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  • 16/12/2025
  • 331
  • Packaging/Food Processing

UK Packaging Expo

The packaging sector in Liverpool and the wider Merseyside region (Liverpool City Region) is robust, driven by the area's status as a major port and a manufacturing hub for food, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

Here is an overview of the Liverpool packaging sector in English:

1. Key Drivers of the Sector

The demand for packaging in Liverpool is not defined by a single product but is driven by the region's strong industrial base:

  • Logistics & Transit Packaging: The Port of Liverpool is the UK’s main gateway for trade with the Americas. This creates massive demand for industrial packaging, including pallets, drums, IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers), and heavy-duty corrugated cardboard to protect goods during transit.

  • FMCG & Food Manufacturing: The region is home to giants like Unilever (Port Sunlight) and Princes Foods. This sector drives demand for high-quality retail packaging, canning, and flexible plastics that ensure food safety and shelf appeal.

  • Pharmaceuticals (The Knowledge Quarter & Speke): The south of Liverpool (Speke) is a major biopharma cluster (home to CSL Seqirus and near AstraZeneca). This requires specialized, sterile, and temperature-controlled packaging solutions.

  • The Glass Heritage (St Helens): Just outside Liverpool, St Helens is historically known as the world center of glassmaking (home of Pilkington/NSG Group). While much of this is now architectural, the region retains deep engineering expertise in glass materials.

2. Notable Companies & Key Players

The landscape includes both multinational R&D centers and historic local manufacturers:

Company Specialization Location / Notes
Unilever (R&D) Sustainable Packaging Port Sunlight is a global hub for Unilever's packaging R&D, focusing on reducing plastic waste and developing new materials.
Peter Marsh Group Paper Sacks Operating since 1837. A historic manufacturer specializing in paper sacks for the food, flour, and animal feed industries.
ITP Packaging Industrial Packaging A key supplier of steel/plastic drums, IBC tanks, and liners, primarily serving the chemical and logistics sectors.
Tri-Wall Heavy Duty Corrugated With facilities in the wider North West, they supply heavy-duty corrugated packaging for the automotive and industrial sectors in Merseyside.
Nexus Packaging Plastic Containers Specialists in plastic containers, jerry cans, and bottles, particularly for the chemical and agrochemical industries.

3. Innovation and Strategy

Liverpool is positioning itself as the UK's leader in sustainable packaging technology:

  • National Packaging Innovation Centre: There are major plans (backed by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Unilever) to establish this center. It aims to be an open-access facility for developing the next generation of sustainable packaging to help the UK meet its Net Zero targets.

  • Liverpool City Region Freeport: The region’s "Freeport" status allows for tax and customs benefits, making it financially attractive for companies importing raw packaging materials or exporting finished packaged goods.

4. Market Trends

  • Sustainability: Driven by the UK Plastic Packaging Tax, local manufacturers are shifting toward materials with at least 30% recycled content (rPET) and biodegradable alternatives.

  • Supply Chain Resilience: Due to post-Brexit logistics challenges, many Liverpool-based distributors are increasing their local warehousing capacity to hold more stock of packaging consumables (tapes, stretch films).

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