Dunnage Packaging Market Analysis

Global Dunnage Packaging Market Overview

Dunnage Packaging Market Size was valued at USD 4.18 Billion in 2023. The Dunnage Packaging industry is projected to grow from USD 4.39 Billion in 2024 to USD 6.95 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% during the forecast period (2024 - 2032).

Dunnage is used for protective packaging. Logistics and transportation industries have the highest use of Dunnage packaging material. It is a material that prevents damage to the product inside the package. Low priority cargo industries use this type of packaging for all their products. Many consumables are transported every day for various purposes. There are many benefits of using this package. Some of the crucial features of this package are innovation. Flexibility, cost-effectiveness and extra cushioning are features of the product.

Further, the heat regulation and eco-friendly nature of the package make its use prevalent. The industries using this package are automotive, construction, food and beverage market. Further, the penetration of eCommerce sites is another important factor driving demand. The use of this package in retail and commercial industries is increasing the overall supply rate.

There are many types of Dunnage packaging material available. There are wood, plastic, and fibre metal packages available in the market. The sustainable and reusable quality of this product increases its usage. Today, sort of packaging is a high expenditure for many industries. Due to this cost-efficient packaging such as the Dunnage has a higher need. All these are factors that contribute to the rapid expansion of the market. 

American food and beverage packaging company Lumi said it had closed its seed funding round in September 2023 to strengthen its mission of fighting against single-use plastic pollution. Some of the investors who participated in this round included Innovent Group, Hydra Group, and Responsibly Fund. The LumiCup, which is a lightweight and totally recyclable aluminum cup, will be launched for full-scale production with proceeds from this round. By raising brand awareness and improving customer recruitment tactics, the investment will also support Lumi's growth of marketing and sales capabilities. Moreover, the firm has been making efforts to create an inventory and ramp up output to service bulk orders.

Global Dunnage Packaging Market: Regional Analysis

The Global Dunnage Packaging Market has been segmented, based on region as North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. In 2018, Asia-Pacific held the largest share in the global dunnage packaging market, followed by the regions of North America and Europe; it is expected to continue to retain its dominance until 2025.

The growing demand for sustainable packaging in countries such as China and India, is one of the major factors, which is expected to raise the demand for dunnage packaging in the region during the forecast period. North America is estimated to grasp a high growth rate due to the growing R&D investments for product development and innovation of packaging materials. Furthermore, stringent government regulations in contrast to the recycling of packing materials in the US and Canada has propelled the demand for smart and innovative packaging in the various end use industries.

Key Industry Participants

The Key Industry Participants of the global market for dunnage packaging are DS Smith (UK), Myers Industries (US), Menasha Corporation (US), Schoeller Allibert (Netherlands), Nefab (Sweden), UFP Technologies (US), Amatech Inc. (US), Reusable Transport Packaging (Florida), Rehrig Pacific Company (US), MJSolpac Ltd. (UK).

Global Dunnage Packaging Market: Segmentation

The Global Dunnage Packaging Market has been segmented based on material type, and end-use industry. By material type, the global market is segmented by corrugated plastics, molded plastics, aluminum, steel, fabric dunnage, corrugated paper, wood, foams, and others. The corrugated plastic segment also known as composite dunnage held the largest market share of the global dunnage packaging market in 2018 and is also expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

By end-use industry, the global market has been segmented as automotive, aerospace, electronics, food & beverages, consumer goods, and healthcare. The automotive industry segment held the largest market share of the global dunnage packaging market owing to the substantial growth in the automotive aftermarket industry growth. This has created demand for dunnage packaging for transporting automotive parts.

Recent Development

In May 2021, JSP International launched ARPLANK foam material in Europe. ARPLANK is a plank form that is a highly resilient closed-cell material made from expanded polyethylene (EPE) bead foam suitable for packaging and cushioning applications, as well as expandable returnable dunnage, thermal management, and flotation. ARPLANK is made from high-quality, non-cross-linked EPE foam that is 100% recyclable. These thermally bonded PE beads are one of the market's most effective packing materials, capable of absorbing many impacts but also eco-friendly at low weight while creating a three-dimensional performance through which energy is absorbed, dissipating forces around. Accordingly, it has an isotropic behavior.

In June 2021, MilliporeSigma, a global leader in life sciences, understood better than anyone else that sustainability within supply chains requires equal attention to the products themselves and their packages. In fact, this need was not overlooked by MilliporeSigma, a major global life science player. This implies introducing green packaging across more than 300 thousand goods during four years, leading to about thirty thousand daily deliveries (Millipore Sigma). This development actually began some years ago when Fabien Thibault, who happens to be responsible for product & package sustainability, said that. One of the early challenges was building consensus with stakeholders in packaging, sourcing, and distribution at MilliporeSigma.

In August 2022, the growth of the e-commerce market was remarkable over the past few years, and its increasing adoption is influencing packaging innovation. As a result, during the COVID-19 pandemic, this channel experienced a significant boost, with demand for online-specific packaging remaining relevant. An example of this is illustrated by more than 15 different initiatives listed on Amazon's Innovation Zone (click here). This included removing inflatable plastic pads from their delivery packaging as part of an ongoing effort to innovate, even in small ways. At the same time, dunnage paper in contact with single-use plastic has been employed to ensure item stability inside their package in Spain recently. Since then, they have changed to using recyclable paper padding made from recycled materials instead of non-recyclable inflatable cushioning to minimize waste. These papers are developed specifically to restrain the movements of products within their cases, causing no harm.

Intended Audience

• Raw material suppliers


• End users


• Product manufacturers


• Regulatory bodies


• Market research and consulting firms


• Associations and industrial bodies

Dunnage packaging refers to the packaging solutions, which caters damage control to the goods which are transported and unloaded. Dunnage packaging solutions provide multiple sections, which can hold several parts at the time preventing individual packaging for each part. The global market for dunnage packaging has been witnessing moderate growth in the past couple of years. The demand for dunnage packaging and custom dunnage is expected to be driven by increasing preference for secure and convenient dunnage packaging solutions among the end-users. Moreover, the awareness regarding the superior characteristics of custom dunnage has been increasing rapidly. Such factors have led to the growth in the dunnage packaging materials, driving the growth of the dunnage packing market across the globe. Utilizing advanced composite materials, our automotive dunnage solutions ensure unparalleled protection and efficient transport within the industry.

Furthermore, dunnage packaging of materials such as foam dunnage, cardboard dunnage, and honeycomb dunnage is a very crucial solution that is inclined towards major end-use industries such as automotive, food & beverages, consumer goods for advanced and secure packaging. Also, dunnage packaging is a very important innovation towards sustainable and efficient packaging. Also, one more driving aspect in the market is increasing demand environment-friendly packaging means with changing demand by consumers is expected to add to the market growth during the forecast period.