Packaging: paper is the fastest-growing food packaging material

2025 is shaping up to be a crucial year for companies seeking to improve operational efficiency and control costs, particularly in a context of financial uncertainty and increasing competitive pressure. Packaging cost optimization is becoming a strategic lever, capable of positively influencing not only business performance but also customer satisfaction and environmental impact. Packaging Cost Optimization 2025: Strategies for Efficiency, Sustainability, and Cost Savings. With Cart-One, packaging becomes a true business asset, combining technology, sustainability, and innovation to deliver tangible results. Read also: “Packaging, Sustainability, and the Role of the Responsible Consumer: A Global Challenge” Why Packaging Cost Optimization Is Essential In today’s landscape, characterized by constantly evolving markets and increasingly stringent regulations, companies must review their packaging processes to avoid costly waste and inefficiencies. Poorly designed packaging can result in: Product damage during transportation, leading to returns and additional costs. Higher storage expenses caused by excessive packaging materials. A negative environmental impact that increases disposal costs and regulatory taxes. Investing in efficient packaging processes not only helps reduce operating costs but also improves customer perception of the product while contributing to a more sustainable future. Key Strategies for Packaging Optimization in 2025 1. Material Reduction and Efficient Resource Use A key factor in controlling costs is the careful selection of packaging materials. Choosing the right materials and dimensions helps reduce waste and enables companies to: Reduce the amount of material required, lowering procurement costs. Cut storage expenses through leaner and more efficient inventory management. Limit disposal costs, as using less material generally results in lower fees under industry regulations. With Cart-One, businesses can adopt optimized material solutions designed to provide maximum product protection while minimizing resource consumption. 2. End-of-Line Optimization and Process Automation The final stage of packaging, known as the “end-of-line” process, is one of the most critical operational areas. An efficient packaging system that incorporates automation offers numerous benefits: Speed and productivity: automated systems reduce processing times and increase production capacity. Error reduction: automating manual operations minimizes mistakes and ensures greater packaging accuracy. Load optimization: well-designed packaging maximizes space utilization, reducing transportation costs and improving volumetric efficiency. Cart-One supports end-of-line optimization through customized solutions that integrate manual, semi-automatic, and fully automated systems, helping companies handle production peaks without relying on temporary staff. 3. Product Protection and Reduced Transport Damage Effective packaging must provide maximum product protection, especially for fragile items or products sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Inadequate packaging can lead to costly damage and lower perceived product quality. To address these challenges, companies can implement: Temperature and impact indicators: tools capable of monitoring transportation conditions in real time and reporting anomalies, allowing prompt corrective action. Protection-oriented packaging design: the use of materials and structures that absorb shocks and reduce the risk of damage during handling and transportation. Cart-One’s solutions ensure that every package provides optimal protection, guaranteeing that products arrive at their destination in perfect condition. 4. Optimized Order and Material Management Effective packaging material order management is essential for avoiding waste and unnecessary costs. Bulk purchasing strategies often generate excess inventory, tying up company liquidity and occupying valuable warehouse space. To optimize this aspect, companies should: Plan orders according to actual production requirements. Partner with reliable suppliers offering just-in-time solutions, ensuring a continuous and properly calibrated supply. Constantly monitor inventory levels to minimize the risk of unnecessary stock accumulation. Cart-One provides comprehensive support in order management, helping businesses align supplies with production needs and reduce warehousing costs. Sustainable Packaging: A Benefit for Both Business and the Environment Beyond economic benefits, packaging optimization has a positive impact on environmental sustainability. By reducing material usage and improving packaging design, companies can achieve: Lower CO₂ emissions: more compact and efficient packaging reduces transportation space requirements, lowering both costs and environmental impact. Improved recyclability: the use of recycled or 100% recyclable materials facilitates disposal and supports a circular economy model. Operational efficiency: reduced packaging times and automated processes lead to better resource management and a lower environmental footprint. At a time when consumers are increasingly attentive to environmental issues, sustainable packaging has become an important differentiator, strengthening brand reputation. 2025 represents a year of both challenges and opportunities for companies looking to optimize packaging costs. Improving packaging processes, reducing material usage, automating end-of-line operations, and ensuring adequate product protection are essential steps for controlling operating expenses, increasing efficiency, and promoting environmental sustainability. Cart-One is the ideal partner to support you on this journey, offering customized, eco-friendly, and innovative packaging solutions. Investing in a packaging cost optimization strategy not only improves business performance but also contributes to a more responsible and sustainable future for everyone. Contact us today to discover how our solutions can make a difference for your business. You may also be interested in: “Towards Decarbonization: The Italian Paper Industry and the Challenges of the Green Transition”

Recently, the decree in force since 2006 regarding packaging labeling has been amended. Since the end of September 2020, Italian manufacturers face penalties for missing or deficient packaging marking. This measure has created quite a few difficulties for the manufacturing and printing sectors, which will have to adapt quickly to the newly imposed regulatory updates. Specifically, the amendment to the decree was implemented following the European directive on the circular economy issued in 2018. Consequently, Legislative Decree No. 116 of September 3, 2020, was promulgated in Italy, coming into force on September 26. What does the new regulation provide for? The main advantage of the new regulation lies in the fact that it should facilitate separate collection, recycling, and recovery, as well as offer consumers clear information on final destinations. However, on a practical level, the new decree establishes that the lack of packaging marking is to be attributed to the manufacturer, and the measure is intended to take immediate effect. This aspect puts packaging manufacturers in a difficult position, as they have not had sufficient time to comply with the regulation and, simultaneously, have not had the time to deplete their stocks and review with their clients how to redesign the packaging. With Legislative Decree No. 116 of September 3, 2020, published in the Official Gazette No. 226 of September 11, 2020, and effective from September 26, 2020, monetary fines were also established for the missing or incomplete transmission of information data. This legislation stems from the need to align with the decisions of the European Parliament and Council to move toward a circular economy. In this way, member states can take action to preserve resources that can be recovered, setting targets to be achieved by 2025, with the recovery of at least over half of municipal waste, while for packaging it is necessary to reach at least the 65% threshold. What are the main changes compared to the past? Compared to past legislation, an amendment has been made to Article 219, which concerns the guiding criteria for the management of packaging waste related to Legislative Decree No. 152 of April 3, 2006. In particular, some words in paragraph 5 have been modified, which in the previous version expressed the following concept: "All packaging must be appropriately labeled in accordance with the procedures established by decree of the Minister of the Environment and Territorial Protection in agreement with the Minister of Productive Activities in compliance with the determinations adopted by the Commission of the European Union, to facilitate the collection, reuse, recovery, and recycling of packaging, as well as to provide correct information to consumers on the final destinations of the packaging. The aforementioned decree shall also prescribe the obligation to indicate, for the purposes of identification and classification of the packaging by the industry concerned, the nature of the packaging materials used, based on Commission Decision 97/129/EC." Subsequently, an implementing decree was never issued that should have specified the times and methods of the new procedures. Since 2006, in fact, reference has always been made to some indications on how packaging should be marked, without ever putting any measure into effect in this regard that could standardize the entire market. Legislative Decree No. 116 of September 3, 2020, now provides that the implementing decree is replaced by the applicable UNI technical standards, in addition to specifying that: “Manufacturers also have the obligation to indicate, for the purposes of identification and classification of the packaging, the nature of the packaging materials used, based on Commission Decision 97/129/EC.” What are the problems resulting from the changes? In the absence of the implementing decree, reference must be made to the applicable UNI technical standards and the obligation to state packaging information to manufacturers, with immediate effect. With the definition of this obligation, administrative sanctions were also introduced for manufacturers violating the rule. All this, however, brings confusion to the packaging world, introducing above all a series of issues to which the government is called to respond more effectively. Indeed, the regulation, as imposed, puts manufacturers in a difficult position who: Have not had the time to deplete their stocks. Have not had the time to modify their systems for this purpose, a task that takes 3-4 weeks, particularly for remaking and approving printing plates and printing the labels themselves. Without the necessary exemptions, would have to remake the packaging for products that require a seasoning period once packaged (e.g., wine and cheeses). Lack a clear and explanatory legend indicating the application symbols. Lack precise indications regarding the size and space requirements of the symbols on the packaging. The reference regulation (EC) 97/129 appears incomplete because it only includes some materials but not all. Lack the time frames to rethink packaging designs already in progress. In this sense, also on Confindustria's initiative, corrective measures have been requested from the Ministry of the Environment to offer printers the opportunity to deplete stocks and adapt printing plants. Negotiations have just begun, with the feedback collected by Confindustria in a document sent on October 14, 2020, through which they want to shed light on the difficulties and critical issues within the sector. Surely, a solution is desirable that allows for a reasonable compromise, leading companies to adapt following certain and defined rules both regarding the production of cardboard packaging and other types. Meanwhile, to obviate the issues explained, Conai has made available a series of guidelines and an operational tool, viewable at e-tichetta.org, with the aim of providing indications for packaging marking. Although made available by a nationally recognized body, the tools proposed by Conai are not yet officially validated by the Ministry. In this regard, the email address epack@conai.org has been set up to offer users the possibility to send their reports and express their doubts. If these tools are used, it is important to inform your customers of their provisional nature. This advice is recommended from the moment the Ministry could request any adjustments and provide new indications, which would require a new adaptation of the printing systems and new costs to be borne.

Sustainable packaging – a major concern Research has shown retailers and consumers are now demanding more sustainable packaging solutions when they make purchase decisions. Moreover, the EU’s single-use plastic (SUP) Directive, which came into force on 3rd July 2019, aims to reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment. This has caused large brands and manufacturers to re-evaluate their packaging strategies and seek out sustainable alternatives. ECOGRIP eliminates the need for single-use plastic ‘shrink wrap’ when carrying multiple bottles. The 100% biodegradable packaging that can be adapted to fit any type of bottle on the market.  Cart-One brings real customer value. As part of a Pan-European Alliance, Blue Box Partners, our team offers expertise and collective intelligence, delivering local solutions to global problems. Our experience in different countries across Europe makes us perfectly placed to give customers broader perspectives. We want to work with brands to develop packaging solutions that not only solve their current issues around single-use plastic - but also provide environmentally-friendly, sustainable packaging solutions for many years to come. Finding an alternative to single-use plastic Consumers, regulators and retailers are all demanding an end to single-use plastic, and advocating for sustainable packaging alternatives: END-CONSUMER AND BRAND OWNERS: People want to get engaged and contribute to the change by choosing biodegradable packaging (Source: Open Innovation Manager -FMCG) REGULATION: From 1st January 2021, there will be a new ‘Plastic Tax’ of EUR 0.80 per kilogram of non-recycled plastic packaging waste RETAIL: Retailers are starting reject articles with single-use plastic packaging from their stores (Source: Packaging Engineer – FMCG) While industry continues to improve recycling rates for plastic bottles and containers, most secondary packaging such as shrink-wrap falls into the category of single-use plastic. Shrink wrap may be efficient to produce, lightweight and convenient, but it has a catastrophic effect on the environment when it is not recycled. Each year, hundreds of millions of tons of SUP are produced and end up in our oceans and landfill. This has resulted in considerable pressure from governments, environmental groups and consumers - all of whom are demanding solutions around biodegradable packaging which is more sustainable.  Paper-based packaging is attractive to consumers (and retailers), but it impacts in the supply chain in a number of ways. Any viable alternative to single-use plastic needs to be easy to transport, easy to handle and easy to store. But it also needs to be adaptable. With so many different bottles on the market, any paper-based solution has to be simple and scalable to meet demand. Sustainable Packaging - ECOGRIP - Key Features Cart-One within the Blue Box Partners’ development team carried out extensive customer-focused workshops and in-situ trials and testing to ensure performance. We harnessed knowledge and experience from all our partners to produce a biodegradable packaging solution that meets the needs of brands all over Europe. ECOGRIP is designed to be flexible and practical. It doesn’t matter what style of bottle or cap is involved, or how many bottles need to be accommodated. ECOGRIP will be compatible. Our core message to customers is around adaptability, ease-of use and biodegradability. Main features:  Fully adaptable concept designed to fit any bottle neck or cap regardless of diameter  Solutions available for single-use plastic packs of 4, 6 or 8 bottles between 0.33 and 1.5 litres Both manual or mechanized possibilities to ensure automation and bar-code hiding (thanks to our partnership with of one of the biggest machine builders. Ergonomic design making it easy to handle Customizable with any kind of printing technology Registered under a European i-DEPOT Single-use plastic alternative - ECOGRIP - Benefits ECOGRIP is an adaptable and sustainable packaging concept. Easy to produce at scale, it also provides several compelling benefits: Sales incentive through attractive and innovative design Easy to grip, easy to store, easy to unclip individual bottles and easy to dismantle 100% recycled and recyclable Fully biodegradable packaging Experienced team of European experts happy to work alongside customers to provide extra support Sustainable packaging - Short term fix, long term solution With ECOGRIP, Cart-One is looking to build long-term relationships with customers, brands and manufacturers. Our mission is to provide viable alternative to single-use plastic within future supply chains. ECOGRIP is truly a biodegradable packaging technology for modern times: A robust, simple, sustainable product ready for application at speed and scale. We want a world where retailers and consumers can be confident that the purchases they make are packaged responsibly, not just today, but always. Do you have similar issue to solve? Please contact our team through the contact section.