What is packaging paper?
Packaging paper is the broad category of paper grades produced for product protection, transport, and display. It includes containerboard (the liners and fluting that make corrugated boxes), cartonboard (the folded cartons used for cereal boxes and cosmetics), sack kraft (heavy-duty bags for cement, animal feed, and flour), flexible packaging paper (the paper layer in laminated food pouches), and moulded fiber (egg cartons, wine-bottle trays).
Packaging now accounts for more than half of all paper produced globally. Per FAO and CEPI 2024 data, containerboard alone is about 170 million tonnes. The shift from plastic to paper in consumer packaging, driven by EU and US regulation and brand sustainability commitments, is adding roughly 3 to 5% annual growth.
What are the main packaging paper subcategories?
Containerboard is the biggest by volume. It splits into kraftliner (virgin), testliner (recycled), and fluting (corrugating medium, also virgin or recycled). Together these make corrugated boxes.
Cartonboard is the second biggest. FBB (folding boxboard), SBS (solid bleached sulfate), CUK (coated unbleached kraft), and WLC (white-lined chipboard) are the four main grades. These go into folding cartons for food, pharma, cosmetics, and consumer goods.
Sack kraft is a distinct family. Produced on specialized machines for extensible paper, it covers multiwall shipping sacks for cement, chemicals, and animal feed.
Flexible packaging paper covers lightweight barrier-treated papers that compete with plastic film in pouches, wraps, and sachets.
How is packaging paper evolving?
Three forces drive innovation in packaging paper. First, plastic replacement: EU single-use plastics directives, US state bans, and consumer preference push brands to switch flexible plastic packaging to paper-based alternatives. Second, e-commerce: the corrugated box category has grown with online retail, with boxes for direct-to-consumer shipments now accounting for a growing share of European and US kraftliner demand. Third, barrier coatings: the gap between plastic and paper on moisture and grease resistance is narrowing fast through new fluoropolymer-free barrier coatings.
Who are the main packaging paper producers?
Containerboard is dominated by Smurfit Kappa-Westrock (the 2024 merger created the world's largest paper packaging company), International Paper, Mondi, DS Smith, and Klabin. Cartonboard is dominated by Stora Enso, Metsä Board, Sappi, Mayr-Melnhof, and Graphic Packaging. Sack kraft is a smaller, specialized segment led by Mondi, BillerudKorsnäs, and Sonoco. Flexible packaging paper is fragmented, with no single leader, and is the most rapidly evolving subcategory as new entrants emerge.
How do you pick the right packaging paper grade?
Start from the end use. Corrugated box for export: kraftliner outer, fluting core, kraftliner inner. Corrugated box for domestic: testliner both sides. Cosmetics folding carton: SBS for premium print. Frozen food carton: CUK for moisture resistance at low cost. Cement sack: extensible sack kraft. Coffee pouch: barrier-coated flexible paper. Each choice trades cost, performance, and print quality.
WPI's grade index lists 850+ paper grades with specs you can filter by use case. For side-by-side comparisons see grade comparisons.
What certifications apply to packaging paper?
Forestry: FSC, PEFC, SFI (US), CFCC (China). Food safety: BfR XXXVI (DE), FDA 21 CFR 176 (US), ISEGA, AIB. Recyclability: APR-US, 4evergreen (EU). Specific markets add their own standards, for example Japanese JAS food-contact certification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest packaging paper grade by volume?
Kraftliner and testliner (together making up the outer and inner layers of corrugated boxes) are the biggest by volume. Corrugated containerboard is roughly 170 million tonnes per year globally and dominates all other packaging paper segments combined.
Is paper packaging really replacing plastic?
In specific categories yes: single-use plastic bags, takeaway cutlery wraps, and some flexible packaging. In refrigerated pouches and beverage pouches the transition is slower because moisture and oxygen barriers in paper are still developing. Expect steady but uneven replacement through 2030.
What is the difference between packaging paper and cartonboard?
Packaging paper is the umbrella term. Cartonboard is one sub-category within it, specifically the flat paperboard used for folding cartons. Containerboard, sack kraft, and flexible paper are other sub-categories under the packaging paper umbrella.
Can packaging paper be recycled?
Most packaging paper is highly recyclable. EU containerboard recycling rate is 91% per CEPI 2023. The main exceptions are barrier-coated papers where the coating interferes with repulping. The 4evergreen initiative is developing standard protocols for recyclability of coated packaging paper.
How much does packaging paper cost?
Prices range from €500 to €2000 per tonne depending on grade. Testliner and recycled fluting are at the low end. Premium SBS cartonboard and barrier-coated flexible paper are at the high end.
What is the fastest growing packaging paper segment?
Barrier-coated flexible packaging paper is the fastest growing. It is replacing plastic film in pouches and wraps. Moulded pulp (egg-carton-style) is also growing quickly, replacing expanded polystyrene in appliance and electronics protective packaging.