New leadership at FPE committed to sustainable future

In his acceptance speech Baumgartner reaffirmed FPE’s objective to be a single authoritative voice for the industry which is dedicated to food safety, the avoidance of food waste and sustainability as a priority.

‘I am very honored to have been elected to lead FPE forward in its next phase of development, especially in these defining times for the packaging sector. It is vitally important that we come together to innovate and work on all the important topics, such as recyclability, resource efficiency, sustainability, food waste and food safety. It is important that, as an industry, we speak with one voice and implement change. I am more than happy to support this very actively,’ he said. 

Baumgartner takes over from Gérard Blatrix of Amcor who served two terms and made a substantial contribution to giving flexible packaging an important voice and a role within the current packaging arena. He also had a strong influence in supporting the development of the flexible packaging industry across Europe.

In a recent market analysis, conducted by Wood Mackenzie Chemicals, flexible packaging consumption in Europe grew by 2 percent, to reach nearly 14.5bn Euro in 2018. Western Europe saw modest growth of 1.8 percent while Eastern Europe saw healthier demand of 3 percent. However, the 2018 rates in both regions were slightly down on 2017 consumption figures.

Total annual production from Europe last year exceeded 15.6bn Euro, of which 78 percent was accounted for from Western Europe, with 22 percent coming from Eastern Europe. The region remains the most significant exporter with approximately 10 percent of its production consumed outside Europe. Forecasts expect growth to continue, with sales achieving 16bn Euro in Europe, while global consumption is predicted to reach nearly 100 bn Euro by 2023.