging is encouraging manufacturers to adopt recyclable and biodegradable options.
   
• The Germany market accounted for USD 2.3 billion in the year 2024. The growth in the country is driven by the presence of strict EU regulations and growing consumer awareness, which is driving the shift towards recyclable and biodegradable packaging formats for dairy sector. Also, the growing popularity of organic dairy products is experiencing rapid growth, that further supports a trend towards premium and sustainable packaging. Furthermore, the advancement in packaging technology has led to development of smart labels and enhanced barrier materials, which can further enhance product shelf life and traceability.
   
• The milk packaging market in China is projected to reach USD 9.4 billion by the year 2034. The rising consumption of UHT and pasteurized milk is a major growth driver in the region, which fuels the demand for packaging that ensures safety and extended shelf life. Also, the rapid adoption of IoT enabled packaging solutions that can enhance supply chain efficiency and provide consumers with real time information about product freshness and origin. Additionally, the increasing government initiatives such as Healthy China 2030, which promotes nutrient rich dairy intake are further encouraging companies to scale up the production and packaging of milk based beverage, which further support the market expansion in the region.
   
• The Japan milk packaging market accounted for USD 2.2 billion in 2024. The growth in demand for the market is supported by the increasing adoption of aseptic packaging for room temperature milk, which ensure extended shelf life without refrigeration and caters to consumer seeking convenience and reduced energy consumption. Additionally, the rise of functional and fortified dairy products with additional nutrients such as vitamins and probiotics require advanced packaging solutions, that further contribute to market growth in the region.
   
• The India market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of over 6.1% during the forecast period. The rapid expansion of organized retail and online grocery platforms in the India has led to surge in demand for durable and transport friendly milk packaging. Modern consumers now opt convenient and secure packaging formats that ensure product integrity during transit. Additionally, the presence of governmental policies and initiatives that support milk production and consumption are driving the need for efficient packaging solutions that ensure food security and improve nutritional standards across the country.
   

Milk Packaging Market Share

The milk packaging industry is highly competitive and fragmented with the presence of established global players as well as local players and startups. The top 3 companies in the global market are SIG, Elopak, and Stora Enso, collectively accounting for a share of 25.9% market share. Leading companies in the market are investing in the next-generation milk packaging solutions which offers sustainability, shelf life enhancement, and smart consumer engagement features. Furthermore, the innovation such as plant based cartons, recyclable multilayer pouches, and smart cap with freshness indicators are gaining rapid traction among manufacturers to cater the increasing demand for extended shelf life of product, minimizing food wastage, and product transparency. Also, the growing emphasis towards food hygiene and cold chain optimization, particularly in emerging market is further fuelling the demand for leak-proof, durable, and lightweight packaging of milk to support last mile logistics, without compromising the product quality.
 

Moreover, the dairy industrial shift towards functional and premium milk variants such as lactose free, probiotics rich, and protein enhanced has further fuelled the demand for specialized packaging that blocks light and oxygen exposure while maintaining convenience and portability. The healthcare and institutional food sector has led to growing adoption of aseptic and portion controlled milk packaging, especially for hospitals, schools, and large catering operations.
 

SIG delivers exceptional aseptic technology that enables milk products to stay fresh for 12 months without refrigeration or preservatives thus meeting requirements for both fresh and extended shelf life milk products. The filling machines from SIG provide users with high flexibility by enabling instant format and volume changes to meet different customer requirements.
 

The company Elopak maintains its reputation through its dedication to sustainable operations and climate-positive initiatives. The Pure-Pak® cartons contain Natural Brown Board technology that both minimizes plastic consumption and attracts environmentally concerned buyers. Elopak's lifecycle assessments prove that its cartons surpass both PET bottles and reusable glass containers when it comes to climate-friendly packaging thus becoming a leader in low-carbon solutions.
 

Milk Packaging Market Company

The milk packaging industry features several prominent players, including:

• Alfipa
• Berry Global
• CDF Corporation
• CKS Packaging
• Ecolean
• Elopak
• Global Polybags Industries
• IPI
• Jagannath Polymers
• Nippon Paper Industries
• Parksons Packaging
• SIG
• Smurfit Kappa
• Sonoco Products
• Stanpac
• Stora Enso
• Tetra Pak
• WestRock
   

Milk Packaging Industry News

• In January 2024, Tetrapak has entered into a partnership with Lactalis to introduce their aseptic carton pack made of recycled polymers from used drink cartons. This innovation is first in term of material sourcing and processing from beverage carton industry, and offers packaging for a range of calcium skimmed, semi skimmed, whole, and lactose free milk.
   
• In September 2021, Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand (DPO) has introduced their new “National Milk” product range in SIG’s on-the-go combiblocXSlim carton packs with SIGNATURE Full Barrier packaging material, where the small number of polymers used is linked to certified forest-based renewable materials – an innovation in Asia.
   
• In November 2023, Sidel has introduced their new PET bottle for dairy products. The mini-size packaging has been designed for products such as drinking and probiotic yoghurts with capacities between 65ml to 150ml and is ideally suited for ambient and cold chain processes. The bottle would also suit applications within the juice, nectar, soft drinks, isotonics, and tea sector.
   

The milk packaging market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecasts in terms of revenue (USD Billion) and volume (Kilo Tons) from 2021 to 2034, for the following segments:

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Packaging Type

• Bottles
• Cartons
• Pouches
• Cans
• Others

Material

• Glass
• Plastic
• Metal
• Paperboard
• Others

The above information is provided for the following regions and countries:

• North America 
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe 
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Spain
  • Italy
• Asia Pacific 
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • ANZ
  • South Korea
• Latin America 
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
• Middle East and Africa 
  • UAE
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa