In the past three years, CO2 emissions of corrugated fibreboard have been reduced by 4.8%. In that period, the CO22-Footprint was on average 746 kg / t. This is evidenced by the "European Database for Corrugated Board Life Cycle Studies" published by the European umbrella organization for corrugated board producers (FEFCO). "That the carbon footprint has been reduced even further is due to a decrease in electricity consumption," explains Toon Schrijver of the Association for Corrugated Fibreboard. "Also, the use of recycled fibres for the production of corrugated board has increased impressively."
Businesses are getting more sustainable, as Toon readily admits, but that doesn’t mean there’s a wholesale shift towards cardboard. Still, the shift might just be an inevitable one. The CO2 emissions of plastic are about five times larger than those of cardboard. Corrugated packaging is durable, has an average of 85% recycled fibres, can be completely recycled itself and provides excellent protection to products. "We provide an update on the collected data in terms of environmental impact every three years, including the use of materials, emissions and distances travelled. These data enable entrepreneurs to work out how sustainable the use of cardboard would be for their company."
More than 75% of all products are packaged and shipped in corrugated cardboard. “Producers of the packaging material are always working on improving the logistics of their customers. In this process, environmental benefits and cost savings go hand in hand. Improving the supply chain is just as important when it comes to reducing CO2 emissions.”
