Folding boxes 
Shipping boxes 
Stand-up pouch 
Flexible packaging 
Labels 
Paper cans 
Sample boxes Cardboard packaging: carbon footprint in focus
In cooperation with the Swedish Research Institute, Pro Carton, the European association of cartonboard and cardboard manufacturers, carried out a comprehensive study. Its aim was to quantify the amount of CO2 emissions generated within a life cycle of cartonboard packaging.
All major aspects of the manufacturing process were considered - from emissions from fossil and renewable energy sources to CO2 attributable to raw material extraction and direct land use change.
In Pro Carton’s 2019 study, the total cradle-to-grave carbon footprint was calculated at 326 kg CO₂e per tonne of cartons, taking fossil and biogenic emissions, greenhouse-gas removals and direct land-use change into account.
How environmentally friendly cardboard packaging is compared to other forms of packaging is shown by the worldwatchers packaging check. The greenhouse-gas impact of different packaging materials depends on the application, functional performance and the system boundaries of the respective life-cycle assessment. Results for glass, tinplate and aluminium depend on the specific packaging system and the life-cycle assessment used.
What influences the carbon footprint of cardboard?
To measure the carbon footprint of a packaged good, a variety of factors must be considered, from the extraction of raw materials to disposal and recycling:
- Raw materials: Cardboard is made from paper or wood - a raw material that is renewable and transforms CO2 into clean air as it grows back. In addition, 81.3 percent of corrugated board produced in Germany is made from recycled paper. These are two specific aspects of the material composition that can be considered when assessing environmental impacts.
- Production: Through the production, design and processing of cardboard and the corresponding packaging goods consume resources. In addition to raw materials, energy consumption is particularly important.
- Transport: Raw materials have to be transported to factories, packaging to warehouses and finally to retailers and end consumers. Packaging weight is one factor that can influence transport-related greenhouse-gas emissions.
- Reuse, recycling and recovery: What awaits packaging at the end of its life cycle also has an impact on the carbon footprint. The recycling rate for paper and cardboard packaging in Germany was 99.8 percent in 2018. The majority of this is reprocessed into paper products, while the rest is mainly used for energy recovery.
How to save CO2 in your packaging
The following measures can help reduce packaging material use and transport volume; their effect on greenhouse-gas emissions depends on the specific packaging and logistics scenario.
Packaging dimensions:
Product and shipping boxes are often much larger than necessary to provide adequate space for the
products as well as all necessary product labeling and shipping information. Compared with an unnecessarily oversized box for the same product, a suitably dimensioned box can reduce packaging material and transport volume while maintaining the required protective function.
Another option is to choose a packaging supplier who is actively
for climate and environmental protection.
Material composition and recyclability
For many companies, the focus when deciding on a packaging material is on price, appearance and the resistance of the material - often at the expense of sustainability. However, those who want to act in an environmentally conscious manner should also pay attention to aspects such as the material composition and the recyclability of the packaging goods.
This also pays off in other ways, because customers increasingly appreciate sustainable packaging. In a survey by Simon, Kucher & Partners 83 percent of respondents were prepared to pay a surcharge for sustainable packaging.
The environmental performance of cardboard depends on factors such as fibre composition, packaging design, production, transport and end-of-life treatment.
