Your ultimate guide to sustainable paper packaging in 2023

It would not be wrong to say that paper has lost its importance in today's highly digital world, with a reduction in graphic paper production of more than 30% since 2010. Although, even with this decrease in the production of visual paper, paper is still in high demand, especially due to the increase in e-commerce. This industry has increased the sales of paper products, particularly in the form of paper packaging, with a production of 401 million metric tons in 2020.

This demand is due to the fact that paper is biodegradable, recyclable and helps to conserve natural resources. This article will analyze the rise of paper packaging trends and show how it is dominating the packaging industry all over the world.

A recent boom in paper packaging

With the growing public awareness about climate change and global warming, the demand for paper-based products and packaging has increased considerably. That is why paper is a very demanded and consumed material in developed nations. China was the largest consumer of paper and cardboard in 2020, with a consumption of 124.8 million metric tons, while the U.S. USA. and Japan were the second and third largest consumers.

With the increasing environmental awareness among consumers all over the world, many industrial giants have adopted paper packaging for their products. Apple Inc. and McDonald's are the leading companies in initiating the use of paper packaging to raise awareness about environmental degradation.

Consumers today are environmentally friendly and prefer to use environmentally friendly packaged products. The European Union has imposed a €0.80 tax (per kilogram) on products that use plastic or other hazardous materials for packaging. To ensure a green economy, many developed nations and independent bodies offer subsidies and incentives for using environmentally friendly materials for packaging products.

A complete guide to paper packaging

With this increase in environmental awareness, many major e-commerce retailers, such as Amazon, have adopted paper packaging for their products. According to a recent IPSOS survey, 78% of people answered that they prefer to buy products packed in paper and cardboard boxes to help the environment. In addition to being environmentally friendly, biodegradable and recyclable, paper is also easy to stack and store, and inexpensive. Visit the website of ELITER Packaging Machinery at www.eliter-packaging.com to find more information on sustainable packaging trend in 2023.

That is why paper packaging is in great demand worldwide, with China being the largest consumer of paper and cardboard, with about 124.8 million metric tons. Paper and cardboard packaging had the highest recycling rate, with a rate of 82%. In comparison, metal was 77.4%, and plastic had an average of 40.6% in EU countries in 2019.

Types of paper packaging.

Paper packaging is available in several forms, and this section will highlight the key features of each:

• corrugated cardboard paper

Corrugated cardboard boxes are generally used to pack fruits, vegetables, wine, medicines, electronics and household appliances. There are three layers of a corrugated cardboard box; the upper and lower layers are called lining board, while the intermediate layers are called corrugated medium, and in general several different layers of fiber are used to form a corrugated cardboard box.

The middle part of the corrugated box with a series of parallel ridges and grooves gives it strength, making it a corrugated box. Corrugated boxes are used to ship heavy objects and can save them from damage during the shipping and logistics process. With the increasing environmental awareness among consumers and producers, the global corrugated cardboard boxes market volume is expected to reach 294 billion USD by 2023.

• Gift wrapping

Wrapping paper, also called light coated paper (LWC), is used for wrapping gifts and everyday items. A mechanical pulping process grinds wood chips and logs and forms a pulp that is used to manufacture LWC. They are environmentally friendly and can be recycled or reused.

The gift wrapping is available in custom designs and colors for various occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, Thanksgiving, Christmas and weddings. Sometimes kraft paper with vibrant prints is also used for gift wrapping to stop environmental degradation. The United States has been the largest exporter of gift wrapping paper, producing 974,200 metric tons, while China has been the largest importer with 1.02 million metric tons of students in the year 2020.

• Cardboard

Unlike corrugated boxes, cardboard boxes have a single layer of strong paper. Their sheets are light and much thinner than corrugated cardboard boxes. They are usually used to pack light and dense products such as cereals, milk cartons and children's toys.

They are 100% recyclable and biodegradable, however, in rare cases, they are sometimes impossible to recycle due to a duplex Board that is layered or sealed with a layer of plastic or wax. The world production of cardboard was estimated at 66 million tons, with a global consumption of 400.9 million metric tons of cardboard in the year 2020.

• Kraft Paper

Kraft paper is made of soft wood and is a resistant, highly elastic and biodegradable paper. Kraft paper is used to produce paper bags, paper sacks, gift wrapping sheets, and sometimes to pack boxes in logistics. Kraft paper is one of the most solid and durable types of paper

The United States produced 2.4 million metric tons of air-dried kraft paper for packaging and wrapping in 2020. It is prepared with the lowest chemical processing. However, it reduces the ability of paper to print high-quality prints, and black is preferred for printing so that the ink is visible.

Conclusion

With the emergence of climate change and global warming, consumers today are aware of the dangers of materials such as plastics and bioplastics. People are more concerned about effective waste management than about the aesthetic appearance of product packaging. With governments and independent bodies imposing taxes on plastic packaging and providing subsidies and incentives for the use of paper, paper packaging is a big step towards environmental sustainability.

By adopting these eco-friendly materials, brands can increase their appeal and move forward to help reduce our impact on the environment. With this in mind, this guide has discussed the key types of paper packaging and what factors determine the most suitable packaging for a product, as well as highlighting the latest trends that the paper packaging industry has adopted.