North America Pet Food Packaging Market by Packaging Material (Paper & paperboard, plastic, others), Product (Bags, Metal cans, Boxes & cartons, others), Food Type (Pet snacks, small pet food, pet treats, cat litter, others), Animal Type, and Region - Forecast To 2032

North America Pet Food Packaging Market Synopsis

North America Pet Food Packaging Market Size was approximately valued at USD 3,361.00 million in 2023. The North America Pet Food Packaging industry is projected to grow from USD 3,525.70 million in 2024 to USD 5,415.80 million by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.50% during the forecast period (2024 - 2032).Pet food packaging is the type of packaging essentially used for wrapping or enclosing food items produced specifically for animals (pets). The packaging of such product is available in rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible options.

Increasing adoption of pets, innovation in packaging, and increasing disposable income of pet owners are main factors driving the pet food packaging market. The market is hindered by stringent pet food regulations.

North America is observing an increasing rate of pet adoption. With the mushrooming of animal shelters and growing humanization, these numbers are expected to go higher. The growing adoption of pets has a positive impact on the pet food industry and the parallel packaging industry. With rising awareness about pet homelessness and pet euthanization in households, there is a rapid change in the pet adoption rate. Critical efforts and support from municipal governments, who have the responsibility to support community animals by funding local services and facilities, along with guidelines and initiatives taken by organizations, such as APPA and AVMA, have proved to be the major factors responsible for the growing adoption of pets.

There is an increasing need for product differentiation and exhaustive product offerings by various pet food manufacturers. The material requirement is also evolving with time and greater humanization. The packaging companies have been emphasizing on the packaging material and various packaging products. This is in line with the high demand for packaged food products for pets, such dogs, cats, and fish. This along with packaging type, food labels, and other information is critical to the end-users. It is for this reason that the packaging and labeling industry for pet foods have undergone various product development and innovation. The investment in packaging technology and material by packaging companies have also been made to fulfill the demands for differentiated products from the pet food companies.

Amcor began the North American rollout of AmFiber Performance Paper packaging that can be recycled curbside, part of their portfolio of AmFiber products in August 2023. Performance paper is said to qualify for repulpability standard for curbside recycling as How2Recycle has prequalified it thus enabling brands to offer sustainable end-of-life outcomes for their packages. The firm says that it is a “recyclable” laminated high barrier paper which according to How2Recycle’s prequalification rating is “widely recyclable” in most recovered paper streams. Additionally, this is a PVdC-free material that enhances both the packing efficiency and barrier performance. In Amcor's product range there are such options: confectionery, bars, cookies, dry beverages, cereals and dry mixes. Cold-seal flow wrap and three-side seal sachets are two format applications available. Such equipment as existing flexible packaging machinery can process AmFiber Performance Paper at speeds matching those of plastic-based packaging.

Key Players 

The prominent players in the North America pet food packaging market include Sonoco Products Company, Bemis Company, Inc., Amcor Limited, Mondi Group, Winpak Ltd., Ampac Packaging, Llc, Huhtamäki Oyj, Sealed Air Corporation, Ardagh Group SA, Berry Global Group Inc., Mars Petcare Inc., Nestlé Purina PetCare, Diamond Pet Foods, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., and Blue Buffalo Co., Ltd.

North America Pet Food Packaging Market: Segment Analysis

The North America Pet Food Packaging market has been segmented based on packaging material, product, food type, animal type, and country. On the basis of packaging material, the market has been segmented into paper & paperboard, plastic, and others. Plastic packaging leads the market in North America. It is one of the most widely used materials used for packaging across various end-use industries. Plastic in the form of PVC, HDPE, PET, and others is used extensively in the pet food packaging market. The material offers high barrier, cost-efficient, temperature resistance, and durable packaging options. On the basis of product, the market has been segmented into bags, metal cans, boxes, & cartons, and others. The bag segment accounted for 39.03% market share in the North America pet food packaging market in 2016.

On the basis of animal type, the market has been segmented into dog, cat, fish, and others. Dog segment is holding largest market share due to more preference for dogs during pet adoption. Factors such as growing pet adoption and the increase in spending by pet owners on pet food products fueling the dog food packaging market.

On the basis of food type, the market has been segmented into pet snacks, small pet food, pet treats, and cat litter. Pet snacks accounted for the largest share in the market of North America. Majority of pet owners and pet lovers are concerned about proper nutrition their pets deserve. It is because of this reason the segment has witnessed growth in previous years, and similar results are expected in the forecast period.

Regional Analysis

Geographically, the North America pet food packaging market has been divided into countries such as the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The U.S. is the largest market for pet food packaging in North America. The country has seen increasing pet adoption followed by mushrooming of various care centers, and adoption units. Furthermore, there is a concentration of various pet food manufacturing companies, along with parallel packaging companies. The market in North America is estimated to witness 5.34% CAGR during the forecast period. According to the APPA survey 2014-2016, the U.S. recorded 124.6 million households, out of which, 79.7 million households have registered with pets, which is 65% of the total household.

Canada has witnessed increasing disposable income among pet owners. Due to the growing awareness regarding animal cruelty and euthanization, there is seen a changing pattern in pet adoption. This is expected to drive the market for pet food packaging in the country.

The report for North America pet food packaging market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and countries.

Recent News

In the multivitamin category of Amcor PLC in February 2020, it displayed and launched PET containers made from 100% post-consumer recycled content (PCR) resins. The company designed two sizes of the new clear bottle, namely 100 cubic centimeters and 150 cubic centimeters for Ritual, a health meets technology company that reimagined multivitamins.

Sonoco acquired Ball Metalpack in January 2022, a leading manufacturer of sustainable metal packaging for food and household products.

Strategically investing USD 500 million in July 2022, Simmons Pet Food had been determined to start up another canned pet food line at its Dubuque, Iowa plant, establish a new pet food distribution facility in Edgerton, Kansas and install a fourth high-speed canning line at Emporia, Kansas facility.

Amcor obtained an exceptional flexible package manufacturing plant situated in the Czech Republic in August 2022. This move helped increase demand fulfillment capacity by taking care of customers' growing needs through Europe’s flexible business network, on which those demands were already focused due to the strategic location where the site was positioned immediately after the acquisition by Amcor. This greenfield development is owned by DG Pack since commissioned in the year 2019 and features advanced dedicated equipment targeting premium areas such as coffee and pet foods.

Coveris partnered with Ultra-Premium Direct during May 2022; this is a French manufacturer specializing in environmentally friendly dog foods so as to design mono-material recyclable polyethylene (PE) bags for the Protein Boost pet food product range.

In May 2023, Berry Global Group, Inc., Peel Plastic Products Ltd. (Canada), and ExxonMobil (US) collaborated to incorporate International Sustainability and Carbon Certificate (ISCC) PLUS certified-circular plastics into pet food packaging.

Berry Global Group, Inc.in October 2022, announced a collaboration with film converter and manufacturer Printpack (US) that leveraged the respective competencies of each party in film making and converting for creating eco-friendly packaging solutions which meet customer demand for more sustainable packaging options.