Value gains will be driven by growing consumer preference for closures that offer convenience and ease-of-use advantages, as well as product safety features. The Asia/Pacific (despite significant deceleration in China) and Africa/Mideast regions will offer the fastest growth opportunities, while most developed markets will present more modest gains. However, advances through 2021 will generally decelerate from those of the 2011-2016 period, although growth in Eastern Europe will pick up. Bottled water will be the largest and fastest growing of the major applications for closures.
Plastic caps and closures will gain share primarily due to the shift in container mix generally favoring plastic over metal and glass. Plastic containers and closures offer a number of advantages, including lighter weight, reduced losses due to breakage, and a wider range of design options. The declines of metal and glass are not universal, however. Metal closures retain a dominant share of the beer market in most regions, and metal screwcaps continue to grow in the wine market.