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9 

THE POLYETHYLENE FILM EXTRUSION INDUSTRY IN

EUROPE

Introduction

Polyethylene film extrusion represents one of the largest individual plastics processing

sectors. The market for polyethylene resins used for film grew by 2.3% in 2011 and amounted

to just over 7.5 million tonnes representing just under 20% of the total European polymer

market. LDPE accounted for around 50% of this; linear grades and metallocenes 38% and

high density grades 13% in 2011. Excluded from the figures are approximately 720,000

tonnes of reclaim materials which are also being used by the film industry.

Market development

Polyethylene films have been highly successful in substituting other materials such as

paper, cellulose and aluminium, due to its superior characteristics. Plastics now account formore than two-thirds of material consumption in the production of flexible packaging.

However, the sector is now reaching a degree of maturity and recent years have been

challenging for the film extrusion industry. Up until 2008 growth rates had increasingly tracked

GDP advancing at 2%/year since 2004 on average.

 The recovery in demand for polymer by film extruders since the financial crisis has been

slow and volumes in 2012 are still expected to be below the peak the market hit in 2007.

Performance has been variable across Europe with overall growth pulled down by demand

continuing to be weak in Southern Europe because of the effects of the eurozone crisis. In

Italy the market has also been affected by the introduction of a ban on the use of single use

carrier bags from 1st January 2011.Over the past two years (2010-2011) there has been relatively little re-stocking through the

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

   T   h  o  u  s  a  n   d    t

  o  n  n  e  s

CONSUMPTION OF POLYETHYLENE FOR FILM EXTRUSION IN EUROPE 2008-2012

HDPE

LL/LDPE

©Applied Market Information Ltd., 2012

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OERLEMANS PACKAGING B.V

93 

Polyethylene film companies operating in Europe

Company  Location  Country  Estimated 2011

throughput

(Tonnes)

1 Oerlemans Plastics Genderen Netherlands 18,000

2 Plasthill Hillegom Netherlands 13,000

3 OPI Oosterwolde Netherlands 4,500

4 Fardem Packaging Edam Netherlands 17,200

Grand Total  52,700

Non-European polyethylene film operations

 There are no operations outside Europe.

Product offering

 The Oerlemans Plastics plant in Genderen houses 34 mono and co-extruders and produces

polyethylene films (LDPE, LLDPE, MDPE, Metallocenes and blends) from 50mm to 10m

wide. 8 colour flexo-printing is available. End products include pot soil bags, frozen food film,

carrier bags, sheets, bags and many other products

Plasthill uses 16 mono and co-extruders to produce 50mm tube to 10m wide film using

LDPE, LLDPE, MDPE, in metallocenes and blends. Product strengths at this plant include

unfolded film up to 4400mm wide, Static Intercept® anti corrosion film and TopEmBoss®

embossed film and flame retardant films. Embossing machine for the production of its TopEmBoss® film for example for the rubber and prepeg industry.

OPI produce LDPE, MDPE, HDPE films in sizes up to 1,600mm. Flexographic printing is

available in up to 6 colours. Products include packaging for magazine film, household

(cleaning) and meat packaging including as sheets, covers and bags.

Fardem concentrates production on the industrial sector and more specifically on 25-50kg

heavy duty PE sacks with around 80% of supply in FFS form. The range includes open

mouth bags (heat-sealed or glued versions), valve bags with internal or external valves, FFS

film with or without gussets, with continuous or positioned printing and Optiblock bags on the

reel with gussets, bottom weld, tear-off perforation and a watertight ventilation system.

Other activities in plastics

Perfon BV, based in Goor, Netherlands has been a part of the Oerlemans Packaging group

since 1999. It specialises in packaging converting with materials such as BOPP, CPP and

polypropylene, flexo printed in up to 8 colours. The company offers slitting, rewinding, hot

needle perforation, macroperforation and punching.

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FORUMPLAST FOLIENFABRIK GMBH

60 

Head Off ice:  Wenherr von Braun Str. 20

92224 Amberg

Germany

Tel:

Fax:

E Mail:

Web Site:

+49 (0)9621 767 30

+49 (0)9621 733 68

info@forumplast.de

www.forumplast.de

Ownership:  Privately owned

Forumplast was established in 1976 in Nuremberg, Germany with a production of 

approximately 10,000 tonnes/year. In 1993, the production site was relocated into the

eastern industrial area of Amberg, however in 1998, this site proved to be too small and

further expansion was not possible so the company relocated again into the northern

industrial area of Amberg, in the Oberfalz, Germany.

By 2001 the company had expanded production to over 30 extrusion lines and now has an

annual capacity of more than 30,000 tonnes of film.

In 2005 Forumplast started production of stretch hoods which at that time formed only 2-3%

of its business. Today stretch hoods account for over half of the company’s activity. Around

80% of polymer consumption is LDPE.

Company strategy is currently focused on maximising production and continuing to offer

high quality products and optimal services to its customers.

Financial results

Units: EUR millions 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

 Turnover 55.4 58.8 57.3 39.8 59.3

Profit before tax (PBT) 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.6 1.2

% of turnover in polyethylene film extrusion 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

% of PBT in polyethylene film extrusion 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

% of turnover in plastics processing 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%