6-digit U.S. detail
326112
Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing
Description
Establishments in this sector transform raw plastic resins and polymer materials into flexible packaging films and sheets, often incorporating multiple layers to create specialized laminates for food, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. Their primary function involves extruding, calendering, and calicoating plastics to produce thin, durable materials that protect products from moisture, light, and contaminants while maintaining freshness and shelf life. Typical business activities include melt processing, cooling, winding, and cutting these films into various formats ranging from rolls to large sheets tailored for specific packaging machinery. Operators in this field can range from small family-owned processing shops producing short runs of custom films to large-scale multinational corporations managing complex supply chains for global distribution. The industry spans a wide spectrum in terms of scale, with major manufacturers operating massive automated extrusion lines capable of producing billions of linear feet annually, while smaller firms focus on niche applications requiring proprietary additives or precise dimensional tolerances. The scope of output extends across diverse markets including grocery retail, cold chain logistics, and specialized medical device packaging, making these materials integral components in modern commerce and consumer safety standards.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 326 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing subsector make goods by processing plastics materials and raw rubber. The core technology employed by establishments in this subsector is that of plastics or rubber product production. Plastics and rubber are combined in the same subsector because plastics are increasingly being used as a substitute for rubber; however, the subsector is generally restricted to the production of products made of just one material, either solely plastics or rubber. Many manufacturing activities use plastics or rubber, for example the manufacture of footwear or furniture. Typically, the production process of these products involves more than one material. In these cases, technologies that allow disparate materials to be formed and combined are of central importance in describing the manufacturing activity. In NAICS, such activities (footwear and furniture manufacturing) are not classified in the Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing subsector because the core technologies for these activities are diverse and involve multiple materials. Within the Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing subsector, a distinction is made between plastics and rubber products at the industry group level, although it is not a rigid distinction, as can be seen from the definition of Industry 32622, Rubber and Plastics Hoses and Belting Manufacturing. In the case of hoses and belting, plastics are used as a substitute for rubber, and the distinction in materials is not useful as a basis for establishment classification. In keeping with the core technology focus of plastics, lamination of plastics film to plastics film as well as the production of bags from plastics only is classified in this subsector. Lamination and bag production involving plastics and materials other than plastics are classified in Subsector 322, Paper Manufacturing. |
| 3261 | Plastics Product Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in processing new or spent (i.e., recycled) plastics resins into intermediate or final products, using such processes as compression molding; extrusion molding; injection molding; blow molding; and casting. Within most of these industries, the production process is such that a wide variety of products can be made. |
| 32611 | Plastics Packaging Materials and Unlaminated Film and Sheet Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) converting plastics resins into unsupported plastics film and sheet and/or (2) forming, coating, or laminating plastics film and sheet into plastics bags. |
| 326112 | Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | Establishments in this sector transform raw plastic resins and polymer materials into flexible packaging films and sheets, often incorporating multiple layers to create specialized laminates for food, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. Their primary function involves extruding, calendering, and calicoating plastics to produce thin, durable materials that protect products from moisture, light, and contaminants while maintaining freshness and shelf life. Typical business activities include melt processing, cooling, winding, and cutting these films into various formats ranging from rolls to large sheets tailored for specific packaging machinery. Operators in this field can range from small family-owned processing shops producing short runs of custom films to large-scale multinational corporations managing complex supply chains for global distribution. The industry spans a wide spectrum in terms of scale, with major manufacturers operating massive automated extrusion lines capable of producing billions of linear feet annually, while smaller firms focus on niche applications requiring proprietary additives or precise dimensional tolerances. The scope of output extends across diverse markets including grocery retail, cold chain logistics, and specialized medical device packaging, making these materials integral components in modern commerce and consumer safety standards. |
Need a supply chain stack that maps to this industry?
Use this NAICS classification as the starting point, then connect it to Item workflows across inventory, warehousing, order management, fulfillment, and transportation.
Classification References
- 01Converting plastics resins into plastics film and unlaminated sheet (except packaging)--are classified in U.S. Industry 326113, Unlaminated Plastics Film and Sheet (except Packaging) Manufacturing;
- 02Laminating or coating combinations of plastics, foils, and paper (except plastics film to plastics film) film and sheet, packaging or nonpackaging--are classified in Industry 322220, Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing;
- 03Laminating plastics sheet (except for packaging)--are classified in Industry 326130, Laminated Plastics Plate, Sheet (except Packaging), and Shape Manufacturing; and
- 04Manufacturing plastics bags--are classified in U.S. Industry 326111, Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing.
Index Items
Film, plastics, packaging, manufacturing
Flexible packaging, plastics film, manufacturing
Packaging film, plastics, single-web or multiweb, manufacturing
How Item Can Help
Transportation Management Tools ensure the safe delivery of long, flexible materials across long distances by providing real-time route optimization and load securing instructions for carriers.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 326112.
National Plastics Recyclers Association
Industry trade association dedicated to the recycling of plastics packaging films and sheets.
Environmental Protection Agency - Plastics Packaging Manufacturing
Government page providing regulatory guidelines and permitting information for plastic packaging film manufacturing.
American Chemistry Council - Plastics Industry
Trade organization representing chemical manufacturers including those producing plastic packaging films and laminated materials.
