Paper packaging in the digital era and the circular economy

Sustainability

seo 18/06/2026 0

Paper and cardboard packaging are becoming increasingly sustainable and capable of meeting the needs of consumers, who certainly do not want to sacrifice environmental protection.

Paper packaging in the digital era and the circular economy. Paper and cardboard packaging is increasingly green and capable of constantly renewing itself thanks to the circular economy, which is more and more at the center of business policies for small and medium-sized enterprises, commerce, and craftsmanship. Let's discover all the updates in the rest of the article.   Read also: “Packaging trends 2023: all the new packaging developments”  

Sustainability and technology

The paper supply chain has now become a perfect model of reference for the circular economy. Thanks to the development of urban collection for paper and cardboard, which today stands at over 3.5 tons, it has succeeded in tackling the scarcity of virgin raw material, generating a virtuous industrial supply chain with recycling and the need to extend the life of the natural resource at its heart.   Furthermore, the pandemic triggered a major shift in people's lifestyles, driving a greater demand for home deliveries; this, combined with greater environmental sustainability, has led to increased research into packaging materials. The objective is to design and produce solutions that satisfy needs for sustainability, innovation, and functionality while simultaneously facilitating the collection and recycling of various packages and containers.   Data shows that a significant 30% of businesses have launched an e-commerce store in recent years, with even more significant growth expected in the future. Consequently, there is and will increasingly be a need to create stronger, safer, and more versatile packaging, which is also customized through digital printing, allowing brands to build customer loyalty and engage more effectively.  

Increasingly green packaging

Thanks to their specific characteristics, such as natural origin, biodegradability, compostability, and easy recyclability, paper and cardboard packaging appear increasingly green and eco-sustainable in the eyes of consumers. This is also thanks to the commitment of companies, which are more and more oriented towards environmental issues. Among the frontiers related to innovation, for example, there is certainly the use of new packaging materials: from bio-based materials of animal origin to those of plant origin and bioplastics, up to nanomaterials such as nanocellulose, which possesses unique properties such as low density, high strength, lightness, rigidity, and low cost. For these reasons, the paper sector plays an increasingly strategic role due to the natural availability of cellulose, which is essential for producing low-impact, easy-to-recycle packaging. In light of all this, it is no surprise that the paper and cardboard recycling industry represents an Italian excellence in the circular economy.  

The future of paper and cardboard packaging

With the use of natural, recyclable, and compostable fibers, and the commitment to ensuring the recycling of all paper and cardboard packaging collected from citizens and businesses, we are certain we are headed towards an increasingly eco-sustainable future. Consider that with a recycling rate of over 80%, the European target of 75% set for 2025 has already been exceeded, aiming for 85% by 2030. Paper and cardboard have thus achieved the highest recycling rate among all packaging materials. Their capacity for technological evolution and adaptation to new online consumption dynamics has demonstrated how capable they are of facing growing challenges related to food delivery and on-the-go consumption, which require practical and sustainable paper and cardboard packaging.   Cart-One successfully faces all challenges, seizing every opportunity that arises to achieve numerous tangible social and environmental benefits for the entire community. Always a creator and promoter of the circular economy, it proudly drives the produce-consume-regenerate-recover model, ensuring that production waste becomes a reel and then a box again through clean, innovative technologies and an eco-design aimed at raw material savings and waste reduction.   This comes without forgetting the continuous improvement of production processes aimed at reducing impacts on water, air, and soil. Sustainability goes hand in hand with cutting-edge technology, as Cart-One produces every type of single-wall and double-wall corrugated cardboard product, including high-definition printing up to 6 colors + varnish, while also equipping all machinery with back-ups.   Cart-One companies produce and develop innovative corrugated cardboard packaging that meets the specific needs of every product sector, ensuring a flexible, efficient, and eco-sustainable service. Discover all our products and choose the ones best suited to your needs.   Find out more: “Recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable: what are the differences”

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