Corrugated board or reusable packaging? The CO2 comparison

To contain the worst consequences of global warming, we need to operate more sustainably. The EU member states , for example, want to become climate-neutral by 2050, thus partially reducing and partially offsetting CO2 emissions. For this to work, however, we need to make progress in all areas - including climate-neutral packaging.

We therefore look at two very popular options in this area: Reusable and corrugated packaging. We show you their carbon footprint and look at which packaging comes out on top in comparison.

Do you already know our blog? There you will find everything about sustainable packaging and much more!

CO2 balance: Why is it important at all?

Both companies and consumers have recognized that the issues of sustainability and CO2 emissions are important concerns. This also affects smaller and medium-sized companies, as only a third of them have complete sustainability strategies to date. This number is likely to increase in the future, because:

Banks are increasingly reluctant to lend to companies that do not act sustainably, or lend them on less favorable terms. Sustainable business practices therefore have a positive effect on the procurement of capital.
In addition, companies in the field of Efficiency and costsSavings in emissions, energy consumption, waste, etc. have a positive impact on the turnover of companies. The pressure on the CO2 balance of our society also comes from consumers.

Consumers and their share of CO2 reduction

Young people are now more likely to demand that the products they buy are produced sustainably. In the USA, 75 percent of Gen Z now attach importance to this when making purchases. This figure is expected to rise in the future.

Sustainability is also a real employee magnet: In many countries, this topic is at the top of job seekers' lists when they have to decide which employer to apply to.

Last but not least, consumers have a considerable interest in reducing their CO2 footprint for climate protection reasons. Quite apart from thoughts of career and professional success, it is a necessity to keep the warming of the climate at the lowest possible level.

However, this will not succeed without further efforts in the area of sustainability - such as packaging, which plays an important role in shipping.

Companies and consumers must solve the CO2 problem together.

Packaging in the economy

Everything that is sold must also be packaged to some extent. Retailing could not function without packaging, which is why this point is of enormous importance for the economy and thus also for our climate. There are significant differences in the CO2 balance for packaging.

Bringing up the rear is disposable aluminum packaging, which represents a significantly higher CO2 emission compared to all other types of packaging. The main reason for this is the production of the material, which cannot be realized without considerable energy expenditure.

Occasionally, however, companies find it difficult to make the switch to environmentally friendly products - also for reasons of turnover.

Packaging and its marketing effect

Sustainable packaging design is more than just a trend.

Rational purchasing decisions are unfortunately rare; we often make decisions in stores based on the look of products - and eye-catching packaging makes us look more quickly. While this works and increases sales, unsustainable packaging leads to a serious environmental problem in the long term.

Therefore, companies must manage to produce sustainable packaging in the longer term. We should work to give preference to the best option from an environmental point of view. Reusable packaging already has a clear advantage.

Returnable packaging in the current economy

Reusable plastic packaging brings some advantages - you know this if you've ever bought a drink and returned the bottle later. The bottle is simply reused, which improves the environmental balance enormously.

In the meantime, reusable packaging is also being used for other products. For example, shipping bags that you can fold, or even very sturdy boxes that you simply send back again.

The concept is much better than disposable packaging, yet there are suggestions for improvement:

While consumers like the concept, few like to store shipping boxes at home until they can be returned.
The effort is high: The return must be organized and then carried out. This costs time, which some people find difficult to spend.
Although the packaging is reused, it has to make its way back to the retailer or manufacturer. To avoid further CO2 emissions, shipping would have to be realized by CO2-neutral means of transport.

Current reusable concepts are therefore not yet able to satisfy most people. Only 22 percent state that everything is fine - 78 percent thus see a great need for improvement. Until that time comes, there is another type of packaging that can already meet the demands on the CO2 balance: Corrugated board.

Current reusable options are still too complicated for many consumers. Process optimization will also improve their acceptance in the long term.

Corrugated board and its carbon footprint

Corrugated board is among the most sustainable packaging solutions on the market.

Corrugated cardboard boxes are popular with online stores of all kinds: they are lightweight and the wave-like shape incorporated into the cardboard walls give a great deal of stability and impact resistance.

Therefore, even delicate products can be shipped without any problems. Another advantage is that the cardboard can be easily cut to size. Gigantic boxes, for very small goods, are unnecessary.

It fits in well with the picture that the CO2 balance of corrugated board is also very positive - even in comparison with good reusable plastic packaging. This is the result of an analysis by the Papiertechnische Stiftung and the Bifa Umweltinstitut:

The low weight makes corrugated packaging easier to transport, which reduces emissions.
90 percent of all shipping packaging is already made of corrugated board.

While you can't reuse this packaging more than once, the recycling process is mature. In addition, there are no emissions from the return shipment to companies. However, transport routes account for the majority of emissions. So if we reduce transport routes, we reduce the carbon footprint - and that's exactly the result corrugated packaging achieves.

Positive recycling values of corrugated board

Corrugated board brings with it other positive properties that become clear with a glance at the recycling values:

95 percent of the water used in manufacturing is recycled.
85 percent of the Materials are completely recycled.
82 percent of the raw materials used in production come from forests that are sustainably managed.
56 percent of the energy is generated from environmentally friendly biomass.

The corrugated cardboard may be disposed of after use, but the positive environmental balance of these shipping boxes still speaks clearly for itself.

CO2 balance of reusable packaging

The result is worse for reusable plastic packaging. The recycling rate here is 0 percent, but this is not necessarily bad because of the frequent reuse. Nevertheless, reusable packaging has a worse environmental balance than corrugated board.

A reusable plastic packaging consumes about 0.51 kg of CO2 during a single circulation. The more often the box is used, the better the CO2 balance. The CO2 balance is only on a par with corrugated board from around 200 reusable packages shipped.

It gets more interesting with plastic packaging made of recyclable material, because there the tie is reached at around 32 transport routes. Recycling therefore has a drastically positive effect on the environmental balance of this packaging.

Conclusion: Which product has a better environmental balance?

The answer, as is so often the case, is that it depends. Unfortunately, there is currently no guaranteed completely climate-neutral packaging. In the vast majority of cases, however, corrugated board is the better option. The industry has long since recognized this, which is why 90 percent of all shipping packaging is made from this sustainably produced material.

For plastic shipping bags or boxes, it depends on how often these options can be used. With very frequent use, reusable packaging overtakes simple corrugated board at a certain point.

When this point is reached depends on numerous variables. In reality, unfortunately, this is rarely the case. Even if certain reusable packaging takes dozens or even hundreds of transport routes, it is still a good option. In the mail order business, however, corrugated board remains the front-runner.

FAQ

Why is the carbon footprint of packaging so important?
CO2 emissions are responsible for a large part of global warming. We must try to save billions of tons of CO2 over the next decades to best contain the problem.

How can I recognize climate-neutral packaging?
Environmentally conscious companies often note these properties directly on the packaging - for example, if it is made of wood, bamboo, hemp or other sustainable materials. If you're not sure, you can ask the manufacturer or seller which packaging they use and where they get their raw materials.