By Winfried Muehling, Director of Marketing and Communications, PRO CARTON
With increasing requirements on product and food safety, we see an ever-increasing level of packaging waste in Europe. Figures reached an all-time high totalling 84.3 million tonnes (Eurostat, 2024).
As we look to create a more sustainable future for the packaging industry, the concept of a circular economy has become increasingly critical. Within this, cartonboard has emerged as a leading contender, offering a recyclable, renewable, and truly sustainable packaging solution.
The upcoming Plastic Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in the European Union (EU) represents a pivotal moment for the packaging industry. This regulation, anticipated for formal approval by the end of 2024, will incentivise the adoption of more sustainable and circular packaging alternatives.
With potential enforcement commencing in the summer of 2026, PPWR will have a comprehensive impact across all 27 EU member states. Pro Carton supports PPWR, recognising its potential to establish a robust foundation for a truly circular packaging industry within the EU, and hopefully lead non-EU member states into a similar circular economy for packaging standardisation.
Recycling is the cornerstone of a circular economy for packaging and it’s largely down to consumer action – something we must remain aware of. The efficacy of sorting and collection systems is also paramount, with separate collection playing a particularly crucial role for cartonboard.
Europe boasts an impressive 82.5% recycling rate for cartonboard (Eurostat) a testament to its well-established and efficient recycling infrastructure. Correlating to this, consumers also have high trust in the recycling efforts of cartonboard. Recent surveys reveal that cartonboard and paper packaging enjoy an 87% trust level – the highest ever recorded for these materials (Pro Carton Rethinking Packaging – Consumer Survey, 2024).
However, fostering this trust further is essential. Consumers require tangible evidence of the impact of their recycling efforts, a credible system of recycled packaging material finding its way back on the shelves.
A well-balanced system utilising both virgin and recycled fibres is critical for European cartonboard production. Virgin fibres provide the necessary structural integrity and strength and will meet all needs on the ‘whiteness’ of the board or very specific food safety requirements.
Recycled fibres are most commonly used for different food and non-food applications. The supply system is well-balanced in Europe and secures the utilisation of the respective board qualities at any time. Packaging material suppliers together with packaging specialists on the brand owner site will carefully evaluate the best board quality for each product.
Pro Carton members are firmly committed to further refining the recycling process, enabling more mills to efficiently handle cartonboard recycling of different recycling materials and maximise the use of recycled content. Fibres can be recycled more than 25 times, demonstrating circular economy principles (Pro Carton, 2021).
Innovation remains another key driver propelling cartonboard towards even greater sustainability. Pro Carton members actively pursue avenues to further reduce the plastic content in coatings and identify more renewable materials for barrier functions. Developing barriers from renewable resources holds particular significance, as it improves the recyclability of coated cartonboard materials.
A brilliant example of this is the European Carton Excellence Award 2023 Sustainability Award Winner, Boardio™ for Perfetti Van Melle Mentos gum. Each pack features a very thin layer of plastic which creates a high-performance barrier to prevent air and moisture from spoiling the gum during distribution. The packaging can be recycled in regular paper streams and will find its way back to the shelves after recycling.
The concept of ‘living circularity’ is embodied in every square metre of board produced and every folding carton leaving our member factories. We are unwavering in our commitment to keeping up consumer trust and confidence, raising the bar for sustainable packaging solutions with cartonboard. By embracing innovation and fostering collaboration, we can collectively create a future where packaging contributes to a healthier planet.
