LONDON, Jan. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportbuyer.com just published a new market research report:
US Plastic Foams Market
INTRODUCTION
The Freedonia Group Incorporated is a leading international industry study/database company. Founded in 1985, Freedonia publishes more than 125 studies each year, covering such areas as building materials, chemicals, health care, packaging, pharmaceuticals, plastics, security, and many other industries. Studies cover entire industry sectors as well as key niche markets. Each study includes such valuable intelligence as growth markets and products, market share, product analyses and forecasts, market analyses and forecasts, and company profiles.
Studies specific to the US also place the industry into its international context. This comprehensive study analyzes the US market for plastic foams. Historical (2002, 2007, and 2012) data and forecasts for the years 2017 and 2022 are presented by resin type (polyurethane, polystyrene, and other foams) and market (packaging, construction, household products, motor vehicles, and other markets). Demand is presented in millions of pounds and includes both merchant and captive segments. As used in this report, demand is equal to domestic production plus imports less exports (apparent consumption) and is synonymous with sales and consumption.
Information and data on the plastic foams industry were obtained from a variety of primary and secondary sources including government associations, industry participants, online databases, and other Freedonia studies. Trade associations were another important source of information and included the American Plastics Council (American Chemistry Council), EPS Industry Alliance, Extruded Polystyrene Foam Association, International Sleep Products Association, Polyurethane Foam Association, and Polyurethane Manufacturers Association. Other sources included various trade publications, such as ICIS Chemical Business, Plastics Engineering, Plastics News, and Plastics Technology.
Various other government and trade association publications, trade journals, corporate annual reports, SEC Form 10-K filings, promotional literature, industry reports, security analyst reports, and other publications were also utilized, as were online databases. Throughout this study, demand is related to various indicators for comparative purposes and to facilitate further analysis. Tabular details may not add to totals due to independent rounding, and calculated ratios reflect unrounded numbers. The macroeconomic indicators used in this study were obtained from The Freedonia Group Consensus Forecasts dated August 2013. Due to the Bureau of Economic Analysis' use of chain-weighted price indices, inflation-adjusted Gross Domestic Product components (2005 dollars) do not add to the total.
US demand to reach 8.6 billion pounds in 2017
US demand for plastic foams is forecast to reach 8.6 billion pounds in 2017, mounting a healthy recovery from the declines posted during the recessionimpacted 2007-2012 period. The construction market is anticipated to enjoy particularly robust growth prospects, as renewed strength in construction activity generates significant opportunities for foam insulation products. Increased new housing activity, along with heightened consumer spending levels, will bode well for foams used in household products such as bedding, furniture, and appliances. Gains in this market will also be aided by the expanding popularity of memory foam mattresses. In the motor vehicle market, advances will be promoted by rising vehicle output and efforts to enhance safety and comfort.
Packaging to remain leading outlet for plastic foams
Packaging will remain the leading outlet for plastic foams through 2017, accounting for over 30 percent of total volume. While this sector tends to be less cyclical than other industries due to the significance of nondurable goods such as food, the market is mature and will post steady but below average advances through the forecast period. Gains will be constrained by ongoing environmental concerns regarding the disposal of packaging foams, which have resulted in the establishment of bans against foam foodservice containers in certain localities. Nevertheless, demand will continue to be supported by the cost and performance advantages of plastic foams over alternative materials, and by opportunities for foam used to protect delicate items. Moreover, efforts to promote sustainability will generate more interest in biodegradable packaging foams.
Bedding, carpet cushioning to drive flexible polyurethane foam demand
Polyurethane represents the leading resin in the plastic foams market. Flexible polyurethane foam will remain the dominant product type, outpacing its rigid counterpart through 2017 based on especially rapid growth in the bedding and carpet underlay markets, where it is valued for its cushioning properties. Strong gains for rigid polyurethane foam will be propelled by a healthy rebound in construction activity and by changes in building codes and construction practices that call for structures to use energy more efficiently. Rigid polyurethane is one of the best materials available for roof and wall insulation, insulated windows and doors, and air barrier sealants. However, polyurethane foam insulation will continue to face competition from fiberglass and polystyrene foam.
Waste disposal to continue hampering polystyrene foam demand
Polystyrene accounts for over one-third of demand for plastic foam and will maintain a sizable share of the market through the forecast period based on its excellent protective and insulative capabilities, moisture resistance, and low cost. However, advances in the large packaging sector will be restricted by ongoing solid waste disposal concerns about the use of disposable foam products and rising competition from paperbased materials, which are viewed as more eco-friendly. Through 2017, expanded polystyrene foam is projected to outpace its extruded counterpart, stemming mainly from its use in insulation, molded foam protective packaging, and insulated shipping containers.
INTRODUCTION xi
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
II. MARKET ENVIRONMENT 4
General 4
Macroeconomic Environment 4
Consumer Income & Spending 8
Demographic Trends 11
Construction Outlook 15
Manufacturing Outlook 18
Plastic Resin Outlook 21
Plastic Foam Characteristics 25
Competitive Materials 27
Blowing Agents 28
Environmental & Regulatory Considerations 30
Materials-Based Regulation 30
Energy-Based Regulation 34
Recycling 35
International Activity 37
III. MARKETS 40
General 40
Packaging 42
Plastic Foams Demand by Resin & Application 42
Foodservice & Consumer Disposables 45
Foodservice Disposables Market Outlook 46
Plastic Foam Foodservice & Consumer Disposables 49
Protective Packaging 58
Protective Packaging Market Outlook 58
Plastic Foam Protective Packaging 61
Molded Foam 64
Rolled Foam 67
Foam-in-Place 70
Loose-Fill & Other Foam 73
Containers 77
Food Container Market Outlook 78
Plastic Foam Containers 79
Construction 86
Plastic Foams Demand by Resin & Application 86
Insulation 89
Construction Insulation Market Outlook 90
Plastic Foam Insulation 92
Flooring & Carpet Backing 96
Carpet & Rug Market Outlook 96
Plastic Foam in Flooring & Carpet Backing 98
Other Construction 100
Household Products 103
Plastic Foams Demand by Resin & Application 103
Bedding 105
Bedding Industry Outlook 105
Plastic Foams in Bedding 107
Furniture 109
Furniture Industry Outlook 110
Plastic Foams in Furniture 111
Appliances 113
Major Appliance Industry Outlook 113
Plastic Foams in Appliances 114
Other Household Products 116
Motor Vehicles 118
Motor Vehicle Outlook 119
Plastic Foams Demand 121
Other Markets 123
IV. PRODUCTS 127
General 127
Demand by Resin 127
Pricing Trends 130
V. POLYURETHANE FOAMS 133
General 133
Flexible Polyurethane Foams 135
Household Products 138
Bedding 139
Furniture 141
Textiles 142
Motor Vehicles 143
Flooring Underlay 144
Packaging 147
Other Markets 148
Rigid Polyurethane Foams 150
Construction 152
Demand by Segment 153
Demand by Type 154
Household Products 156
Appliances 157
Other Household Products 158
Packaging 159
Motor Vehicles 160
Other Markets 161
Producers 163
VI. POLYSTYRENE FOAMS 166
General 166
Extruded Polystyrene Foams 169
Packaging 171
Dinnerware 172
Clamshells 173
Meat, Seafood, & Poultry Trays 173
Lunch Trays 174
Egg Cartons 174
Construction 175
Other Markets 177
Expanded Polystyrene Foams 178
Packaging 181
Drinking Cups 182
Molded Foam Protective Packaging 183
Insulated Shipping Containers 184
Loose-Fill 184
Other 185
Construction 185
Other Markets 188
Producers 189
VII. OTHER PLASTIC FOAMS 191
General 191
Polypropylene Foams 193
High Density Polyethylene Foams 196
Engineering Plastic Foams 198
Vinyl Foams 202
Low Density Polyethylene Foams 205
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Foams 208
Biodegradable Plastic Foams 210
All Other Plastic Foams 213
VIII. INDUSTRY STRUCTURE 217
General 217
Market Share 219
Mergers & Acquisitions 223
Marketing & Distribution 227
Research & Development 228
Competitive Strategies 229
Cooperative Agreements 231
Company Profiles 235
ACH Foam Technologies LLC 236
American Excelsior Company 239
Arkema SA 241
Armacell International Holding GmbH 243
Atlas Roofing, see Hood Companies
BASF SE 245
Bayer AG 249
Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated 252
Bridgestone Corporation 254
Carlisle Companies Incorporated 256
Carpenter Company 259
CertainTeed, see Saint-Gobain
Crest Foam Industries, see INOAC
Dart Container Corporation 263
Dolco Packaging, see Tekni-Plex
Dow Chemical Company 266
DuPont (EI) de Nemours 270
Evonik Industries AG 273
Firestone Building Products, see Bridgestone
Flexible Foam Products, see Ohio Decorative Products
Free-Flow Packaging International Incorporated 275
FXI Incorporated 276
Hood Companies 280
Hunter Panels, see Carlisle Companies
Huntsman Corporation 282
INOAC Corporation 284
Insulfoam, see Carlisle Companies
Inter-Pac, see Pregis
Johns Manville, see Berkshire Hathaway
Johnson Controls Incorporated 287
New WinCup Holdings Incorporated 288
Noël Group LLC 290
Nomaco, see Noël Group
Nomacorc, see Noël Group
Ohio Decorative Products Incorporated 292
Owens Corning 294
Oxid, see Huntsman
Packaging Alternatives, see UFP Technologies
Pactiv, see Reynolds Group
Pak-Lite Incorporated 295
Pregis Corporation 296
Protexic Brands, see Sonoco Products
RAPAC, see Ring Companies
Reynolds Group Holdings Limited 299
Ring Companies 302
Rmax Incorporated 303
Rogers Foam Corporation 305
Rubicon, see Huntsman
Saint-Gobain 306
Schweiter Technologies AG 309
Sealed Air Corporation 311
Sekisui Chemical Company Limited 313
Solo Cup, see Dart Container
Solvay SA 314
Sonoco Products Company 316
StarchTech Incorporated 318
Storopack Hans Reichenecker GmbH 319
Tegrant, see Sonoco Products
Tekni-Plex Incorporated 321
3A Composites International, see Schweiter Technologies
3M Company 322
UFP Technologies Incorporated 325
WineLoc Packaging Products, see ACH Foam
Technologies
Other Companies Mentioned in Study 328
LIST OF TABLES
SECTION I -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Summary Table 3
SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
1 Macroeconomic Indicators 8
2 Personal Consumption Expenditures 11
3 Population & Households 15
4 Construction Expenditures 18
5 Manufacturers' Shipments 21
6 Plastic Resin Supply & Demand 24
SECTION III -- MARKETS
1 Plastic Foams Demand by Market 41
2 Packaging Market for Plastic Foams by Resin & Application 44
3 Foodservice Disposables Demand by Type 49
4 Foodservice & Consumer Disposables Market
for Plastic Foams 50
5 Protective Packaging Demand by Material 61
6 Protective Packaging Market for Plastic Foams
by Resin & Type 63
7 Molded Foam Protective Packaging Demand 67
8 Rolled Foam Protective Packaging Demand 70
9 Foam-in-Place Protective Packaging Demand 73
10 Loose-Fill & Other Foam Protective Packaging Demand 77
11 Food Container Demand by Type 79
12 Container Market for Plastic Foams 80
13 Construction Market for Plastic Foams by Resin & Application 88
14 Construction Insulation Demand by Type 91
15 Construction Insulation Market for Plastic Foams 95
16 Carpet & Rug Supply & Demand 98
17 Flooring & Carpet Backing Market for Plastic Foams 100
18 Other Construction Markets for Plastic Foams 102
19 Household Product Market for Plastic Foams by Resin
& Application 104
20 Mattress & Sleep System Shipments 107
21 Bedding Market for Plastic Foams 109
22 Furniture Shipments 111
23 Furniture Market for Plastic Foams 112
24 Major Appliance Shipments 114
25 Appliance Market for Plastic Foams 116
26 Other Household Product Markets for Plastic Foams 118
27 Motor Vehicle Production 121
28 Motor Vehicle Market for Plastic Foams by Resin 123
29 Other Markets for Plastic Foams 126
SECTION IV -- PRODUCTS
1 Plastic Foams Demand by Resin 129
2 Selected Plastic Foams Pricing 132
SECTION V -- POLYURETHANE FOAMS
1 Polyurethane Foams Demand by Type & Market 135
2 Flexible Polyurethane Foams Demand by Market 137
3 Household Product Market for Flexible Polyurethane Foams 139
4 Motor Vehicle Market for Flexible Polyurethane Foams 144
5 Flooring Underlay Market for Flexible Polyurethane Foams 146
6 Packaging Market for Flexible Polyurethane Foams 148
7 Other Markets for Flexible Polyurethane Foams 149
8 Rigid Polyurethane Foams Demand by Market 151
9 Construction Market for Rigid Polyurethane Foams 153
10 Household Product Market for Rigid Polyurethane Foams 157
11 Packaging Market for Rigid Polyurethane Foams 160
12 Motor Vehicle Market for Rigid Polyurethane Foams 161
13 Other Markets for Rigid Polyurethane Foams 163
SECTION VI -- POLYSTYRENE FOAMS
1 Polystyrene Foams Demand by Processing Method & Market 168
2 Extruded Polystyrene Foams Demand by Type & Market 170
3 Packaging Market for Extruded Polystyrene Foams 172
4 Construction Market for Extruded Polystyrene Foams 176
5 Other Markets for Extruded Polystyrene Foams 178
6 Expanded Polystyrene Foams Demand by Market 180
7 Packaging Market for Expanded Polystyrene Foams 182
8 Construction Market for Expanded Polystyrene Foams 187
9 Other Markets for Expanded Polystyrene Foams 189
SECTION VII -- OTHER PLASTIC FOAMS
1 Other Plastic Foams Demand by Resin 192
2 Polypropylene Foams Demand by Market 195
3 High Density Polyethylene Foams Demand by Market 198
4 Engineering Plastic Foams Demand by Market 202
5 Vinyl Foams Demand by Market 205
6 Low Density Polyethylene Foams Demand by Market 207
7 Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Foams Demand by Market 209
8 Biodegradable Plastic Foams Demand by Market 213
9 All Other Plastic Foams Demand by Market 216
SECTION VIII -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
1 US Plastic Foam Sales by Company, 2012 218
2 Selected Acquisitions & Divestitures 226
3 Selected Cooperative Agreements 233
LIST OF CHARTS
SECTION III -- MARKETS
1 Plastic Foams Demand by Market, 2012 42
2 Packaging Market for Plastic Foams by Application, 2012 45
3 Protective Packaging Market for Plastic Foams by Resin, 2012 64
4 Construction Market for Plastic Foams by Application, 2012 89
5 Household Product Market for Plastic Foams by Application, 2012 105
SECTION IV -- PRODUCTS
1 Plastic Foams Demand by Resin, 2012 130
SECTION V -- POLYURETHANE FOAMS
1 Flexible Polyurethane Foams Demand by Market, 2012 138
2 Rigid Polyurethane Foams Demand by Market, 2012 151
SECTION VI -- POLYSTYRENE FOAMS
1 Polystyrene Foams Demand by Processing Method, 2012 169
2 Extruded Polystyrene Foams Demand by Market, 2012 170
3 Expanded Polystyrene Foams Demand by Market, 2012 180
SECTION VII -- OTHER PLASTIC FOAMS
1 Other Plastic Foams Demand by Resin, 2012 193
SECTION VIII -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
1 US Plastic Foams Market Share, 2012 220
Read the full report:
US Plastic Foams Market
http://www.reportbuyer.com/chemicals/plastics/plastic_foams.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Plastic
For more information:
Sarah Smith
Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 208 816 85 48
Website: www.reportbuyer.com
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