• Turnover remained practically stable during 2020
• The 90 main companies in the sector generated 372 new jobs
• The sector represents 4% of GDP and constitutes one of the main industrial sectors

Packaging Cluster, a leading entity in the packaging sector, has presented its strategic report on the impact that Covid-19 has had on the sector during 2020. A document that will be collected within the Packaging Observatory, one of the great release that the organization will promote this year. It is a service aimed at associates and all professionals interested in keeping up to date with all the news that arises around a booming sector such as packaging.

The data presented reflects how the sector has weathered the coronavirus crisis firmly in Catalonia. Packaging has remained stable, losing only 0.96% of turnover compared to the previous year, taking into account that the GDP fell by 11.5%. In 2020, the packaging sector invoiced 9,138 million euros, compared to 9,469 million euros invoiced in 2019.

“We have known how to deal with a crisis that, unfortunately, has affected society in all its spheres. Although the figures reflect a slight decrease, they also show the solidity and stability of a sector that has established itself as essential for the development of a sustainable economy and society”, emphasizes Martina Font, president of the Packaging Cluster.

A consolidation that is also evident in the GDP represented by the 723 companies dedicated to packaging that operate in Catalonia: 4.08% in 2020. A sector that, in turn, generated 372 new jobs thanks to 90 of its main companies –they bring together 44% of the total turnover of the sector–, thus maintaining an economic performance almost identical to that of the previous year (-0.02%). Some companies that, in addition, in 2020 reduced their indebtedness (-1.29%) and hired more staff (+4.16%). Focusing on the cluster, the members that make it up have shown good financial health, with a slight decrease of 0.94% in turnover and economic performance that has grown by 5.36% (comparing 2019 and 2020).

Increased costs of raw materials

The report also emphasizes one of the major factors that the sector has had to face as a result of Covid-19: the increase in the cost of raw materials. A problem that has worsened in 2021 and has particularly affected the price of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which has gone from being worth €900 per ton (fourth quarter of 2020) to €1,400 (second quarter of 2021).

In the case of kraft paper, the increase was 47.8% and for recycled paper, 45.4%. A circumstance that, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), has triggered the annual rate of the general Industrial Price Index (IPRI) to 33.1% in November 2021, one point above that registered in October and the highest since the beginning of the series, in January 1976.

The Packaging Observatory

The Packaging Cluster has also presented one of the great novelties that it will promote in 2022: the Packaging Observatory. It is a service that aims to provide added value to the companies that make up the sector and, therefore, improve their competitiveness. It will offer weekly updated information on the sector, news gathered from a base of more than 5,000 sources, market reports and studies, and a monthly bulletin with the most outstanding news. A service that has the guarantee seal of the cluster, with more than 10 years of experience and with access to databases such as Euromonitor or SABI.

One of the most important points of the service is that the information is segmented into the different subsectors that complete the scene: tech and smart, sustainability, innovation, design and e-commerce and services. An element of great help for companies when making decisions and continuing to innovate to offer a good service to their customers. Although the Observatory will be an exclusive service for members, it can also be accessed through an annual subscription of €199 per year.

The following reports are expected to be published by 2022: economic evolution of the post-pandemic sector, 4.0 technologies applied to the Packaging sector, packaging trends in the Kids and E-commerce sector.

 ¿Que impacto ha tenido el Covid-19 en el sector del Packaging en Cataluña? (Resumen Ejecutivo) - PDF (432 KB ) Download