Corrugated board vs. plastics
International studies confirm the ecological and economic benefits of corrugated board over plastics.
The winner and defending champion in the competition for the best transport packaging material for fruit and vegetables is corrugated board. It scores especially high over plastic crates in the key disciplines of ecology and economics. International studies analysed by FEFCO in Germany, Spain, and Switzerland clearly confirm the advantages of corrugated board – while underscoring its primary benefits in the areas of environmental impact and cost effectiveness.
From an ecological perspective, corrugated board simply can not be beaten. This exemplary recyclable material is comprised solely of organic materials: paper and starch-based glue. In Europe, nearly 70% of corrugated board is recycled. In addition to this, numerous studies show that this packaging material is far more ecologically friendly than plastic containers.
For example, in a life-cycle study (Life Cycle Analysis, LCA) conducted in November 2005, by the Institute of Packaging Technology, Transport, and Logistics, Valencia, in cooperation with the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spanish scientists identified environmental impact factors and the costs for transporting fruit in both corrugated board and plastic crates "from the cradle to the grave". The most important finding in terms of environmental impact: the manufacturing of corrugated board impacts the environment less than the production of plastic packaging. Corrugated board, for example, minimizes effects on climate change.
Similar results coming from a study conducted by an interest group for corrugated board manufacturers in Switzerland, the IWIS (now known as “Wellkarton Schweiz” or WS) focused on CO 2 emissions generated by transporting goods. The results speak for themselves: the greater the transport distance, the more ecologically advantageous corrugated board becomes. For medium and long-haul distances, corrugated packaging is clearly the packaging material of choice – regardless of whether it is transported by truck, ship, or rail. Environmental and economical costs for return shipments and high-energy cleaning processes are eliminated entirely.
A German study conducted in 2006 by the packaging specialists Berndt & Partners confirms that corrugated packaging is the most economical solution. The German Association of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (VDW) commissioned the institute to conduct a study that determines the total cost of transporting apples. Boxes made of corrugated board were compared with crates made of plastic from IFCO.
The framework of the study consisted of shipping boxes containing 7 kilograms of apples on a 350-kilometer journey that went from orchard to warehouse to retailer. What were the essential findings of the investigation? Packaging solutions using corrugated board were 13% cheaper than those using plastic. In absolute numbers, the expected packaging cost for transporting 1,000 kilograms of apples in plastic crates was approximately 207 €. While the cost for the same performance using corrugated board was approximately 183 €.
The study’s credibility lies in its highly accurate calculations. Here’s why: all factors – such as prices, handling times, distances, and pallet utilization – were correctly identified, and if there were any uncertainties, the plastic packaging was given the benefit of the doubt.
Findings of the German market researchers are supported by the study from Valencia cited above. For a reference model, this study chose the transportation of tomatoes in packages weighing up to 7 kg. They were shipped in refrigerated trucks from the growing sites in Almería, Spain, to Hamburg, Germany. This is a very representative example, especially when you consider that tomatoes are Spain’s leading export produce and are mainly exported to Germany.
As a result, the cost of using corrugated board boxes is fundamentally lower than the use of plastic packaging – when calculated over the entire life cycle of the materials. The procurement costs for corrugated board alone are approximately 14 % lower than the cost of leasing – and paying the deposit on plastic containers. Based on the assumption that used corrugated board will not be sold to a waste management company.
The life-cycle cost per corrugated board box is between 26 % to 41% (211 cents to 337 cents) lower than the cost of using comparable plastic packaging. (Cost differences vary depending on whether or not the price of returning and cleaning the empty plastic crates is included in the calculation.) If you also take into account the proceeds from selling the used corrugated board, this natural material is as much as 43 % (348 cent per plastic crate) cheaper.