Americas Plastic Bags and Sacks Market Size

Americas Plastic Bags and Sacks Market Analysis

The Americas Plastic Bags & Sacks market was valued at USD 5.71 billion in 2020. It is expected to reach a value of USD 6.14 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 1.16% over the forecast period (2021 - 2026). The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted retail plastic bags sales in the region. The industry has been experiencing slowdowns in the supply chain, primarily owing to the lockdown of factories. According to the US Census Bureau, the retail sale decreased in Apr 2020 and is further expected to fluctuate in 2020. There has been a disruption in the whole supply chain network in the region. However, few stores, such as groceries, supermarkets, among other stores, were allowed to sell daily need products, which are expected to offset the impact to a certain extent.

• According to the Center for Biological Diversity, Americans have been using around 100 billion plastic bags every year, which requires about 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture. The Americans make use of an average of 365 plastic bags per person every year.
• However, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, plastics have been a rapidly growing segment of municipal solid waste (MSW). While plastic is found in all significant MSW categories, the containers and packaging category holds the most plastic tonnage. This category includes plastic bags, sacks, and wraps, among another packaging; polyethylene terephthalate bottles and jars; high-density polyethylene (HDPE) natural bottles; among different containers.
• The state legislatures have also taken multiple measures to reduce the prevalence of plastic bags at grocery stores and other businesses. The reduction of this bag can mitigate harmful impacts to the oceans, lakes, rivers, forests, and the wildlife that inhabit them. It can also relieve pressure on the landfills and waste management. While some states have been focusing on implementing effective recycling programs, others have been imposing bans or fees to discourage plastic bags. For instance, in May 2021, the Colorado House decided to ban plastic carryout bags and expanded polystyrene foam food service containers statewide with HB1162.
• Moreover, changing lifestyles and the consequent dependence of consumers on processed, packaged, and precooked food has also been increasing the demand for plastic packaging solutions. The advent of the supermarket culture has also altered the shopping landscape and has impacted the need for plastic bags, especially in the retail sector. The altering lifestyle of people has resulted in the shift from home-cooked to ready-to-eat products.
• In July 2020, Walmart, Target, and CVS Health announced that they collaborated with the Kroger Co. and Walgreens in the 'Consortium to Re-invent the Retail Bag,' an organization founded to test single-use plastic shopping bags options, which mass retailers across the region now use. The retailers teamed up with The Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners and have collectively pledged more than USD 15 million to launch the 'Beyond the Bag' Initiative.
• Further, Governments across the region have responded to public concerns regarding packaging waste, especially plastic packaging waste that includes bags and sacks. They are implementing regulations to both minimize environmental waste and improve waste management processes. In the United States, 16 states have enacted statewide laws around packaging waste, which tend to target single-use plastics.