Paper Packaging Protects Products Throughout The Supply Chain

Packaging plays an essential role in minimising damage and extending a product’s life. Without appropriate packaging, there would be a greater risk of the resources used to make the product being wasted.

The UK and the European Commission’s Waste Hierarchies both give the highest priority to the prevention of waste.^1,2 However, brand owners and manufacturers must ensure that the elimination or reduction of packaging does not risk damaging or shortening the life of the product.

The paper packaging industry has been at the forefront of developing solutions that maximise product protection whilst minimising the environmental impacts of the packaging itself.

Paper is an incredibly versatile material that can be formulated in a multitude of ways to alter its strength and even stretch to meet the requirements of the most demanding packaging applications. There are a number of great examples of innovative paper-based packaging applications that do not compromise product protection.

Food and beverage products remain the largest market for folding cartons in Europe, driving demand for renewable, recyclable and circular packaging solutions.³

Cartonboard packaging adds value to a product, increasing its overall resource efficiency by reducing food waste. By protecting food and reducing food waste, cartons contribute to more sustainable consumption and benefit society by
making our modern, convenience-driven lifestyles possible.

In 2023, around 50% of beverage cartons were collected for recycling in the EU30.

The Food & Beverage Carton Alliance, Recycling Facts and Figures, 2025

Beverage cartons, made from 75% renewable material on average, can directly substitute plastic bottles and glass bottles, offering a low carbon solution.⁴ The European beverage carton industry is working to increase collection and recycling rates across Europe, supporting the transition to a circular economy through investment in collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure.

Corrugated boxes used for transit packaging have a great story to tell. The rigid yet lightweight nature of multi-layered corrugated boxes helps to make the material highly resistant to vertical compression, providing a strength-to-weight ratio that is totally unique. In addition to this ingenious construction that provides remarkable shock absorption qualities, corrugated boxes also offer excellent thermal insulation⁵, whilst also reducing costs in production and transit relative to other rigid materials.

Paper mailing bags are becoming an increasingly popular choice for e-commerce packaging. Lightweight, durable and widely recyclable through household paper collection systems, they offer an effective alternative to plastic mailing bags while maintaining product
protection throughout the supply chain. Major retailers, including Amazon, have expanded the use of paper-based delivery packaging as part of their efforts to reduce single-use plastics and improve recyclability.⁶