Pro Carton Fact File – Module 1 – Packaging and Society

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CHOOSE FOLDING CARTONS CARTON & BOARD MAKING WHY DO WE NEED PACKAGING? Packaging is manufactured in many forms to protect the product throughout transportation and to display the product at point of sale. Cartons, glass and plastic bottles, sachets, wrappers, plastic and foil containers are all examples of packaging. The term 'packaging' also includes the materials that are used to minimise damage to products during transport, handling and distribution such as corrugated cases, shrink wrap and wooden pallets. Packaging helps to protect the quality of the product throughout its shelf life, especially perishable goods that are also supported by ‘sell by’ and ‘use by’ date coding on their packaging. PACKAGING AND SOCIETY WHAT ROLE DOES PACKAGING PLAY IN SOCIETY? Packaging is indispensable in modern society. It allows a multitude of goods to reach the consumer undamaged, in a safe and hygienic condition and also to communicate important brand and product information. Packaging helps to prolong shelf life of perishable products and contributes to reduce food waste. Without packaging it would simply not be possible for consumers to have access to, and use, most of the products, which are available today. IS PACKAGING WASTEFUL? No, packaging protects the product through distribution, display and onto the consumer. The truth is that packaging prevents waste and can help in extending product shelf life. The European carton and paper packaging industry is a leading recycler. The European rate for recycling cardboard and paper packaging is over 84.2% (Eurostat 2018). We are reaching approximately 6.3 closed loops of recycling every year - Closed-loop recycling is the process by which a product or material can be used and then turned into a new product indefinitely without losing its properties during the recycling process. (Wikipedia). PACKAGING HELPS TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE Food waste or food loss means food that is not consumed. The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur throughout the food chain, during production, processing, distribution, retail and in the home. Globally, wasted food accounts for about 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions. About a third of all the world's food goes to waste, and producing, transporting and letting that food rot releases 8-10% of global greenhouse gases. Food packaging helps prevent waste and therefore helps reduce CO2 emissions. Packaging should be fit for purpose and provide adequate protection for the product. Production of food generates 10-20 times more CO2 than the production of packaging material; using packaging to prolong the shelf life of valuable products actively contributes to a reduction of global greenhouse gases. THE CARTON PACKAGING FACT FILE All contents copyright © BPIF 2017.
CHOOSE FOLDING CARTONS CARTON & BOARD MAKING IS PACKAGING EXPENSIVE? The cost of packaging is only a small proportion of the price of a packed product. The golden rule is: Packaging should always save more than it costs. PACKAGING AND SOCIETY Cartons, in particular, contribute a very small percentage of the price paid by the consumer at the point of purchase - 2-4% for most products and for some products, such as medicines, less than 0.1%. Depending on the value of the packed product, the costs of packaging adds typically a low single digit percentage to the cost of goods sold. The value of protecting the product and prolonging shelf life of the product exceeds the costs of packaging. The social costs of packaging also include the environmental impact of the packaging. Cartonboard is produced from renewable resources and is fully recyclable and biodegradable. Fibres can be recycled more than 25 times and will create the base for new packaging that is derived from recovered material. DOES PACKAGING ADD TO CURRENT INFLATION? Production of packaging material requires raw materials which are traded at fully transparent market prices. Cartonboard producers source the raw material from sustainably managed local forests with short transportation distances for raw materials. Without the benefits of modern packaging, supermarkets could not handle, store and display the range of products they now offer. Without packaging, the cost of transportation, storage and handling at the point of sale would inevitably rise. Without protection from packaging the amount of product waste may rise and this would result in higher prices. So packaging helps to mitigate the impact of inflation. WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF PACKAGING? The principle for specifying packaging today is that it should be the minimal amount commensurate with providing adequate protection for the product and also for the materials used to be fully recyclable. The total packaging costs are much more than the cost of the primary pack handled by the consumer. In addition to the cost of the primary pack, the total packaging cost must also include the secondary and tertiary packaging, the storage and transportation costs and the production cost of the packaging operation. The way in which these different components interact determines the overall cost of packaging. THE CARTON PACKAGING FACT FILE All contents copyright © BPIF 2017.
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Pro Carton Fact File – Module 1 – Packaging and Society

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