Corrugated cardboard is continuing to prove popular in packaging as sustainability and recyclability becomes a more and more important issue across the entire value chain – it is easy to recycle, and the pulp and paper industry is already very adept at converting these into new generations of containers. These important qualities mean there has been a rise in popularity of corrugated protective supports over poly-based alternatives, such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) or foams.
While the light weight of cardboard has long been a part of the corrugated industry, right weight, and right size are now playing an increasingly important role in this market, not only in response to consumer demand for more efficient packaging, but also in response to many logistics chain’s adoption of dimensional weight (DIM) pricing. In some instances, substituting to a heavier cardboard grade can have a beneficial impact overall as it allows for the elimination of additional internal protective elements,
The desire to minimise the volume of air being shipped within all delivery channels means that in some instances there have been significant cost increases. For example, a 36-pack of toilet rolls costs an estimated 38.5% more to ship using charges based on dimensions, rather than simple weight alone.
Light corrugated weights have been particularly successful in many countries, where box weights are now typically about 65% of weights. The importance of light weight will continue to be felt over the coming years as retailers look to save costs as well as helping appeal to end users.