According to a survey, in 2010 the world’s consumer packaging market was worth USD 395 billion. Calculating with a 3-percent annual growth rate (although from 2009 to 2010 the market expanded by 6 percent), by 2015 it will grow to USD 456 billion – informed Miklós Nagy, general secretary of the Hungarian Association of Packaging and Materials Handling (CSAOSZ). Growth was the fastest in Central and South America (above 5 percent), Asia and parts of Africa were at 5 percent, Europe’s growth rate was 1.7 percent and North America’s performance was 1.2 percent.

Plastic is the most frequently (37 percent) used packaging material, paper and carton have a 34-percent share, beverage and other cans represent 15 percent, glass packaging has an 11-percent share and others (textile, wood, etc.) make up for 3 percent. In Hungary the packaging industry expanded by 16.3 percent in 2009-2010, but in the 2010-2011 period this expansion slowed down to 4.4 percent. General economic conditions do not favour large-scale packaging developments. Still, STI Petőfi Printing House recently installed high-performance printing machines. Paccor Hungary Almand Kft.became capable of manufacturing 6-layer plastic bottles, container glass giant O-I keeps developing in Orosháza and metal packaging company Pikopack Zrt. of Füzesabony invested billions in technological development. In June 2011 Parliament gave green light to the environmental protection product fee – unfortunately the industry did not have enough time to prepare for putting it into practice, so the first four months shook the domestic packaging sector. This year CSAOSZ tabled a few suggestions that are expected to ameliorate the situation of the industry if accepted. The trade is really curious about how the National Waste Management Agency (OHÜ), which started operating on 1 January 2012, will work. At the moment OHÜ is in connection with waste collecting organisations only, it has no ties with packaging material manufacturers and packaging companies. In 1967 the Packaging and Materials Handling Institute organised a competition, which has been held every other year from 1968 and every year since 2000 – now organised by CSAOSZ. Winners often perform well at WPO’s international competition, Worldstar.