Colombia Plastic Packaging Films Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

Colombia Plastic Packaging Films Market Trends and Insights

Rising demand for lightweight flexible packs in urban retail

Supermarkets in Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali are replacing rigid containers with pouches and flow wraps to reclaim shelf space as average retail rents climbed 15% during 2024. ^{[1]Departamento Nacional de Planeación, “La industria redujo su producción real en 2023,” dnp.gov.co} Brand owners achieve weight reductions of up to 40% per stock-keeping unit and cut logistics emissions, which aligns with Law 2232 targets. Inflation of 5.1% in March 2025 further intensifies the hunt for lower-cost packs, driving small snack and personal-care brands to switch to stand-up pouches that improve price-point competitiveness.

Rapid expansion of Colombia’s processed-food exports

Coffee output rose 8.1% year on year in 2024, and overall agricultural GDP advanced 2.5%, fuelling demand for high-barrier laminates that secure flavor and aroma during trans-Pacific shipments. ^{[2]Corficol, “Perspectivas de crecimiento y precios del sector agropecuario para 2024,” corfi.com}Food processors targeting North American and European markets now specify multilayer films with EVOH and aluminum oxide barriers to meet shelf-life guarantees. Falling farm input prices—down 7.5% in 2024—free capital for packaging upgrades, and customs data shows steady gains in export tonnage to the United States, Ecuador, and Chile.

Cost advantages of films over rigid formats for SMEs

Flexible rolls require 40-60% less resin than comparable rigid packs, slash warehouse footprints, and ship flat, which resonates with small enterprises navigating thin margins. Polyethylene zippers and laser-scored tear lines allow SMEs to launch premium-looking packs without costly injection-mold tooling, supporting the Colombia plastic packaging films market’s resilience among regional manufacturers.

Growth of e-commerce requiring durable secondary packaging

Digital platforms extend beyond the major three cities into mid-tier markets, demanding co-extruded mailer films with puncture resistance and tamper-evident seals. Retailers specify moisture-guard properties to cover deliveries that transit from humid coastal warehouses to cooler Andean altitudes, reinforcing steady volume gains for high-strength polyethylene collation shrink films.

Ley 2232 escalating single-use-plastic tax

Effective July 2024, Law 2232 levies an annually rising tax on specific single-use items and sets mandatory collection and recycling quotas. Producers must fund take-back schemes or face penalties, which raises compliance costs, particularly for firms lacking dedicated environmental teams. ^{[3]Olga Sanmartín, “¿Cómo impactará la prohibición de plásticos en Colombia?,” cambiocolombia.com}

Resin-price volatility tied to Brent crude

Polyethylene and polypropylene prices can swing 15-20% within a quarter, squeezing margins for converters that import most feedstocks and operate under a peso that tends to track oil price cycles. Larger multinationals hedge purchases, but small converters often absorb cost spikes or lose volume when passing increases to customers.

Segment Analysis

By Material Type: Bioplastics innovation accelerates

Polyethylene retained a 41.31% share of the Colombia plastic packaging films market in 2024 thanks to established converter networks and broad suitability for food wraps and mailers. Yet the bioplastics sub-segment is growing at a 9.67% CAGR because law-driven demand for compostable or bio-based packs is redirecting capital toward cassava-starch and sugar-cane formulations. Natpacking’s 100% cassava-based bag line illustrates how local feedstocks shorten supply chains and appeal to brands seeking a Colombian provenance story. Polypropylene remains essential for microwaveable snack and hot-fill sauces that require higher heat tolerance. BOPET uptake centers on premium coffee and confectionery exports. Polystyrene and PVC lag because they trigger higher recycling fees under municipal waste regulations.

As converters reformulate toward PCR blends, several plants now co-extrude 30-50% recycled content without sacrificing seal strength. Multilayer barrier baselines continue to lean on polyethylene matrices with EVOH or metallization layers, but mono-material innovation is narrowing performance gaps. The Colombia plastic packaging films market size for bioplastics is projected to achieve USD 53 million by 2030, reflecting this shift. Continuous R&D investment ensures that bio-based films meet migration limits for direct food contact while offering comparable puncture resistance.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By End-use Industry: Healthcare expansion outpaces food growth

Food applications generated 56.88% of 2024 revenue, supported by rising consumption of processed snacks, bakery goods, and fresh produce. The Colombia plastic packaging films market size within healthcare, however, is accelerating at a 7.87% CAGR, underpinned by local pharmaceutical batch expansions and tighter sterilization codes. Evertis’ Evercare PET films with 50% PCR content now satisfy gamma-irradiation compatibility, enabling clinics to meet infection-control protocols while progressing toward circular-economy goals.

Home-care and personal-care categories benefit from refill pouch trends that cut plastic use by up to 70% per refill cycle and align with retailer waste-reduction pledges. Industrial users—automotive, electronics, and fertilizers—continue to require heavy-duty liners and films, but growth trails the overall average as producers optimize packaging weight.

By Film Functionality: Barrier technology advances

Low-barrier mono-material constructions captured 62.23% of 2024 demand due to easy recyclability and low cost. High-barrier multilayer grades are projected to expand 6.76% per year through 2030 as food exporters and drug makers lengthen distribution cycles. Metallized BOPP and AlOx-coated PET open three-to-five-year shelf-life windows for dehydrated coffee capsules and powdered chocolate mixes. Meanwhile, brand owners invest in EVOH-rich mono-material PE films that retain recycle-stream compatibility while reducing oxygen transmission rates to under 0.4 cc/m²/day.

R&D teams are also examining antimicrobial additives that curb bacterial growth on medical drapes and meat wraps. Active scavenger films targeting moisture and ethylene are in pilot testing with Colombian banana and avocado shippers looking to cut post-harvest losses.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Packaging Format: Pouches surge on convenience trends

Wraps and overwraps commanded 45.89% of revenue in 2024, mainly bread bags, produce sheets, and shrink bundles. Pouches are forecast to grow at a 9.43% CAGR as consumers gravitate toward resealable, lightweight options that maximize pantry space. Coffee roasters have adopted aluminum-free high-barrier pouches with degassing valves, enabling an export-ready presentation that fits capsule machines. FLtècnics’ AutoSplicer Pro roll-splicing technology trimmed waste and boosted pouch-line uptime by 10%, underscoring capital spending that sustains format shifts.

Bulk bags and multiwall liners remain significant in fertilizers and pet-food channels but show slower velocity. Vacuum shrink and stretch hoods hold stable demand in beverage multipacks despite the rise of corrugated alternatives, as film keeps unit cost lower for domestic bottlers.

Geography Analysis

The Colombia plastic packaging films market is clustered in Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali, which together draw around 60% of national consumption. Bogotá accounts for the largest slice thanks to dense retail chains and government procurement that now mandates recycled or recyclable packs. The return of Label Summit Latin America to the capital in 2024 attracted 750 delegates, underscoring the city’s status as a packaging innovation hub.

Coastal corridors anchored by Cartagena and Buenaventura handle a high share of export-grade films. Their port logistics favor quick containerization of coffee, tropical fruits, and processed foods bound for the United States and Europe. Humid Caribbean climates necessitate moisture-barrier enhancements, creating opportunities for metallized and AlOx coatings. Inland coffee belts near Medellín demand specialty laminates for roast-and-ground bags as well as oxygen-barrier capsule lidding.

Secondary cities such as Bucaramanga, Pereira, and Pasto now register elevated e-commerce parcel flows that rely on durable mailer films. Yet recycling systems remain less developed outside major hubs, and PCR feedstock shortages curb local closed-loop ambitions. Film suppliers that establish collection partnerships in these regions can secure input streams and earn tax credits under Law 2232.