Blister Packaging Market Analysis US - Size and Forecast 2024-2028

US Blister Packaging Market Size 2024-2028 

The blister packaging market in US size is estimated to grow by USD 15.68 billion at a CAGR of 8.06% between 2023 and 2028. The market is experiencing significant growth, driven by several key factors. One of the primary drivers is the cost benefits associated with blister packaging, which offers improved product protection, reduced material usage, and enhanced shelf appeal. Another trend influencing the market is the emergence of contract packaging services, allowing small and medium-sized enterprises to leverage economies of scale and focus on their core competencies. However, the market is not without challenges, including the volatility of raw material prices, particularly for PVC and PET resins, which can impact the overall cost structure of blister packaging solutions. To mitigate these challenges, market participants are exploring alternative materials and innovative production techniques to maintain competitiveness and meet evolving consumer demands.

What will be the Size of the Market During the Forecast Period?

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Market Dynamic and Customer Landscape

Blister packaging is a type of secondary packaging that uses pre-formed plastic or foil trays with a peelable lid or foil overlay. This packaging is widely used in various industries including Healthcare, Food, Consumer goods, Industrial goods, and more. In the Healthcare sector, blister packaging is commonly used for drugs and medical devices, emphasizing product safety and tamper resistance properties. The Food and beverage industry utilizes blister packaging for unit-dose portions of snacks and confectionery items. For cosmetics, carded blisters with paperboard backing are popular. Smart blister packs, incorporating RDFI tags, sensors, and other electronics, are gaining popularity due to their ability to provide real-time information on product usage and expiration dates. Plastic blister packaging, including PVC materials, thermoforming processes, and those made of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyvinyl chloride, are commonly used due to their cost-effectiveness and versatility. OTC drugs and Pharmaceutical businesses also rely on blister packaging for their products, ensuring product safety and ease of use for consumers. Our researchers analyzed the data with 2023 as the base year, along with the key drivers, trends, and challenges. A holistic analysis of drivers will help companies refine their marketing strategies to gain a competitive advantage.

Key Market Driver

The cost benefits of blister packaging is notably driving market growth. Blister packaging plays a crucial role in the pharmaceutical industry, accounting for approximately 11% of the production cost of pharmaceutical products. Over-the-counter drugs often have a higher packaging cost than the actual medicinal items. Pharmaceutical businesses predominantly use glass bottles, plastic bottles, and blister packs for product packaging. Among these options, blister packaging is the most economical choice throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain, which includes production, shipping, distribution, inventory, and dispensing. Blister packaging is also more sustainable, generating less waste compared to plastic and bottle packages. Blister packaging is available in various forms, including cardboard backing, clamshell blisters, and thermoformed blisters made of PVC materials or PET and PVC laminates. These packaging types offer tamper resistance properties, ensuring the safety and efficacy of medicines, pills, capsules, granules, lozenges, and other medicinal items. Aluminum foils and adhesive bonding are often used to enhance the protective features of blister packaging. Cold-forming technology is employed to create blisters with moisture resistance, air resistance, and dust resistance properties. Pharmaceutical samples and prescription goods are also commonly packaged using blister packaging for easy physician sampling and pharmacy dispensing. Thus, such factors are driving the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Significant Market Trends

The emergence of contract packaging is the key trend in the market. Pharmaceutical businesses are increasingly outsourcing their packaging needs to contract manufacturers and packaging vendors due to the intricate regulations governing pharmaceutical packaging, such as the US Drug Quality and Security Act of 2013. These regulations necessitate stringent adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) set by regulatory bodies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Contract packaging companies provide additional services, including barcoding, which is mandatory for all drugs intended for medical use as per FDA regulations. Blister packaging, a popular form of pharmaceutical packaging, is predominantly made of plastic materials such as polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyvinyl chloride. The two primary methods for manufacturing blister packaging are thermoforming and cold-forming technology. Thermoforming involves heating the plastic sheet and forming it over a mold, while cold-forming technology uses a punch and die process to create the packaging. Blister packaging comes in various forms, including clamshell blisters and cardboard backing. It offers several advantages, such as tamper resistance properties, moisture resistance, air resistance, and dust resistance. Blister packaging is suitable for various medicinal items, including tablets, pills, capsules, granules, and lozenges. Aluminum foils and adhesive bonding are often used in conjunction with plastic film for added protection and security. Contract packaging companies offer pharmaceutical businesses the advantage of physician samples and prescription goods distribution, as well as pharmacy dispensing services. The use of blister packaging in the pharmaceutical industry ensures the safety and efficacy of medicines, while also maintaining their aesthetic appeal. Thus, such trends will shape the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Major Market Challenge

The volatility of raw material prices is the major challenge that affects the growth of the market. Blister packaging is a popular form of pharmaceutical packaging that utilizes plastic films and aluminum foils as primary materials. The cost of these raw materials significantly influences the market price of blister packaging. PVC, Aclar, PVDC, COC, and PP are common plastic films used in blister packaging, derived from polymers and monomers. Polymers, sourced from crude oil and natural gas, are subject to price fluctuations, thereby impacting the cost of blister packaging. Cardboard backing is often used in conjunction with plastic blister packaging for added support and protection. Clamshell blisters, a type of blister packaging, offer tamper resistance properties through the use of adhesive bonding and aluminum foil seals. Thermoforming processes are employed in the production of blister packaging using PVC materials, while cold-forming technology is utilized for PETG and PET blisters. Blister packaging is commonly used for tablets, pills, capsules, granules, lozenges, and other medicinal items. Pharmaceutical businesses rely on blister packaging for physician samples, prescription goods, and pharmacy dispensing due to its moisture resistance, air resistance, and dust resistance properties. The film used in blister packaging can be made of PVC, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, or polyvinyl chloride. The raw materials' cost volatility poses a challenge for vendors in the US blister packaging market. Hence, the above factors will impede the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Exclusive Customer Landscape

The market forecasting report includes the adoption lifecycle of the market, covering from the innovator’s stage to the laggard’s stage. It focuses on adoption rates in different regions based on penetration. Furthermore, the report also includes key purchase criteria and drivers of price sensitivity to help companies evaluate and develop their market growth analysis strategies.

 Customer Landscape

Key Companies & Market Insights

Companies are implementing various strategies, such as strategic alliances, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, geographical expansion, and product/service launches, to enhance their presence in the market.

Amcor Plc - The company offers Formpack coldform pharmaceutical blister packaging that provides an impermeable barrier to moisture, light, oxygen, extended shelf life, and long-term delamination resistance.

The market research and growth report also includes detailed analyses of the competitive landscape of the market and information about key companies, including:

• Amcor Plc
• AmerisourceBergen Corp.
• Andex Industries Inc
• Carton Service Inc.
• Combined Technologies Inc.
• Constantia Flexibles Group GmbH
• Deufol SE
• Dow Inc.
• Honeywell International Inc.
• KP Holding GmbH and Co. KG
• Lafayette Industries
• Omnicell Inc.
• Rohrer Corp.
• Sinclair and Rush Inc.
• Sonoco Products Co.
• Southpack
• Tekni Plex Inc.
• Walter Drake Inc.
• WestRock Co.
• Winpak Ltd.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of companies has been conducted to help clients understand the wider business environment as well as the strengths and weaknesses of key market players. Data is qualitatively analyzed to categorize companies as pure play, category-focused, industry-focused, and diversified; it is quantitatively analyzed to categorize companies as dominant, leading, strong, tentative, and weak.

Market Segmentation

By Technology 

The thermoforming segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the market forecast period. Blister packaging, a form of unit-dose packaging, is gaining popularity in various industries including healthcare, food, consumer goods, and industrial goods. This packaging type utilizes plastic films, such as PVC, PS, and COC, which are thermoformed or cold formed into small cavity blisters. Thermoforming, specifically, involves heating the plastic films at a certain temperature to mold them into the desired shape.

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The thermoforming segment accounted for USD 21.99 billion in 2018. The demand for thermoforming blister packaging is increasing due to its numerous advantages over other packaging types, such as bottles. Thermoforming blisters offer improved space productivity, as they eliminate the need for multiple packaging lines and additional manufacturing space. The complete thermoformed blister packaging process can be done in a single machine, leading to increased efficiency. Moreover, thermoforming blister packaging is widely used in the healthcare industry for drugs and medical devices, with paperboard backing providing additional protection. In the food and beverage sector, carded blister packaging, such as clamshell blisters, is commonly used for products like confectionery, snacks, and baked goods. The use of sustainable materials, such as bioplastics and aluminum-free blisters, is also on the rise. Smart blister packs, incorporating RDFI tags and sensors, enhance product safety and offer traceability, particularly in the electronics and OTC drugs industries. The use of thermoforming blister packaging extends to nutraceuticals, vitamins, and dietary supplements, as well as e-commerce, where the lightweight and compact design is beneficial. The choice of materials, including plastic films, paper & paperboard, and aluminum, depends on the specific requirements of the product and its sensitivity to factors such as moisture, gas, light, and temperature.

Segment Overview

The market report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in "USD million " for the period 2024-2028, as well as historical data from 2018-2022 for the following segments.

• Technology Outlook
  • Thermoforming
  • Cold forming

• Component Outlook
  • Forming film
  • Lidding material

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Market Analyst Overview

Blister packaging is a popular form of secondary packaging used in various industries, including Healthcare, Food, Consumer goods, and Industrial goods. This type of packaging utilizes units of preformed plastic or paper & paperboard, usually with a foil or plastic film seal, to protect and display individual items. Blister packaging is widely used for Drugs and Medical devices, often featuring paperboard backing for added product safety. Two common types of blister packaging are carded blisters and clamshell blisters. Carded blisters are used for multiple items and are often seen in retail settings, while clamshell blisters are used for single items and are popular in industries like Cosmetics and Electronics. Blister packaging materials include Plastic films, such as PET and PVC blisters, and sustainable materials like Bioplastics and Aluminum-free blisters. These packaging solutions offer protection from Moisture, Gas, Light, Temperature, and other environmental factors, ensuring product quality and freshness. Smart blister packs are a modern innovation, incorporating features like RDFI tags, Sensors, and other technologies to enhance product safety and traceability. The Food and Beverage, OTC drugs, Nutraceuticals, Vitamins, and Dietary supplements industries are major consumers of these advanced packaging solutions. E-commerce growth has led to increased demand for blister packaging, as it offers efficient protection and display for products during shipping and storage. With a focus on sustainability, there is a growing trend towards using eco-friendly materials like Bioplastics and Aluminum-free blisters.

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What are the Key Data Covered in this Market Research Report?

• CAGR of the market during the forecast period
• Detailed information on factors that will drive the market growth and forecasting between 2024 and 2028
• Precise estimation of the size of the market  and its contribution of the market in focus to the parent market
• Accurate predictions about upcoming market growth and trends and changes in consumer behavior
• Growth of the market across US
• Thorough analysis of the market’s competitive landscape and detailed information about companies
• Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of market companies