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“Skyrocketing electricity and gas prices are causing ETMA members great distress, and there is no end in sight to this alarming trend. A further worsening of the situation could lead to a situation threatening the existence of some members.”
Mark Aegler,
President.,
European Tube Manufacturers Association (ETMA).
Despite extremely challenging economic conditions, deliveries of aluminium, laminate and plastic tube producers organised in the European Tube Manufacturers Association (ETMA) rose by one percent to around 6 billion units in the first half of the year.
The individual types of tubes developed differently. Aluminium tubes increased by just under one percent and plastic tubes by about two percent, while laminate tubes declined by almost four percent. Laminate and aluminium tubes accounted for 36 percent each of ETMA members’ deliveries. The share of plastic tubes was 28 percent.
Demand for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products picks up
The positive volume development was due to an increase in demand of almost two percent from the cosmetics market, which dominates in terms of volume. Demand from the pharmaceutical sector, the second largest sales market, developed particularly positively, increasing by a good eight percent. In contrast, deliveries to the dental care market, the third largest sales segment, fell slightly by just under two percent. These three markets together account for about 85 percent of total deliveries. The remaining 15 percent is accounted for by household products and food, which declined relatively sharply in the first half of 2022, falling by almost 15 percent and 10 percent respectively.
Threatening effects of the energy crisis
The exorbitant cost increases in the energy sector are particularly worrying. “Skyrocketing electricity and gas prices are causing ETMA members great distress, and there is no end in sight to this alarming trend. A further worsening of the situation could lead to a situation threatening the existence of some members,” knows ETMA President Mark Aegler.
In addition, increased energy prices are accompanied by a loss of purchasing power among European consumers due to inflation and fears of recession. “This is an unpleasant cocktail of difficult economic conditions that will have a lasting impact on the lives of European tube manufacturers and consumers this year and certainly next,” adds Aegler.
Even though the energy crisis currently outshines all other issues, the demands on the tube industry in terms of sustainability also remain high. The big challenge is to produce recyclable packaging with minimized material input and the highest possible post-consumer recycled material content to achieve best possible resource efficiency. “The European tube industry is on the right track here and is working at full speed on increasingly sustainable packaging solutions. This is shown not least by the tubes awarded in ETMA’s annual “Tube of the Year” competition,” Aegler sums up.