The UK market is seen as the “big prize” in Europe for the world’s largest fresh liquid carton supplier, despite its relatively small presence. In an exclusive interview with Packaging News, Thomas Körmendi, the company’s CEO, expressed his optimism about the UK milk market, which is currently dominated by HDPE bottles. He noted that milk cartons were previously popular in the UK, but plastic bottles gained favor due to consumer convenience. However, cartons are now on par with plastic bottles in terms of convenience, and Körmendi believes that sustainability will become a key factor in consumer decision-making.
Despite the majority of milk bottles in the UK being sold in plastic packaging, Körmendi sees this as an opportunity for the company. Multiple studies have proven the sustainability benefits of cartons, and an increasing number of companies are making the switch to pass these benefits on to consumers. Körmendi is confident in their ability to grow their market share in the UK by encouraging the switch from plastic bottles to cartons, as exemplified by Graham’s transition to Pure-Pak cartons for their organic milk range. Consumer research has shown that a significant percentage of shoppers already base their purchasing decisions on sustainability criteria.
The UK market, in particular, presents an interesting opportunity due to its heavy reliance on plastic packaging. Körmendi expects to see more big brands in the food and drink sector follow the trend of switching to sustainable packaging, not just for milk but across various products. The full feature can be found [here](https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/features/elopak-readies-for-uk-milk-market-push-07-08-2023).
In summary, the world’s largest fresh liquid carton supplier sees the UK as an attractive market for their products. Despite the dominance of plastic bottles in the milk market, there is a growing shift towards cartons driven by sustainability concerns. The company is confident in their ability to capitalize on this trend and expects more brands in the UK to make the switch to sustainable packaging.
