Pro Carton Fact File – Module 2 – Cartons, Industry and the Environment

CARTON & 

BOARD MAKING 

CARTONS, 

INDUSTRY 

AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

THE CARTON PACKAGING FACT FILE

FACTS ABOUT CARTONS 

WHAT ARE FOLDING CARTONS? 

Folding cartons are small to medium sized “cardboard boxes” made from cartonboard. They are referred to as 

folding cartons because they are usually delivered to the packer in a flat form, either as a side seam glued carton, 

which is folded flat, or as a flat piece of printed board cut around the perimeter to a carton profile. This feature 

provides a major space saving benefit in storage and transportation prior to packing. 

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The term folding is used to distinguish it from the rigid carton or box which is “set-up” by the manufacturer and 

delivered in its three dimensional shape to the packer. 

WHAT TYPE OF PRODUCTS ARE PACKED IN CARTONS? 

Cartons are used to package a wide range of products including food stuffs such as cereals, rice, frozen and chilled 

foods, chocolate confectionery, cakes and biscuits, coffee, tea and other dry foods. They are also used to pack non 

food products such as pharmaceuticals, medical and healthcare products, perfumes, cosmetics, toiletries, 

photographic products, clothing, tobacco products, gifts and souvenirs, toys, games and leisure products, 

houseware, bulbs, spare parts, cups/tubs, electrical, engineering, gardening and DIY products. 

U K CARTO N S ECTO R - 2020 END USE MARKET SECTOR PROPORTION BY VALUE 

Food = 74.1%; Non-food = 25.9% 

Breakfast and cereal products – 10.1% 

Bakery – 7.0% 

Confectionery – 6.0% 

Dry beverages – 2.3% 

Chilled food – 16.6% 

Frozen food – 6.1% 

Wines and spirits – 6.7% 

Beer and soft drinks – 10.3% 

Food service and catering – 4.4% 

All other food – 4.6% 

Cigarettes, tobacco and accessories – 0.4% 

Cleaning and laundry products – 0.4% 

Beauty, cosmetics and oral care – 3.2% 

Personal hygiene – 0.8% 

Miscellaneous household products – 1.4% 

Paper, stationery and related goods – 0.3% 

Pharmaceuticals and medical products – 17.4% 

All other non-food – 3.1% 

Source: BPIF Research 

THE CARTON PACKAGING FACT FILE 

All contents copyright © BPIF 2017.


WHERE ARE PRODUCTS SOLD IN FOLDING CARTONS? 

Folding cartons are used for retail and the distribution of many different products around the world. 

Cartons play a vital role and are used across different industries to target markets and protect the product through 

distribution to the consumer. Commonly featured in the display of goods in supermarkets they are increasingly used 

for mail order and at sporting events to distribute food and drink. 

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KEY STATISTICS FOR EUROPEAN PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY 

In 2019 the European pulp and paper industry generated a total revenue of around 90 billion Euros among the 

Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi) member countries. 

The total of pulp production worldwide in 2018 across all grades (chemical and mechanical pulp) amounted to 

178 million metric tonnes. (Statista 2018). 

 




WHAT DOES A TYPICAL PALLET OF CARTONBOARD LOOK LIKE? 

Cartonboard is either purchased in sheets or reels depending on the requirements of the printing or conversion processes. 

The sheet or reel dimensions depends on the requirements of the printing press and the layout of the printed copy. 

HOW MANY CARTONS ARE OBTAINED FROM ONE TONNE OF CARTONBOARD? 

This mainly depends on the size of the carton and the amount of cut off waste during production. In the early design 

stage carton producers fit the cartons on the sheet to reduce waste to an absolute minimum. As an approximate example, 

one tonne of cartonboard would make around 11,000 large cereal cartons. How many also depends on the gramma ge of the 

cartonboard used. This is carefully chosen to secure stiffness of the finished folding box. The sheets are customised to 

meet the requirement of converter's design and printing press. Each sheet is optimised to minimise cut off waste during 

the production process. 

In practice one tonne would be too large or heavy to handle as a single unit. A medium sized pallet of board would have 

dimensions of, for example, 720 x 1020mm and would have a height of about 1350mm, of which 150mm would be the height 

of the wooden platform (pallet base) on which the sheets were stacked. The number of sheets would depend on the 

thickness of the cartonboard. The weight of cartonboard on the pallet described could weigh from around 540kg to 680kg 

depending on the type of cartonboard. 

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CARTONS AND THE ENVIRONMENT 

All products have an impact on the environment and packaging is no exception. Packaging is discarded when the product 

contained has been used and its impact on the environment can sometimes be very visible. 

The main environmental issues surrounding carton packaging are: 

• Local sourcing of raw materials (90/98% from European forests). 

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• Sustainably managed forests. 

• Ensuring the industry continues to support the growth of healthy expanding forests. 

• Increase share of renewable energy during the production process. 

• Maintain awareness of environmental pressures and act responsibly to legislation changes. 

• Increasing prices of energy forces all mills to innovate and further improve on energy/resource efficacy. 

The forests from which the wood is obtained for the paper and board industries are managed sustainably. Cartonboard 

and carton manufacturers seek to reduce environmental impact through their use and processing of resources. Major 

investments in manufacturing have ensured that all environmental legislation is complied with. 

CAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT BE MEASURED? 

The amount of resources, the ways in which they are used in the manufacture of a product and the residual 

materials generated during processing and at the end of the product’s life can all be measured by means of 

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). 

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is defined as an audit of the resources used by a product, or process, and an assessment 

of the impact it has on the environment. 




Initially, the product or process Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) must be defined. It could be a complete ”cradle to grave” 

cycle starting with the extraction of the basic resources and ending with the disposal or recycling of residual 

material left when the product is discarded at the end of its useful life. It could also simply be a stage or process in 

the course of the life of a product. 

A definition of the goal and scope of a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is set and an audit is made of everything which is 

needed in the processing and use of the product, i.e. the “inputs”, such as raw materials, energy, water, chemicals 

etc., as well as everything leaving the cycle. i.e. the ”outputs”, including the product and all by-products generated 

by the process. 

The environmental impact of the product and all the by-products generated through emissions to air, to water or 

as solid waste is then assessed. Many of the measurable features are already subject to environmental statutory 

controls in the manufacture of cartonboard and folding cartons. 

The fibres retain stored CO2 within the fibres during the recycling process helping to offset the carbon footprint 

and help minimise the environmental impact. Laboratory tests prove that after 25 cycles of use the quality of 

cartonboard fibres is still good for recycling. Each carton that consumers and retailers make available for recycling 

is a very valuable resource for new carton packaging. 

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IS THERE A STANDARD LCA METHODOLOGY? 

It is most important that the results and conclusions from an LCA are carried out in accordance with internationally 

agreed methods. Standards have been issued for LCA’s by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), 

following liaison between the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and the European 

Commission. ISO 1440 is a LCA standard and should be used as a starting point for LCA methodology. 

CARTONBOARD 

LIFE CYCLE 




ARE CARTONS ECO-FRIENDLY? 

Yes, cartonboard is made from wood, the only naturally renewable packaging raw material. The wood used to make 

cartonboard comes from sustainably managed forests, 90/98% from European forests. These - and all the forests in 

the world are essential for the regional and global environment. 

Furthermore, the energy used to process the wood in the paper and board industry is often derived from the 

non-cellulose constituents of the wood and is also naturally renewable. Emission risks in processing and use have 

been significantly reduced to low and benign levels. 

Europe is the world leader when it comes to recycling paper and board - 82.4% is recycled. (Eurostat 2018). This 

means that more recycled fibres are being used as a raw material by Europe's paper and board producers. In 2018 

paper and board recycling provided 53% of the fibre to manufacture new material compared to 47% of virgin fibre. 

(Cepi Key statistics 2018). The expectation is that there will be an equal share of these two commodities by 2023. 

The recent European Consumer Packaging Perceptions Study shows there is now a 90% preference for cartonboard 

rather than plastic material. (Pro Carton 2021 European Consumer Packaging Perceptions Study). 

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CONSUMERS REGARD CARTONS AS ECO-FRIENDLY 

Market research carried out by Pro Carton for the 2021 European Consumer Packaging Perceptions Study showed 

that consumers consider cartons to be the most environmentally friendly packaging option. 

This is because cartons are made from a naturally renewable resource. Consumers understand and trust in the given 

recycling infrastructure and truly recognise circularity of carton packaging material. 

WHICH PACKAGING DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY? 

Plastic 

Cartons 

Tin 

Glass 

None 

Don’t know 

Source: Pro Carton 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 




4evergreen, is a cross-industry alliance with the goal of optimising fibre-based packaging circularity and climate 

performance. More than 90 stakeholders from the entire value chain work together to further improve the 

environmental performance of fibre-based packaging. 

4evergreen‘s aim is to raise the overall recycling rate of fibre-based packaging to 90% by 2030. 

To achieve this goal four targets have been set: 

• The industry adopts 4evergreen’s recyclability evaluation protocol – circularity by design. 

• Separate collection schemes are available for all fibre-based packaging types. 

• All paper for recycling is sorted according to different paper and board categories specified in the EN643 standard. 

• Collected fibre-based packaging, specifically from household, out-of-home and on-the-go consumption, 

is generally recycled. 

CARTON & 

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KEY FACTS 

In Europe the manufacture of cartonboard is expected to increase to 9.5 billion metric tonnes 

by 2021. An estimated increase of 1.3% over the previous year and represents the output value 

of companies belonging to ECMA, The European Carton Makers Association. 

Market research shows that cartons are perceived as being the most environmentally friendly 

packaging material compared with plastics, tins and glass. 

The direct CO2 emissions of the European pulp and paper industry reduced by 25% between 

2005 and 2017 (CEPI Key Statistics 2017). 

Cartonboard is the most sustainable packaging material. It is made from trees grown in 

sustainably managed forests. It is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. The perfect 

example of the circular economy. 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

Pro Carton would like to thank the following companies for contributing both information and 

images to support the creation of these Fact Files: 

CARTON & 

BOARD MAKING 

CARTONS, 

INDUSTRY 

AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 


ALL CONTENTS © PRO CARTON & UKFCA LTD. ALL STATISTICS CORRECT UP TO 2021 

All contents WWW.PROCARTON.COM 

copyright © BPIF 2017.

Pro Carton Fact File – Module 2 – Cartons, Industry and the Environment

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