Packaging is always done: The demand for folding cartons, boxes, corrugated cardboard rolls, and other packaging materials is increasing. E-commerce and mail order are continuing to grow steadily, even if the previous record figures of the COVID-19 pandemic years 2020 and 2021 will not be reached again so quickly. Ceresana has analyzed the European market for packaging made of corrugated board, solid board, and cartonboard: The new market study forecasts that demand for these plant fiber casings will increase by an average of 1.1% per year until 2033. Apart from some regions with real wage growth, such as Portugal, falling purchasing power is dampening consumer sentiment in Europe. Nevertheless, demand for packaging is increasing in individual sectors of the economy, particularly for online retail, electrical appliances, pharmaceuticals and medicine, but also for chilled food.
Market Trend towards Sustainable Transport Packaging
Paperboard and cartonboard manufacturers are suffering from inflation and high costs for energy and raw materials. Recently, the price of base paper in particular has risen sharply. The new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which aims to make the entire packaging sector more sustainable and environmentally friendly, gives the corrugated cardboard industry hope. After all, corrugated cardboard is a genuine circular product made from renewable raw materials, predominantly manufactured from waste paper and fresh fibers from broken and thinned wood, combined with organic adhesive made from plant starch. Paper fibers can be recycled up to 20 times, in fact in Europe around 90% of corrugated fiberboard is already being recycled today. After use, cardboard packaging can often simply be composted. To relief the packaging industry, original EU plans for a ban on small corrugated packaging for food and for a general preference for reusable packaging have been abandoned. In addition to market data and forecasts, the market study also contains information on the regulatory framework in the EU as well as on the general economic environment and the situation in the packaging industry (including key companies, market size, recycling rates) in each analyzed country.
Cardboard in Combination with Plastic
The current market study by Ceresana looks at the demand for corrugated cardboard packaging for 10 individual application areas, such as food, beverages, fashion, furniture, and chemical products. For shipping packaging, individual sub-segments are analyzed. Plastics continue to displace other materials in some areas of the packaging market. For example, beverage cartons are being replaced by PET bottles for fruit juices and polyethylene bottles (HDPE) for milk. Different packaging materials are also increasingly being combined, although this makes it more difficult to recycle them by type. Primary packaging made of plastic, for example, is combined with outer packaging made of carton, which is easy to print on. Shelf-ready transport packaging is becoming increasingly important as an advertising medium and marketing space. In addition to folding cartons and rectangular carton packaging, the Ceresana market study also includes cans, fiber drums, and other packaging made of rigid paper stock among the packaging made of solid cardboard and cartonboard. The demand for these is analyzed in 14 different segments, for example, non-alcoholic beverages, chilled food, cleaning and laundry, and cosmetics and hygiene.
Current Market Report “Corrugated Board, Solid Board, and Cartonboard – Europe”:
Chapter 1 of the new market study provides the production and demand volumes of corrugated board packaging as well as solid board and cartonboard for the whole of Europe, each in tonnes. The study makes forecasts up to the year 2033.
Chapter 2 provides detailed information on 24 individual countries: production, import, and export of as well as demand for corrugated cardboard, solid cardboard, and cartonboard packaging. In addition, demand is analyzed in detail according to material types and application areas: Food and tobacco, Beverages, Textiles and leather, Paper goods, Chemicals and rubber goods, Cleaning products and cosmetics, Glassware and metalware, Electrical and electronics, E-commerce and shipping goods, other applications. The corrugated board packaging for e-commerce articles and shipping goods is then broken down even more precisely for these sub-segments: Clothing and fashion, Electronics and media, Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and household chemicals, Furniture and furnishings, Food and beverages, other products. Packaging made of solid board and cartonboard: Non-alcoholic beverages, Alcoholic beverages, Chilled and frozen food, Chocolate and confectionary, Baked goods, Beverage powder and tea, Breakfast cereals, other food, Pharmaceuticals and medicine, Stationery and household supplies, Cleaning and laundry, Cigarettes and tobacco products, Cosmetics and personal care, other applications
Chapter 3 offers company profiles of the most important corrugated board, solid board, and cartonboard packaging manufacturers – clearly arranged according to contact details, revenues, net income, product range, production sites, profile summary, as well as product types and application areas. In-depth profiles of 62 manufacturers are given, for example of Smurfit Westrock Group, Graphic Packaging Holding Company, Stora Enso Oyj, Huhtamäki Oyj, SA Industrias Celulosa Aragonesa (SAICA), SIG Group AG, Prinzhorn Holding GmbH, and Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co KG
Further Information on the New Edition of the Market Study “Corrugated Board, Solid Board, and Cartonboard – Europe Report” (3rd Edition): https://ceresana.com/en/produkt/corrugated-board-market-report-europe
About Ceresana
As one of the world’s leading market research institutes, Ceresana specializes in the chemicals, plastics, packaging, and industrial goods sectors. Special focus areas are bio-economy and automotive / mobility. Companies have been benefiting from our high-quality industry analyses and forecasts since 2002. More than 250 market studies provide more than 10,000 customers around the world with the knowledge base for their sustainable success.
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