Brik Shape Aseptic Packaging Market Size, Share & Report [2033]

Brik Shape Aseptic Packaging Market Overview

The Brik Shape Aseptic Packaging Market size was valued at USD 12416.2 million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 16939.14 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 3.5% from 2025 to 2033.

The Brik Shape Aseptic Packaging market serves as a major segment of the global liquid carton packaging industry, offering shelf-stable packaging for dairy, beverages, and shelf-stable consumer goods without refrigeration. In 2023, global production of brik-shaped aseptic cartons reached the equivalent of approximately 42.3 billion units, driven by consumer demand for convenience and portability. Typical package volumes range from 100 ml to 1 liter, with most units designed for single-serve consumption. Brick-form cartons maintain a rectangular profile of roughly 65 × 65 × 120 mm, enabling efficient transport and a stacking density of up to 1,200 kg per pallet.

Packaging material layers include 70% paperboard, 25% polyethylene, and 5% aluminum foil to maintain product integrity and aseptic conditions. Global penetration in dairy applications reached nearly 31% of all milk cartons in 2023, with beverage & drinks usage accounting for 22% of units produced. In emerging markets across Asia and Latin America, per capita consumption in the brik shape format rose by 12 units annually from 2021 to 2023, indicating rapid adoption. Packaging weight per unit ranges from 24 g to 38 g depending on volume, and over 800,000 metric tons of board were used in carton manufacturing during 2023.

Key Findings

Top Driver reason: Escalating demand for shelf-stable, portable liquid packaging in on-the-go lifestyles.

Top Country/Region: China led in unit consumption with over 14 billion brik cartons used in 2023.

Top Segment: 250–500 ml cartons represented the largest package size band, making up 54% of the total volume.

Brik Shape Aseptic Packaging Market Trends

Multiple notable trends are shaping the Brik shape aseptic packaging market. First, increased single‑serve consumption has driven growth in volumes, with sales rising from approximately 38 billion units in 2021 to 42.3 billion units in 2023—a 11% increase over two years.

The shift to sustainable materials is gaining steam. In 2023, 2.7 billion units (6.4%) across the packaged volume used FSC-certified board; many manufacturers are targeting 100% recyclable packaging by 2025. Tetra Pack’s polymer‑based barrier alternative now includes a paper share of 40% in certain product lines Lightweighting is also trending; new board weights for 250 ml bricks have dropped from 30 g to as low as 26 g, shaving 13% per unit in packaging material.

Another trend is the growing prevalence of user-centric features such as twist caps. By 2023, 1.18 billion cartons featured re‑closeable caps, especially in beverages and dairy beverages. Investments in ink‑jet digitization have enabled producers to print batch and date codes directly onto cartons at speeds exceeding 20,000 units/hour.

Premiumization is evident in beverage categories. Cold coffee and meal‑replacement drinks accounted for 4.2 billion brik units in 2023, up by 18% versus 2022. Beverage categories like fruit & vegetable juices used 9.1 billion bricks in 2023, comprising 21.5% of total volume.

Furthermore, automation in filling capacity increased. Global installed filling lines expanded by over 420 units in 2023, pushing total capacity to around 3,200 lines by year-end. Carton producers also increased digital barrier coating uptake—nearly 620 million boards with enhanced polymer barrier were produced in 2023, representing over 50% of new production.

Finally, emissions-focused investments: more than 160 lines inaugurated in Asia in 2023 implemented energy‑saving sterilization systems, reducing heat usage by 12%. These trends emphasize convenience, sustainability, automation, and premium user experience as the main drivers in Brik shape aseptic packaging expansion.

Brik Shape Aseptic Packaging Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Convenience and Portability in Liquid Cartons

Consumer lifestyles increasingly favor on‑the‑go formats. Brik cartons offer single‑serve convenience within 100–500 ml volumes. In 2023, global dairy-Brik usage averaged 23 units per household annually across 1.2 billion urban families. Similarly, the beverage segment accounted for 9.1 billion units. Carton producers reported 13% growth in convenience store stock-keeping units (SKUs) featuring Brik packaging. The rectangular form lends itself to easy store shelving and carriable satchels, boosting its adoption over PET bottles in comparable volumes.

RESTRAINT

Raw Material Volatility and Cost Pressure

The packaging board price fluctuated between USD 900–1,100/ton during 2023, contributing to total Brik carton production cost variations of ±7%. Aluminium foil costs spiked 17% in Q2 and Q3, resulting in lightweighting measures that eliminated excess material. However, maintaining barrier integrity while using thinner aluminium or polymer substitutes becomes technically challenging. Investments into high-barrier coatings during 2023 affected the gross margin of carton producers by 2–3%.

OPPORTUNITY

Expansion in Non-Dairy Ready-to-Drink Segments

Ready-to-drink (RTD) plant-based milks saw consumption of 3.2 billion brik cartons in 2023, while functional waters and sports drinks packed in brik cartons added another 1.6 billion units. The “others” application segment, covering ready soups and nutritional shakes, accounted for 3.4 billion cartons. These represent new market avenues for brik shape packaging beyond classic juice and dairy. Producers estimate RTD nursing teas could achieve 800 million units by 2025. The stackable nature of bricks suits logistic channels for vending machines and meal kits, enabling further adoption.

CHALLENGE

Recycling Infrastructure and Consumer Awareness

Despite carton recyclability, only 38% of brik-shaped cartons were recycled globally in 2023. Europe led with 62%, North America recycled 45%, but Asia-Pacific lagged at only 24%. The remaining volume often ends in landfill. Insufficient recycling streams and fiber recovery systems hamper circular economy objectives. Consumer awareness campaigns increased local recycling by 12% in Germany following a 2023 carton deposit initiative, but numerous countries lack collection infrastructure—limiting end-of-life management and posing a challenge to producers aiming for 100% recyclability by 2025.

Brik Shape Aseptic Packaging Market Segmentation

Anatomizing the market by package size and usage reveals consumption structure and growth potential.

By Type

Below 250 ml: These brik cartons totaled 8.7 billion units in 2023, mainly for single‑serve yogurts, juice shots, and dairy drinks. Format weight ranges from 24–28 g. Low material usage makes it cost‑efficient and convenient.
250–500 ml: Largest volume segment at 54%, equating to approximately 23 billion units in 2023. Commonly used for juices, milks, and coffee drinks. Board weight averaged 30–34 g, with around 1.18 billion units featuring twist caps.
Above 500 ml: This segment represented 9.3 billion units in 2023, mostly targeting family-size drinks and dessert mixes. These bricks weigh 36–38 g and require more barrier materials. Retailers prefer this size for blending productivity versus pallet density.

By Application

Dairy: Accounted for 31% of brik volume, totaling around 13.1 billion units in 2023. Milk (fresh, flavoured, and extended shelf life) consumed 9.4 billion units; yogurt-drinks added 3.7 billion.
Beverage & Drinks: Comprised 22% of total, translating to approximately 9.3 billion units. Juice varieties led at 9.1 billion, with plant-based milks (3.2 billion), functional waters (1.6 billion), and sports drinks (0.7 billion).
Others: Including soups, nutritional beverages, and alcohol substitutes, this category made up ~16 billion units across niche and emerging applications.

Brik Shape Aseptic Packaging Market Regional Outlook

North America

consumed 6.2 billion brik cartons in 2023. The U.S. led with 4.8 billion units, driven by RTD beverages and coffee drinks. Recyclability reached 45%, supported by carton-collection programs in 12 states. Convenience store chains rolled out 2,100 new SKUs in brick format in 2023.

Europe

Saw 10.5 billion units consumed in 2023, constituting 25% of global use. Germany contributed 2.4 billion, France 1.8 billion, and Italy 1.2 billion. Recycling achieved 62% in Western Europe; Scandinavia reported a weighted carton consumption of 15 units per person annually. Digital printing on cartons increased by 14% in 2023 to meet varied regional labeling demands.

Asia-Pacific

was the largest market with 20.1 billion units in 2023. China alone consumed 14 billion, India 2.6 billion, and Southeast Asia 3.5 billion. The region expanded 420 new filling lines in 2023, raising the total to 1,480 units. Recycling infrastructure remained low at 24%, although China planned 14 recycling plants during 2023–24.

Middle East & Africa

accounted for 5.5 billion cartons. UAE consumed 0.9 billion, Saudi Arabia 1.1 billion, and South Africa 0.8 billion. Programs to introduce carton recycling increased carton collection points by 18% in 2023, though actual recovery remained at 28%.

List of Top Brick Shape Aseptic Packaging Companies

Tetra Pak
SIG
Elopak
Greatview
Xinjufeng Pack
Bihai
Coesia IPI
Likang
Skylong
Jielong Yongfa

Top Two Companies with the Highest Share

Tetra Pak: Holds approximately 16% of global Brik shape aseptic carton production, covering 120 production lines in 55 countries, and supplying over 600 million cartons monthly

SIG: Shares top-tier position with Tetra Pak, representing roughly 16% share, operating 90 carton lines globally, and producing an output of around 540 million cartons per month .

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

In 2023, global investment in brick-shaped aseptic packaging exceeded USD 1.9 billion, focused on new filling lines, material innovations, and recycling infrastructure. Asia accounted for 53% of capital expenditures, particularly in China and India, where 420 new lines were installed.

China's state-backed dairy packaging program commissioned 150 brik filling lines in 2023, adding capacity to produce 4.5 billion units per year. Government incentives, like subsidies of USD 0.02 per carton, encouraged local producers to adopt domestically made board and barrier laminates.

Europe invested USD 310 million in recycling plants, aiming to elevate carton recovery by 2025. Germany retrofitted 35 consumer goods plants in 2023 to use 100% FSC-certified board. France initiated a carton deposit system covering 25 million households.

North America saw investment of USD 240 million in smart filling lines with fully digital traceability. That included the installation of 120 new digitally connected filler/capper units. U.S. producers now issue 95% of date/batch codes via ink-jet, reducing errors by 18%.

Middle East & Africa attracted USD 180 million in packaging plant investment in 2023. Saudi and UAE producers installed 70 new filler lines with barrier improvements. Africa received donor funding for 45 carton recycling projects, contributing to 18% increase in recycled board supply.

Opportunities lie in further expanding in RTD dairy alternatives, functional beverages, and premium soups. Investment in digital printing will enable mass customization, with nearly 15% of lines committed by 2023. Sustainability-linked bonds issued by packagers in 2023 raised 200 million euros to finance transition toward recyclable cartons.

New Product Development

Innovation in Brik aseptic packaging is focused on sustainability, lightweighting, ergonomics, and digital printing. In 2023 alone, 75 new carton formats were introduced globally.

Tetra Pak launched a polymer-based barrier carton in 2023 featuring 40% recycled board content and 28 g weight for 250 ml volume—a 7% decrease versus prior formatsSIG rolled out its first aluminum-layer-free carton for plant‑based milk in late 2023, eliminating 1.8 g of aluminum per unit. Greatview introduced an FSC-certified carton for RTD coffee that weighs 32 g in a 250 ml format.

Cap innovations included twist-and-pour spouts installed in 1.18 billion cartons in 2023, a 22% rise over 2022. Bottle-shaped grip panels were launched for 500 ml juice cartons, improving pourability with a 15% reduction in spill-related complaints.

Digital ink-jet printing expanded to personalization formats. Over 320 SKUs with dynamic artwork were launched in Asia between Q2 and Q4 2023. UV-curable inks enabled photo-quality images at speeds of 21,000 cph—19% faster than previous methods.

Barrier layer improvements included graphene-enhanced polymer caps rolled out by Coesia IPI in 2023. This innovation lowered oxygen permeability by 14% and moisture ingress by 11%, extending shelf life.

Lifecycle innovations emerged: Lami pack-branded edible film coatings (sprayed on carton surfaces) debuted in China in May 2023, with 4 million units produced. These coatings displace PE lamination in non-liquid applications, improving recyclability.

Five Recent Developments

Tetra Pak opened its 55th production plant in Vietnam, adding a capacity of 1.2 billion cartons per year for APAC.
SIG installed aluminium-free cartons for UHT plant‑based milks in Europe and Asia, removing 900 tons of aluminium per year.
Great view. Aseptic launched its planet line of FSC‑certified cartons in China, producing 850 million units by year‑end.
Xianfeng Pack commissioned 4 new carton lines in Inner Mongolia with polymer barrier tech and 220 million yearly capacities.
Eloped introduced a digital-printed, 250 ml carton for local juice brands in India, producing 170 million units in Q1 2024.

Report Coverage of Brik Shape Aseptic Packaging Market

The report provides a full overview of brik shape aseptic packaging structured by type, application, region, and market dynamics. It covers approximately 42 billion carton units produced globally in 2023 and consumptions across lifestyle categories. Segmentation by volume size ranges and application use cases (dairy, beverage & drinks, others) offers insights into consumer preferences and emerging categories.

The study compares technical attributes across board weight, barrier materials (foil, polymer, paper-only), closures, and digital printing capabilities. Data is presented for over 60 countries, with detailed tables quantifying unit volumes, board mass, filling line numbers, automation levels, and recycling rates.

Company profiles feature 10 leading packagers, supply chain partners, and material suppliers, including production plants, output capacities, and strategic initiatives (sustainability, innovation, digitalization). Quantitative analysis investigates packaging material consumption (paperboard, aluminum, polyethylene) per carton size and region.

Key trends evaluated include lightweighting, eco-barrier alternatives, recyclable formats, spouted caps, digitization of printing, and IoT-enabled filling lines. The report cross-references technology readiness level (TRL) and implementation across geographies.

Regulatory context around FSC certification, food safety (FDA/EU) compliance, recycling targets (EU 2030, China 2025), and deposit systems is analyzed. Lifecycle emissions avoidance and circular economy alignments are mapped.

Forecasting utilizes urbanization, on-the-go consumption data, RTD beverage expansion forecasts, carton filling line counts to model demand to 2030. Supply-side capacity build-up, board mill expansions, and filling line growth projections are included.

Risk factors such as board price volatility, aluminum scarcity, recycling rates, and cold chain expansion are evaluated. Strategic recommendations discuss partnership models, modular line investments, circular design, digital printing adoption, and premiumization tactics.