Paperboard – a natural material
As a material, paperboard is special. It is the material with the highest added value within the material system comprised of paper and paperboard and is most often used for packaging and high quality printed materials.
It is safe for consumers to use and reliable because it contains known substances and is made the same way every time. Paperboard packaging usually remains folded or flat until the products are packed. The transport chain saves energy thanks to the paperboard’s small volume and low weight. Paperboard cartons can be dimensioned to maximise the use of loading pallets, which leads to further significant energy savings in the distribution chain. When paperboard cartons have served their purpose, they can be folded and compressed before being transported to a suitable recycling station
Paperboard is a natural material with many applications. As a print medium, paperboard can withstand all the strains and stresses involved in using advanced finishing techniques. Paperboard is also highly durable, ensuring that printed materials will last for a long time. Paperboard packaging is a competitive method of conveying products from the manufacturer to the consumer while being easy to recycle. In terms of graphic design, paperboard’s excellent printing properties give brand owners great freedom to express their brand’s identity and attract the consumer’s attention.
In considering the merits of packaging and graphical materials or the impact of their manufacture on the environment, it is essential to take a holistic view. The issues to be considered will typically include four key subjects – using raw materials and energy used, the production process, the product and functionality, and the end-of-life scenario.
Paperboard as a packaging material saves more energy and has a lower environmental impact than e.g. fossil based packaging. As we explain in the description of our manufacturing process, the wood fibres used to produce our products are a renewable resource and are constantly replenished. Sunlight and water make the trees grow while they bind carbon dioxide and give off the oxygen essential to life. The forest’s closed ecological loop provides us with the raw material for paperboard, while used cartons and printed matter play a crucial role in keeping the recycling process going. Without a steady input of fresh fibres, recycled paperboard would not exist as it eventually reaches the end of its life.
As a material, paperboard is a good component in any sustainable environmental strategy. The material system is sustainable, and Holmen has been responsible stewards of our raw materials for centuries. Our manufacturing is integrated – we transform our timber into pulp optimised for board production, giving advantages of production economy, quality and consistency. Rising energy prices and more stringent environmental demands are increasing paperboard’s relative competitiveness versus other material systems. On the horizon are more significant uses of biomass, more innovative energy solutions that further improve our production economy, and new spinoff products that create new possibilities within the packaging industry. Paper and paperboard are manufactured from
wood, which is a renewable material. The produced paper and paperboard is recyclable and sophisticated systems exist for on-site recycling and energy recovery.
Energy
The chemical pulping process is highly energy efficient, and the chemical recovery in the pulping process is also very high. In the recovery boiler the lignin is used to produce both thermal and electrical bioenergy which is used in the mill. The mill is connected to the power grid allowing surplus electrical energy to be exported when required. The production of pulp and the manufacture of paperboard are carried out on the same site in a continuous integrated process, giving benefits in quality, efficiency, and economy.
Taint and odour
The taint and odour characteristics of the packaging are of prime importance, where long-term close or direct contact must not impair those characteristics of the product it is designed to protect. The selected packaging must, therefore, be produced from raw materials made from pure materials, selected and processed under carefully controlled conditions. Following manufacture, the application of inks and varnishes also requires careful control to ensure that residues do not remain and impact the product's taint and odour.
Paperboard within the goods flow
Paperboard is one of the world's most widely used packaging materials, thanks to its economic benefits throughout the chain from producers to consumers. Carton blanks can be transported flat and cost-effectively until erected and filled with the contents, and they are designed to protect and preserve throughout the distribution chain to the consumer. The printing properties of paperboard packaging make it easy to convey commercial messages that encourage purchase and legally required information about the contents. Paperboard packaging can also be recycled as a material, or its stored biogenic energy can be recovered via combustion or anaerobic digestion to meet the appropriate environmental targets.
We hope this manual will provide you with helpful insight and knowledge about sustainable paperboard production and paperboard solutions that can guide you to a conscious decision when choosing suitable packaging material for your product.