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Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing in New Zealand - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Mia Jeremic Mia Jeremic Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: September 2025 ANZSIC C1911NZ

Revenue

$692.4m

2025-26

$692.4m

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xm

Employees

1,459

Businesses

63

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing in New Zealand industry analysis

Rising environmental pressures have defined New Zealand’s Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry over the past few years. The 2019 ban on single-use plastic bags marked a turning point, with subsequent restrictions, including the 2023 ban on produce bags, forcing manufacturers to adapt. Total production volumes have contracted, costs have risen and profit margins have come under sustained pressure. Smaller operators have been disproportionately affected, while larger companies like Amcor and Sealed Air have leveraged global resources to expand recycled and biodegradable product lines. The industry is characterised less by growth and more by the ability to meet environmental obligations, pushing businesses to innovate or risk losing market share.

Trends and Insights

  • Rising environmental pressures have reshaped the industry. Regulations banning most single-use plastics and shifting consumer preferences have forced manufacturers to adapt. This has reduced production volumes, raised costs and squeezed profit margins, particularly for smaller businesses without significant capital infrastructure.
  • Manufacturers of plastic bags face a structural decline. Since 2019, phased bans on single-use bags and growing consumer preference for reusable alternatives have steadily reduced demand, pushing businesses towards other packaging segments or sustainable solutions.
  • Manufacturers concentrate operations in major urban hubs. The vast majority of industry manufacturers operate in Auckland, Canterbury and Wellington, leveraging high population density and advanced infrastructure to access key markets, labour pools and export channels.
  • Innovative substitutes are gaining ground. Growing environmental awareness drives the adoption of sustainable options like biodegradable, compostable and edible packaging. At the same time, advances in material science and production methods increase their viability, intensifying pressure on traditional packaging products.
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How you can access insights on the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing in New Zealand industry

The Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing in New Zealand Industry Report is available in multiple formats to fit seamlessly into your workflow.

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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 1.0 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $692.4m in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Environmental pressures have hampered volume and value in the industry

  • Rising environmental pressures have defined the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry over the past few years. The 2019 plastic bag ban marked a turning point, with subsequent restrictions on single-use plastics forcing businesses to adapt. This has led to a contraction in total production volumes, heightened costs and declining industry revenue.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing in New Zealand
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Evolving environmental rules will force manufacturers to adapt

  • Environmental regulation will remain a defining feature of the industry over the next few years, but the pathway ahead is uncertain. Successive governments have adopted differing approaches to plastic waste, and policy reversals create operational instability for manufacturers.

Biggest companies in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing in New Zealand

Company
Market Share (%)
2026
Revenue ($m)
2026
Sealed Air (New Zealand)
213.4
Amcor Flexibles New Zealand
161.6
Integrated Packaging Limited
34.7

To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing in New Zealand
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Plastic bags, Agriculture plastic films and Industrial plastic films. Plastic bags is the largest segment of the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing in New Zealand.

Trends and Insights

Rising exports and cost-of-living pressures have boosted demand for food packaging plastic films

  • Plastic films are a popular choice for food packaging because of their versatility, durability and ability to preserve freshness by providing an effective barrier against moisture, air and contaminants.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Manufacturers produce unsupported polymer-based packaging materials, like films, sheets, bags, laminates and bubble wrap. These products serve various applications across multiple industries, including commercial, industrial, agricultural and consumer uses.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand include Plastic bags, Agriculture plastic films , Industrial plastic films , Food packaging plastic films, Bubble wrap and Plastic laminate.

Companies

Companies covered in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand include Sealed Air (New Zealand), Amcor Flexibles New Zealand and Integrated Packaging Limited.

Purchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand include polymer, polyethylene, silage and biopolymer.

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 1911 - Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing in New Zealand

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Rising environmental pressures have reshaped the industry. Regulations banning most single-use plastics and shifting consumer preferences have forced manufacturers to adapt. ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Manufacturers of plastic bags face a structural decline. Since 2019, phased bans on single-use bags and growing consumer preference for reusable alternatives have steadily re...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets
  • International Trade

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level
  • Total imports, level and trend
  • Total exports, level and trend
  • Trade Balance

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025
  • International trade, including imports by country and exports by country

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
  • Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Manufacturers concentrate operations in major urban hubs. The vast majority of industry manufacturers operate in Auckland, Canterbury and Wellington, leveraging high populati...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Innovative substitutes are gaining ground. Growing environmental awareness drives the adoption of sustainable options like biodegradable, compostable and edible packaging. At...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Sealed Air (New Zealand) focuses on innovation and sustainability. The company leverages global resources and patented technologies to meet rising demand for efficient, envir...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Sealed Air (New Zealand)'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Amcor Flexibles New Zealand's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Integrated Packaging Limited's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Sealed Air (New Zealand), and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Amcor Flexibles New Zealand, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Integrated Packaging Limited, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Environmental compliance is critical for sustainable operations. Legislation covering waste, emissions and resource use, as well as fair marketing laws, ensures businesses ma...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Profit margins are under pressure from multiple fronts. Rising import competition and fluctuating input costs have forced manufacturers to reduce prices, while ongoing invest...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand in 2025?

The market size of the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand is $692.4m in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand in 2025?

There are 63 businesses in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.9 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand?

The Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand is likely to be significantly impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a high share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand?

The Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand is likely to be impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a moderate share of industry revenue.

Has the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand has been declining at a CAGR of 1.0 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand?

The biggest companies operating in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand are Sealed Air (New Zealand), Amcor Flexibles New Zealand and Integrated Packaging Limited

What does the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand include?

Plastic bags and Agriculture plastic films are part of the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand?

The company holding the most market share in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand is Sealed Air (New Zealand).

How competitive is the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand?

The level of competition is high and steady in the Polymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material Manufacturing industry in New Zealand.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in New Zealand include:

  • Statistics New Zealand
  • New Zealand Company Register
  • Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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