Australia And New Zealand Plastic Packaging Film Market Size - Share Outlook, Growth Analysis Report and Forecast Trends (2026-2035)

Market Overview

The Australia and New Zealand plastic packaging film market is at a turning point. Multi-layer laminates once dominated flexible packaging because they were cheap and protective, but recyclability rules, soft plastics schemes and resin supply shocks now push converters towards recyclable mono-material films.

Three forces are shaping the market: Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia, funded by a levy starting at AUD 160 per tonne; the New Zealand plastic packaging stewardship scheme, designed in May 2025; and a technology shift towards recycle-ready polyethylene films.

In August 2025, the competition regulator issued a draft determination on the national soft plastics scheme, followed in November 2025 by the USD 10.3 billion agreement for CD&R to acquire Sealed Air, a deal that closed in April 2026.

Key Market Trends and Insights

• Soft plastics anchor: The competition regulator authorised Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia in November 2025, and its network of more than 700 collection points gives film converters a funded route to recycled soft plastic feedstock across four states and territories.
• Recyclable mono-materials: Amcor and Fonterra Oceania moved shredded cheese packs to AmPrima polyethylene film in February 2026, removing an estimated 270 tonnes a year of non-recyclable material and showing how multi-layer laminates are being redesigned.
• Reform uncertainty: Environment ministers asked officials in March 2026 for a draft intergovernmental packaging agreement, and in August 2026 the federal minister said a national scheme would not arrive this term, leaving voluntary targets in place.
• Import dependence: Asia supplies 95% of Australian primary resin imports, some 1,136 kilotonnes in 2025, so Gulf disruption in 2026 lifted polyethylene prices by up to 40% and stretched delivery times for local film converters.

Australia And New Zealand Plastic Packaging Film Market Size and Forecast

The market is moving from commodity wrap sold on price towards recyclable, thinner and higher-barrier films that meet stewardship rules and brand owner targets. Polyethylene leads because stretch, shrink and bag films depend on its toughness, sealability and low cost, while polypropylene and barrier films advance fastest as food makers seek longer shelf life with less material. New Zealand grows quickest, and Australia remains the larger base.

Key Takeaways: Australia And New Zealand Plastic Packaging Film Market

Stewardship Schemes Anchor Long-Term Film Demand

Revenue is on course to expand by about 45% across the decade, from AUD 2,050.00 million in 2025 to AUD 2,976.65 million in 2035 at a 3.8% CAGR. Packaged food, dairy and grocery chains make film demand recurring, while Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia and the New Zealand stewardship design turn recyclability goals into funded collection.

Polypropylene and Barrier Films Lead Growth

Polyethylene holds the largest revenue share, but polypropylene grows at an estimated 4.6% CAGR and barrier films at an estimated 4.9% CAGR through 2035. Oriented grades add clarity and heat resistance, and barrier structures extend shelf life, as Amcor AmPrima film for Fonterra Oceania cheese packs shows.

CD&R Completion of Sealed Air Reshapes Supply

CD&R completed its acquisition of Sealed Air in April 2026 at an enterprise value of USD 10.3 billion, after announcing the deal in November 2025. Attention now turns to how the private owner structures the food and protective packaging segments that supply protein processors.

• Enterprise value of USD 10.3 billion at USD 42.15 per share
• Cryovac, Bubble Wrap, Autobag and Liquibox brands remain under one owner
• Headquarters stay in Charlotte, North Carolina, after delisting from the NYSE

Australia And New Zealand Plastic Packaging Film Market Report Summary

Key Insight

Demand is structural, not cyclical. Stewardship schemes and recyclability rules are reshaping how films are made and collected, with polypropylene, barrier films and New Zealand growing fastest.

Key Trends in the Australia And New Zealand Plastic Packaging Film Market

The Australia and New Zealand plastic packaging film market is being reshaped by delayed national reform, resin supply shocks, recyclable film redesign and funded soft plastics collection.

August 2026 - Federal Government Defers National Packaging Reform Beyond This Term

• Environment Minister Murray Watt confirmed in August 2026 that the national packaging scheme would not be introduced in this term of government.
• Voluntary targets, state rules and industry stewardship schemes therefore remain the main drivers of film design and recycled content.
• Converters and brand owners gain clarity on timing but must still invest ahead of rules that stay uncertain.

June 2026 - Gulf Conflict Lifts Polyethylene Resin Prices for Packaging Converters

• Polyethylene peaked about 40% above pre-conflict levels and polypropylene about 50%, according to an industry briefing in June 2026.
• Asia supplies 95% of Australian primary resin imports, so Gulf naphtha shortages passed quickly into film and bag costs.
• Converters with recycled feedstock or contracted resin supply gain pricing resilience against imported virgin material.

February 2026 - Fonterra Oceania Adopts Recycle-Ready Polyethylene Film for Cheese

• Fonterra Oceania adopted Amcor AmPrima single-material polyethylene film for Perfect Italiano shredded cheese in February 2026.
• The film replaces multi-material laminates while keeping seal integrity and speed on high-speed filling lines.
• This translates into rising demand for recyclable mono-material structures across dairy and grocery film programmes.

November 2025 - Competition Regulator Authorises National Soft Plastics Scheme

• The competition regulator authorised Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia in November 2025, with a levy starting at AUD 160 per tonne.
• Four recycling partners handle over 20,000 tonnes a year through more than 700 points in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT.
• Brand owners gain a funded route for post-consumer film, supporting recycled content in future bags and wraps.

Key Insight

Growth is structurally locked in. Stewardship schemes, unresolved reform and recycle-ready polyethylene and polypropylene films keep the market central to the region's circular economy transition.

Recent Market Developments in the Australia And New Zealand Plastic Packaging Film Market

Recent developments, presented from the most recent, show the Australia and New Zealand plastic packaging film market moving from ownership change and results into local recycling trials and reform disputes.

September 2026 - Pact Group Presses Government After Voluntary Packaging Approach Is Kept

• Pact Group said in September 2026 that the federal government had chosen to keep a voluntary co-regulatory approach to packaging.
• It cited about one million tonnes of plastic packaging going to landfill yearly and recycling plants running below capacity.
• Pact called for mandatory recycled content, a step that would raise demand for locally recycled film resin.

August 2026 - Amcor Reports Fiscal 2026 Results After Berry Integration

• Amcor reported fiscal 2026 net sales of USD 23.5 billion in August 2026, up 57% after the Berry merger.
• Global flexible packaging sales reached USD 12.8 billion for the year, with Berry synergies running ahead of plan.
• Amcor signed six divestiture agreements by May 2026, and its ASX listing keeps AmPrima film close to local customers.

July 2026 - Pact Recycling NZ Trials Mixed Soft Plastics Recycling at East Tamaki

• Pact Recycling NZ announced in July 2026 a trial turning mixed polymer soft plastics into cable covers and plastic plywood.
• The East Tamaki plant achieved a 72% yield, and an expanded trial of 20,000 kg a month runs to September 2026.
• Success would give New Zealand converters a local outlet for post-consumer film collected through supermarket drop-off points.

April 2026 - CD&R Completes Acquisition of Sealed Air at USD 10.3 Billion

• Clayton, Dubilier and Rice completed the acquisition of Sealed Air in April 2026 at an enterprise value of USD 10.3 billion.
• Announced in November 2025 at USD 42.15 per share, the deal delisted the owner of Cryovac and Bubble Wrap from the NYSE.
• The Charlotte-based group keeps its food and protective packaging segments, including Cryovac films used by meat and dairy processors.

Key Insight

The sequence moves from planning to delivery. The Sealed Air completion and the Pact Recycling NZ trial validate recyclable and locally recycled film even as national regulation stays uncertain.

Australia And New Zealand Plastic Packaging Film Industry Segmentation

The Expert Market Research’s report on the Australia And New Zealand Plastic Packaging Film Market offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments.

Market Breakup by Material

• Polyethylene
• Polypropylene
• Polyethylene Terephthalate
• Polyvinyl Chloride
• Others

Polyethylene leads because stretch, shrink and bag films rely on its toughness and low cost, and Amcor introduced Tip Top bread bags with 30% recycled plastic in February 2025. Polypropylene grows fastest at an estimated 4.6% CAGR through 2035, as oriented and cast grades give clarity and heat resistance for snack packs. Polyethylene Terephthalate serves lidding and laminate layers needing gloss and barrier, while Polyvinyl Chloride persists in cling and pharmaceutical lidding films under recyclability pressure. Others include polyamide, ethylene vinyl alcohol and bio-based films, and the Pact Recycling NZ trial of July 2026 points to recycled mixed polymers as an emerging niche.

Market Breakup by Film Type

• Stretch Films
• Shrink Films
• Barrier Films
• Lamination Films
• Others

Stretch Films lead because pallet wrapping underpins every grocery, dairy and industrial supply chain, and wrap costs followed polyethylene resin prices higher after the Gulf disruption reported in April 2026. Barrier Films grow fastest at an estimated 4.9% CAGR through 2035, as meat and dairy processors seek longer shelf life, and Flexopack has doubled capacity at its Queensland plant for shrink bags and lidding films. Shrink Films cover bundling and protein packs, where Cryovac is established, while Lamination Films are being redesigned as single-material structures. Others include cling, agricultural and bag-on-roll films, where Opal completed the sale of its bag manufacturing business in October 2026.

Market Breakup by End-Use Industry

• Food and Beverages
• Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare
• Personal Care and Cosmetics
• Industrial and Agriculture
• Others

Food and Beverages leads because dairy, meat, bakery and confectionery all depend on film for shelf life, and in September 2025 Pact Packaging NZ set a target of 50% recycled content across its portfolio by 2030. Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare grows fastest at an estimated 4.5% CAGR through 2035, supported by blister lidding, sterile pouches and an ageing population. Personal Care and Cosmetics uses sachets and wraps for refill and travel formats, while Industrial and Agriculture covers pallet, silage and construction films. Others include pet food pouches, where Mars opened a Wodonga plant in June 2026 with capacity for 290 million pouches, and e-commerce mailers.

Market Breakup by Region

• Australia
• New Zealand
• Others

Australia dominates, anchored by 1.3 million tonnes of annual plastic packaging use and the authorisation of Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia in November 2025, and it grows at an estimated 3.7% CAGR through 2035. New Zealand is the fastest-growing country at an estimated 4.2%, helped by the Pact Recycling NZ soft plastics trial of July 2026 and plastics rules amended in March 2025. Others covers Pacific Island markets such as Fiji and Papua New Guinea, where film demand follows imported food and fisheries, and grows at an estimated 4.0%.

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If you choose to purchase the full report at a later stage, the amount already paid will be adjusted, and you will only need to pay the remaining balance.

Competitive Landscape in the Australia And New Zealand Plastic Packaging Film Market

Competition combines global flexible packaging groups, Australian converters and recycling-led local operators. Entry barriers include access to imported resin, extrusion and lamination scale, food-contact approvals and the grocery, dairy and protein customer relationships that anchor multi-year supply.

Amcor

Amcor, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, traces its roots to Australian Paper Manufacturers in Melbourne and makes flexible films, laminates, pouches and rigid containers, including the AmPrima recyclable polyethylene range. The Berry Global merger completed in April 2025 within its fiscal year ended June 2025, quarterly sales reached USD 5.4 billion in the period ended December 2025, and Fonterra Oceania adopted AmPrima film for shredded cheese in February 2026.

Pact Group

Pact Group, headquartered in Cremorne, Victoria, was founded in 2002 by Raphael and Fiona Geminder and is one of Australia's largest plastic packaging and recycling companies, producing 189,000 tonnes of plastic packaging a year. Its core is rigid packaging, with film exposure through soft plastics recycling. Pact Recycling NZ announced a mixed soft plastics trial in July 2026 at East Tamaki, and in October 2025 Pact described its Wellington plant turning recycled PET into food-grade trays, within eight recycling facilities across both countries.

Visy

Visy, headquartered in Southbank, Melbourne, was founded in 1948 and is a family-owned manufacturer and Australia's largest recycler, producing cardboard, glass, cans, paper and plastics. Its role in film is adjacent: it reprocesses plastics at Somerton, Victoria, with capacity above 30,000 tonnes a year after taking over the Advanced Circular Polymers assets, and makes food-grade recycled plastic at Smithfield, New South Wales. In August 2026 it promoted an automated labelling system for cardboard Enviropunnets that lets supermarkets move fresh produce away from soft plastic.

Sealed Air

Sealed Air, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, was founded in 1960 and makes Cryovac food packaging films and bags, Bubble Wrap protective packaging, Autobag systems and Liquibox. CD&R announced its USD 10.3 billion acquisition in November 2025 and completed it in April 2026, ending the NYSE listing. It supplies food processors in Australia through a local Sealed Air business, and its installed machinery base and food-safety expertise create switching barriers for meat and dairy customers.

Other players operating in the Australia and New Zealand plastic packaging film market include Huhtamaki, Berry Global, Orora, Mondi, and Integrated Packaging, alongside specialist stretch film extruders, barrier film laminators, recycled resin processors and equipment suppliers supporting food, dairy, protein and industrial packaging supply across Australia and New Zealand.

Key Insight

Competition rests on resin access, barrier and recyclability engineering, converting scale and service reach rather than price alone. Consolidation, including Amcor with Berry Global, concentrates global supply.