Folding carton packaging is a natural companion in life. Folding cartons are the most important alternative to PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and glass bottles. Compared to these two standards, the folding box has some advantages, but also some disadvantages. All in all, folding carton packaging is far better than it appears.

In any case, it fulfills its most important task in the best possible way: The sterile storage of perishable liquids over a defined period of time. A material that can handle this highly demanding task is also ideal for all other packaging solutions. This is what makes folding carton packaging so versatile and popular.

Advantages of folding carton packaging

Correctly filled and sealed, folding carton packaging is a safe container for perishable liquids. As a rule, these are beverages of all kinds. The alternatives to this form of packaging are disposable and reusable containers made of plastic, metal or glass. Compared to these, folding box packaging has the following advantages:

• angular shape for more efficient transport
• less volume during transport for recycling
• Low weight
• fully recyclable

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Beverage bottles or cans made of metal, plastic or glass are usually cylindrical with a round base. This results in unused hollow spaces in the outer packaging. A truck full of beverage cans thus transports several cubic meters of empty space.

This is neither ecological nor economical. The angular, cuboid shape of folding carton packaging, on the other hand, makes use of every square millimeter. The empty volume is therefore reduced to a minimum. When it comes to the question of sustainability during transport, this container shape therefore comes out on top.

Glass cannot be disposed of together with household waste. Rather, the bulky used glass bottles take up a lot of space until you find time to take them to the dumpster. This can be a problem in small kitchens.

PET bottles are also not or cannot be compressed. They have a tendency to expand again, blocking space in the trash bag.

Folding carton packaging, on the other hand, can be folded flat in two easy steps. It is then only a few millimeters high and takes up a minimum of space in your waste garbage can.

Folding carton packaging is much lighter than metal or glass containers. This not only saves you unnecessary hauling, it also reduces fuel consumption along the entire value chain.

Modern folding carton containers are now much more recyclable than they used to be. Thanks to innovative designs, a clever mix of materials and modern recycling technologies, the recyclability of these containers is over 80 percent. The remainder can be thermally recycled, thus saving valuable resources such as oil and gas.

Versatile use of the folding carton packaging

Use in the food industry is the most demanding use of folding carton packaging. It is the proof of the universal applicability of this packaging solution. Other applications of folding carton packaging are as follows:

• Packaging of moisture-sensitive bulk materials
• Repackaging of high quality containers
• Food packaging
• Packaging of non-critical products

Moisture-sensitive bulk goods such as washing machine powder or dishwasher tabs find an ideal container in folding carton packaging.

For this purpose, the inner wall of the packaging can be designed to repel moisture from the outside and absorb penetrating moisture.

For this purpose, the carton is provided with a barrier layer, but kept open-pored and absorbent on the inside. This ensures that the packaged goods always remain as dry as possible.

The packaging of a product is an important part of its marketing. High-quality creams, expensive perfumes or exclusive cosmetics are therefore packaged accordingly elaborately.

To ensure that this packaging does not suffer any damage until it is used by the customer, a folding box is the standard solution used for protection. However, this can be printed elaborately to support the advertising effect.

Some food products are also packaged directly in folding cartons. These include, for example, numerous frozen products. Peas, spinach pellets or a vegetable mix are well stored in a folding box. They can be optimally stored in the chest and keep the product safe until use.

For many products, folding carton packaging is the right inexpensive and reliable container. From paper clips to crayons, folding carton packaging provides a safe place to store them that has a virtually unlimited shelf life.

The design of the folding box packaging is highly variable. Material mix, layer selection and thickness as well as other adjustments make the folding box packaging adaptable for any application. Different raw materials are required for this.

Types of folding carton packaging

The packaging industry is assessing the situation correctly and is increasingly relying on sustainable, ecologically harmless and more recyclable raw materials for its products. Today, the following three types of cartons are established:

• Chromo board
• Natural cardboard
• grass boxboard

All three types of packaging are characterized by an excellent life cycle assessment. Despite best recyclability through full recycling, composting or thermal recovery, the modern packaging solutions have the same or better product properties than their predecessors.

This makes folding carton packaging an interesting alternative to plastic, metal or glass for the future as well.

Chromo board - what is it made of and how is it made?

Chromo board is also colloquially known as "postcard board". Its properties are as follows:

• high bending stiffness
• excellent printability
• easily punchable and foldable
• easy to insert grooves

The brightness of chromo boards is limited. They achieve only a limited degree of whiteness. That is why they are painted double white. For this purpose, the packaging industry uses a wood-free coating made from waste paper. This keeps costs low and the ecological balance high.

The brilliant white coating is the ideal basis for brilliant imprints of all kinds. Chromo board therefore takes its name from its wood-free coating on one or both sides, which contains chromium sulfate. This sounds dangerous, but it is not. The inks used on chromo board are non-toxic.

A distinction is made in chromo board between the carrier layer and the top layer. The carrier layer consists of the stable pulp. The top layer is applied twice. The first layer consists of starch.

It increases the stiffness and closes the pores of the carrier layer. In addition, the chromo board produces less dust during processing. The second layer consists of chalk, pigments and binders. It provides the bright white basis for further printing.

Two kinds of chromo boxes

There are two types of these packaging solutions: GC1 and GC2 chromo cartons. The GC1 carton has a carrier layer made of primary fibers. This means that the long fibers used come from trees felled specifically for this purpose.

In Europe, these woods come from sustainable forestry. GC1 cartons are needed when the packaging has to absorb high forces. Robust corrugated board, which can even be used to make furniture, is a good example of this.

Much lower forces act on product packaging. Therefore, the use of GC2 chromo boards is possible here. The carrier layer of GC2 packaging can therefore be obtained from secondary fibers.

These are fibers that result from the processing of wood, pulp or textiles. Trees do not have to be felled for these types of packaging. The dark color of the top layer also makes the double white coating necessary for GC2 chromo cartons.

Natural cardboard - what is it made of and how is it made?

Natural cardboard is made from a mixture of primary fibers, secondary fib ers and recycled fibers. Primary fibers come from specially felled trees. They are particularly long and thus offer high tensile strength.

The shorter secondary fibers come from the processing of cellular material. Recycled fibers come from the recycling of paper, cardboard or textiles. They contribute to the eco-balance of natural cartonboard.

A characteristic feature of natural cardboard is that it is not bleached. This makes it additionally more ecological. As a result, less water and chemicals are needed for its production.

Natural cartons are particularly resistant to bending. They are suitable for the production of highly resilient packaging. The natural brown color makes it particularly attractive as a packaging material for sustainable products.

In the production of natural cardboard is deliberately avoided any bleaching!

grass boxboard - the modern alternative

Chrome cartons and natural cartons have the disadvantage that a certain percentage of primary fibers is always required. For this purpose, trees have to be specially planted, tended for years and finally felled.

At grass boxboard , primary fibers are largely supplied by rapidly renewable grasses. This reduces the pressure on existing forests and woodlands, even if they were once established for economic reasons.

Until the harvest, the tall grasses provide a good habitat for a variety of insects and small mammals. In this way, grass boxboard contributes tothe preservation of biodiversity.

The fast-growing grass can be harvested 3 to 4 times a year. This gives it a clear advantage over slow-growing forests, which can take up to 20 years to be commercially viable. Its production has been found to save up to 25 percent CO2 compared to conventional primary fibers.

Thanks to the use of low-lignin grass varieties, grass boxboard requires virtually no bleaching process. This makes it particularly environmentally friendly in production.

After use, grass boxboard is easily compostable and becomes valuable fertilizer again - among other things for the next generation of natural grasses.

Formed parts made of grass cartons are becoming increasingly important for inner packaging. They are increasingly replacing the previously used molded parts made of plastic, air cushioning or rigid foam. This means that the previously highly problematic components of packaging are increasingly being replaced by ecologically sustainable alternatives.

Hardly any aesthetic requirements are placed on the moldings, which is why expensive bleaching processes or coloring can be dispensed with. This not only makes them suitable for thermal use without any problems, but also makes them ideal for composting.

Conclusion

Cardboard packaging has always had great advantages over the alternatives made of metal, plastic or glass. The use of modern materials is shifting this ratio further in favor of cartons.

Especially with the advent of grass cartons, maximum sustainability has arrived in the packaging industry. What was once considered the biggest polluter is becoming a blessing for people and nature thanks to these innovative solutions.

FAQ

1. Are tetrapacks fully recyclable?

   Tetrapacks consist of multilayer cardboard boxes. In addition to cardboard, plastics, wax and aluminum foil are also components of this robust lightweight packaging.

   Today, modern separation processes are capable of dissolving these multilayer materials. Most of the expensive metal aluminum in particular can be recycled. The rest is returned to the material cycle or makes a valuable contribution to saving fossil fuels in the form of thermal recycling.

2. Are chromo boxes toxic?

   Chromo cartons contain a small amount of chromium sulfate. They are nevertheless non-toxic, harmless and fully recyclable.

3. Are grass cartons as stable as natural cartons?

   A cardboard packaging is always produced according to need and requirement. Grass cartons offer long primary fibers, which can largely replace the conventional natural fibers from felled trees.

   In practical application, the packaging industry is currently relying on intelligent blends to make the most of the advantages of each fiber type. For this reason, even grass cartons still contain a certain proportion of natural fibers derived from felled trees.