European tube production and etma membership increase
The European Tube Manufacturers Association, etma, is continuing to expand and has welcomed three tube manufacturers as new members in 2019, from Bulgaria, Turkey and Ukraine, taking total membership to 46 companies.
The European tube manufacturing market has increased production, though there was a slight decline in aluminium tube production.
“Despite the increasingly more difficult economic situation, etma members produced 5.9 billion tubes in the first half of 2019,” said etma’s secretary general Gregor Spengler.
“Adjusted for the production from our new members, this represents growth of 1% compared with the corresponding period last year. The European tube industry was thus able to buck the general trend. It helps, of course, that the markets of the fast-moving consumer goods sector that are important for the tube react less sensitively to economic fluctuations than other branches of industry.”
Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and dental care dominate the tube markets in terms of volume and were particularly stable in the first half of 2019. Regarding the different tube materials, laminate tubes achieved solid growth, while aluminium and plastic tubes saw slight declines.
For the secnd ahlf of the year, the tube industry is cautiously optimistic. According to etma’s president, Oliver Höll, an important reason for this is the tube’s continued high level of acceptance by consumers, who value it as a functional, modern and sustainable form of packaging.
“Consumers regard the tube as a very user- and eco-friendly form of packaging that offers a whole range of real benefits,” he said. “It is easy to open and has good resealability so it is simple and convenient to handle. Its excellent product protection and high hygiene standards guarantee that the contents and the product have a long shelf life, thus preventing valuable resources being wasted.
“The tube is light and unbreakable and can therefore be transported particularly efficiently and in an environmentally friendly manner. Innovative materials and even more material savings during production will further improve the tube’s environmental balance and sustainability rating. These are all reasons that make me very confident about the further development of the tube.”
