PET Outlook Asia 2014

Seizing Growth Opportunities and Rapid PET Conversions in Indonesia and the region"

In an analysis, Euromonitor says that there is a huge market for soft drinks in Indonesia. The absolute off-trade volume growth during 2008-2013 makes the country one of the fastest growing markets for soft drinks in Asia Pacific, only behind the markets in China and India.

GDP growth, high disposable income in the past years, together with tropical climate, have boosted the sales further. But high inflation has resulted in increased prices for consumer goods. Therefore to sustain the growth of the soft drinks industry, manufacturers are looking at ways to cut production and distribution costs.

Although returnable glass bottles, like rest of Asia, was a preferred packaging option in Indonesia, it's popularity is decreasing. Rise in fuel prices has led to a sharp increase in the cost of shipping glass bottles across the island nation and returning them to manufacturers. Therefore, manufacturers are looking at more affordable ways of packaging material, particularly PET and thin wall packaging.

Soft Gable-top liquid cartons and PET plastic bottle packaging have gained much popularity given the ease of use - one-way transaction for retailers and consumers, plastic screw closures that allows resealing the beverage if not completely consumed.

More on packaging trends will be discussed at PET Outlook Asia will be held on 20-21 August, 2014 in Jakarta. Key Highlights

• Global PET and polyester market outlook
• PX PTA MEG prices in Asian markets
• Demand for light weighting technology
• PET recycling initiatives in Asia