Paperboard boxes, advantages and innovation for a sustainable future

Why is investing in paperboard packaging a revolutionary choice?

In the past the revolution was plastic. The characteristics of this material soon made it a leader and not only for product packaging, it also played the role of protagonist in many medical innovations that have certainly helped improve the quality of our lives.
Lightweight, durable and affordable, these were the secrets of plastic’s success, and they still are to this day: but there’s a problem, low cost plastic is becoming costly for the environment.

Every day that passes you read news that’s almost never good about the state of health of our planet, and the figures leave no room for doubt, it’s time for change. Of the many studies done on the subject, the one carried out by the University of Naples underlines how the packaging sector, most of which produces disposable throwaway packaging, produces 40% of the world’s plastic.

And more is being produced every day, billions of tons of plastic, most of which finds its way into the environment as only a small part is recycled. Plastic can be found everywhere on earth. Luckily, today millions of consumers are aware of the problem, and do what they can in their own small way, also by making more sustainable purchases.

Companies are more and more focused on sustainable decision-making in both ethical terms and for production, as they understand how urgently we need to find alternatives to stop the negative impact of plastics on the ecosystem.

A move towards environmentally-friendly packaging

Packaging manufacturers often base decisions not only on what’s cost-effective, but also on the consolidated behaviour of many consumers who see plastic packaging as the only valid option, without considering that for some years now we also have valid alternatives like paperboard, thanks to various technological innovations.

It’s also true that choosing paperboard packaging, for certain products, such as spices for example, may seem “strange” or unusual, and less attentive consumers might even have doubts about the quality of the product.
But they’d be mistaken, because a company that takes this type of productive decision is investing more than ever in the quality of the product by choosing an environmentally friendly material, that’s just as good if not better than others.

Why should you invest in the production of paperboard packaging?
A few figures:

• Low cost of the raw materials as cellulose is easy to obtain;
• Biodegradable;
• Optimization of logistics in the pre-packaging phase: when the boxes are still flat, 10 times less transportation with lower costs to fill the packs. This is impossible with preformed plastic containers as they’re significantly more voluminous and costly to transport when empty, both in economic and environmental terms;
• Hermetic: thanks to new technologies, a very thin film can be applied inside these packs to protect the contents from light and damp;
• Versatile to use and constant technological innovation: paperboard is even used for some internal parts of the Airbus!