A European carton packaging association has ramped up its efforts to promote cartonboard as the most sustainable form of packaging.
Roland Rex is the president of Pro Carton, which represents carton and cartonboard manufacturers in Europe. He says cartonboard is “streaks ahead” of other packaging in terms of sustainability, and he and his team are letting the world know.
“The cartonboard and carton industry has intensified its efforts to expound on this advantage in forestry, manufacturing and processing, and in recycling,” he says.
“We are a prime example of a circular economy.”
Pro Carton is working on increasing the application options for cartons, and runs competitions such as the Pro Carton ECMA Award and the Pro Carton Young Designers Award, which both highlight creative developments throughout Europe.
Around 50 per cent of the fibre used to make cartonboard in Europe comes from used paper and board, through recovery and recycling of household and industrial collections, as shown in this infographic produced by Pro Carton:
“With regard to the lifecycle of cartons – including recycling – we already operate at a very high level,” Rex says.
“Today virtually all cartons in Europe are collected and pass through the waste paper raw material cycle.
“We have also made tremendous advances in production processes, and we continue to drive sustainability even further.
“The use of energy and water is becoming more efficient every year.
“Our raw material is not only renewable, but the cartonboard industry assures further growth of forests in Europe, and these in turn take additional CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in wood and cartonboard alike.”
Rex says cartonboard is performing well in all segments of business, but there is still plenty of potential, particularly in the area of smart packaging.
“Of all the types of packaging available, cartons offer the best surface for graphic design, for codes to link to the internet, as well as for printed circuits,” he says.
“Take pharmaceuticals as an example. Today, smart packaging already ensures that the medicines it contains are not counterfeit, offers patients information via a smartphone link on the packaging, and supports patients in taking their medication as well as the treatment plan. There is considerable potential here. Many more products could benefit from this technology.”
