PE sacks and bags market in Sweden

Earlier Report Observations

The market for polyethylene sacks and bags in Sweden entered a sustained decline after 2020, with market volume falling from 82 947 t in 2020 to 52 412 t in 2023 before a partial recovery to 64 896 t in 2024. This contraction was primarily triggered by the European Union's Single-Use Plastics Directive, adopted in June 2019, which set measures to reduce plastic waste and directly discouraged the use of such plastic packaging. Concurrently, a strong market trend towards sustainable materials, exemplified by the launch of paper-based alternatives like Smurfit Kappa's Thermo Box in 2018, redirected demand away from virgin plastic sacks and bags.

Regulatory pressure intensified with Sweden's amendments to producer responsibility rules in 2022, making municipalities responsible for household packaging collection from 2024 and increasing costs for producers. Furthermore, the EU's proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation in late 2022, aiming for fully reusable or recyclable packaging by 2030, accelerated innovation and investment in non-plastic solutions. This regulatory environment, coupled with growing consumer preference for eco-labeled packaging and the rise of e-commerce demanding more cardboard secondary packaging, structurally reduced the addressable market for traditional PE sacks and bags.

The market's value followed a similar declining trajectory, dropping from $204.9 million in 2020 to $165.7 million in 2023, indicating that price increases could not offset the volume loss. The enforcement of attached caps for plastic containers in 2024 and the ongoing shift towards composite and biodegradable materials further cemented the long-term trend away from conventional plastic packaging in Sweden.

Production PE sacks and bags in Sweden

In value, 2017-2020, M $ US

Annual dynamics of production in Sweden in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Annual dynamics of production in Sweden in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports PE sacks and bags from Sweden

Exports in kind, t

Sweden's exports of PE sacks and bags have been declining for three straight years. In 2020, the country exported 34 768 tonnes, which represents a 2.2% drop compared to the previous year. Looking at the period from 2017 to 2020, exports fell by 14% overall, with an average annual decline rate of 4.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Sweden in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Norway was the leading market for Sweden's PE sacks and bags exports in volume terms, accounting for 53.6% of the total. Russia followed with 10.3%, and Denmark with 7.4%. Together, these three countries made up 71.3% of Sweden's export flows during this period.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Sweden in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, M $ US

Sweden's exports of PE sacks and bags in value terms have decreased for two consecutive years. In 2020, exports totaled 97.5 million US dollars, down 7.5% from 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, export value declined by 23.2%, with an average annual decrease of 8.4%. The peak was in 2018 at 127.3 million US dollars, while the largest drop occurred in 2019 with a 17.2% fall. In contrast, 2018 saw a slight increase of 0.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Sweden in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, Norway was the top destination for Sweden's PE sacks and bags exports in value terms, representing 41.2% of the total. Pakistan accounted for 11.0%, and Russia for 9.2%. Combined, these three markets made up 61.5% of Sweden's export value flows.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Sweden in value, 2017-2020

Imports PE sacks and bags to Sweden

Imports in kind, t

In 2020, Sweden imported 58 449 tonnes of PE sacks and bags, showing little change from 2019. The lowest import volume was in 2018 at 56 172 tonnes, while the highest was in 2019 at 58 504 tonnes. The largest decrease occurred in 2018 with a 2.1% drop, and the largest increase was in 2019 with a 4.2% rise.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Sweden in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Sweden's imports of PE sacks and bags in volume terms were fairly diversified. Germany led with 17.3% of imports, followed by China at 12.4%, and Finland at 11.4%. Together, these three countries accounted for 41.1% of total import flows, with the remaining 58.9% spread across many other nations.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Sweden in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, M $ US

Sweden's imports of PE sacks and bags in value terms have fallen for two years in a row. In 2020, imports were approximately 144.1 million US dollars, marking an 8.7% decrease from 2019. Over the 2017-2020 span, import value dropped by 11.6%, with an average annual decline of 4.0%. The highest value was recorded in 2018 at 165.7 million US dollars, which also saw the largest increase of 1.7%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Sweden in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

Data from 2017 to 2020 shows that Sweden's imports of PE sacks and bags in value terms were not heavily concentrated. Germany was the largest source at 23.3%, followed by Finland at 11.4%, and China at 10.8%. These three countries together represented just 45.4% of total import flows, indicating a broad distribution among other partners.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Sweden in value, 2017-2020