Flexible Packaging

What Flexible Packaging does

Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE) is a Düsseldorf-headquartered industry association, established in 1994 and organized as part of AMS Europe e.V., that represents more than 85 member companies responsible for approximately 90% of European flexible packaging sales and a workforce of over 57,000 people across 350+ European production sites. The association's substantive focus is the promotion, defense and technical validation of flexible packaging — multi-material structures produced from polymer films, paper and aluminium foil — across a wide range of primary retail applications including bread and baked goods, cheese and dairy, fresh and processed meat, crisps and snacks, ground coffee, pharmaceuticals, pet food, confectionery, toiletries and household products.

Its core offerings are not packaged software or physical products, but a portfolio of research publications, technical guidance, regulatory position papers and industry events. Technical assets include the LCA Guidance developed with Quantis and six converter partners, Food Lifecycle Studies commissioned with the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu), the FPE Sustainability Vision, the ManifestO 2024, Food Contact Materials and GMP guidance, and Reuse/Refill Pouches documentation. Convening assets comprise the inaugural European FlexPack Summit (Barcelona, February 2025, with a 2027 edition already scheduled) and the Global FlexPack Executive Forum held during interpack trade shows, supported by media channels including press releases, position papers, and a presence on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

FPE operates as a non-profit, membership-funded association, generating revenue principally through membership fees negotiated individually with its 85+ corporate members, supplemented by event-related and partnership income. Its go-to-market is community-led: regulatory advocacy and representation toward EU institutions (notably on PPWR, chemical recycling and recycled content targets), coalition-building through CEFLEX and cross-industry position papers co-signed with groups such as CAOBISCO, ELIPSO, EAFA, ESA, GIFLEX, NRK Verpakkingen and FEDIAF, and knowledge dissemination through publications and events. Leadership comprises an Executive Director (Guido Aufdemkamp), an elected Chair (Karri Koskela, CEO of Wipak, elected June 2025) and a President (Bruno Rea), supported by specialized Directors and Managers covering Statistics & Market Analysis, Regulatory Affairs, Sustainability, Communications, Public Affairs and Recycling Projects.

Name

Flexible Packaging

Legal name

Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE) - Part of AMS Europe e.V.

Website

https://flexpack-europe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE) is a Düsseldorf-based industry association representing over 85 member companies accounting for approximately 90% of European flexible packaging sales, supporting them through regulatory advocacy, life-cycle assessment research, position papers and industry events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing (326112)

SIC

Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080), Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081)

akta.pro primary industry

Lidding, Sealant & Packaging Webs (Heat-Seal, Peelable, Retort Lids) (IMALABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reusable & Refill Packaging Systems (Returnable Packaging, Refill-at-Home/In-Store) (IMALAMAE), Recyclable/Mono-Material Flexible Packaging (PE/PP-Based, Compatibilized Structures) (IMALABAN), Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF), Flexible Packaging Converting & Finishing (Slitting, Rewinding, Coating, Embossing) (IMALABAL)

Keywords

• Flexible packaging materials
• Packaging trade association
• Packaging sustainability research
• Packaging regulatory advocacy
• Packaging market statistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: FPE operates as an industry association representing flexible packaging suppliers. The association generates revenue through membership fees from its 85+ member companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE) is a non-profit industry association representing 85+ European flexible packaging manufacturers that collectively account for approximately 90% of European flexible packaging sales. The association provides industry advocacy with European regulatory bodies, commissions sustainability research and life cycle assessment studies, publishes position papers and regulatory guidance, supplies market data and statistics, and organizes industry events including the European FlexPack Summit and Global FlexPack Executive Forum for its member companies.

Product overview

Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE) is an industry association, not a product company. It does not offer a unified product platform but instead provides a portfolio of publications, guidance documents, research studies, and industry events. The main offerings include: LCA Guidance for environmental assessment of flexible packaging; Food Lifecycle Studies providing LCA research on packaging environmental performance; Position Papers on packaging regulations and policy; Sustainability guidance on reuse, refill pouches, and packaging-to-product ratios; Food contact materials guidance and GMP codes; and industry events including the Global FlexPack Executive Forum and European FlexPack Summit. FPE also provides media resources including product videos and lifestyle images.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CEFLEX: A collaborative initiative representing the entire value chain of flexible packaging, aimed at improving end-of-life performance and making flexible packaging more relevant in the circular economy

Products and services

• FPE Industry Membership Subscription-based membership service for European flexible packaging manufacturers and suppliers, providing industry advocacy, regulatory representation, access to research and market data, and participation in association activities. Member companies collectively account for approximately 90% of European flexible packaging sales and employ 57,000+ workers across 350+ production sites.
• European FlexPack Summit Annual industry summit bringing together executives and key players from the European flexible packaging industry for knowledge exchange, market development discussions, and networking on emerging industry trends and challenges.
• Global FlexPack Executive Forum Annual Business Breakfast event for flexible packaging executives held during interpack trade shows, facilitating executive-level discussions on emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges facing the global flexible packaging industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Packaging-to-product ratio is 5 to 10 times lower than alternative solutions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• QuantiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Quantis, an environmental sustainability consultancy, collaborated with FPE and six European flexible packaging converting companies to develop LCA guidance for the industry.
• CAOBISCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2021CAOBISCO (Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery of Europe) co-signed the cross-industry position paper on packaging circularity, representing the downstream food industry perspective in the flexible packaging value chain.
• ELIPSOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2021ELIPSO (French Plastic Packaging Association) co-signed the cross-industry position paper on packaging circularity, collaborating on advocacy for progressive packaging regulations.
• European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2021EAFA co-signed the cross-industry position paper on packaging circularity. FPE is part of AMS Europe e.V., which is related to EAFA through shared industry representation.
• European Snacks Association (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2021ESA co-signed the cross-industry position paper, representing the snacks industry as a major end-user of flexible packaging.
• GIFLEXcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2021GIFLEX (Italian Flexible Packaging Association) co-signed the position paper, representing the Italian flexible packaging industry.
• NRK VerpakkingencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2021NRK Verpakkingen (Dutch Plastic Packaging Association) co-signed the position paper, representing the Dutch packaging industry.
• FEDIAFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2021The European Pet Food Industry (FEDIAF) co-signed the position paper, representing the pet food sector as a major flexible packaging end-user.
• Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2021ifeu conducted life cycle assessment studies commissioned by FPE, showing environmental benefits of flexible pouches for pasta sauce and olives compared to glass and steel alternatives.
• CEFLEXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEFLEX is a collaborative initiative of a European consortium of companies representing the entire value chain of flexible packaging. Flexible Packaging Europe is a founding member. The initiative aims to improve end-of-life performance of flexible packaging through optimized packaging design and improved infrastructure for collection, sorting and recycling.
• P&GflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerP&G is referenced as an example company using refill pouch systems combined with rigid containers, demonstrating the reuse model for flexible packaging in consumer goods.
• HenkelflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHenkel is referenced as an example company using refill pouch systems combined with rigid containers (e.g., Pril brand dishwashing liquid), demonstrating the reuse model for flexible packaging in household products.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CEFLEX: A collaborative European value-chain initiative co-founded by FPE focused on improving collection, sorting and recycling of flexible packaging. Operates in the same flexible-packaging advocacy and circular-economy space as FPE, with overlapping member companies and shared mandate.
• European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA): European trade association representing aluminium foil and converting companies; FPE shares parent organisation (AMS Europe e.V.) with EAFA and co-signed circularity papers. Directly comparable as a packaging-material industry association serving the same converters and brand owners.

Regional players

• AMERIPEN: US packaging industry advocacy organisation. Comparable to FPE as a packaging value-chain trade association engaging with regulators on packaging and recycling policy, but serving the North American market.
• ELIPSO: French plastic packaging association that co-signed FPE's cross-industry circularity position paper. Comparable as a national-level flexible/ plastic packaging trade body addressing the same regulatory and sustainability themes from a French market perspective.
• GIFLEX: Italian flexible packaging association that co-signed FPE's circularity position paper. Comparable as a national trade body for flexible packaging converters, focused on the Italian market but aligned with FPE's pan-European advocacy agenda.
• NRK Verpakkingen: Dutch plastic packaging association and co-signatory of FPE's circularity position paper. A national-level industry association covering plastic packaging converters in the Netherlands, directly comparable in scope and mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Plastics Europe: The pan-European association representing plastics producers. Comparable to FPE as a packaging-relevant industry association advocating with EU regulators on PPWR, circularity and chemical recycling, though operating one level upstream at the resin-producer tier.
• Mondi Group: European-headquartered packaging and paper group with significant flexible packaging operations. Comparable as a major European flexible packaging converter whose membership and competitive position is materially shaped by FPE's advocacy and standards work.
• Amcor: Global flexible and rigid packaging manufacturer with strong European presence. While Amcor is a commercial converter rather than an association, it is a member-company analogue of FPE and a direct comparable in flexible packaging technology, scale and end-market exposure.

Emerging players

• European Bioplastics: European association representing the bioplastics industry. Comparable as a materials advocacy group influencing EU packaging regulation, but with a competing sustainability narrative (bio-based vs. resource-efficient conventional flexible packaging) relevant to FPE members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fpe_flexpack

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Flexible Packaging