Paper and cardboard packaging (2022)

It remains one of the most representative sectors of the packaging industry, both in terms of tonnes produced and turnover: in 2022 cellulose packaging represented 33% of global packaging production, while in terms of turnover exceeded 23.5%, percentages remaining quite stable over time.

Barbara Iascone

Cellulose packaging, as reported by Imballaggio in Cifre (Packaging in Figures), is subdivided into five categories:

• sheets and containers in corrugated cardboard (including displays);
• foldable cardboard cartons and boxes;
• large-size paper bags;
• other cellulose packaging (cellulose drums, tubes, wrapping paper, small bags and shopping bags, labels, paper supports in the knitwear and clothing sector, etc.);
• rigid mainly paper-based laminated containers.

Based on the economic analysis carried out by Assografici, the paper industry - of which the paper and cardboard packaging sector forms a part - closed in 2022 with a turnover growth of 25.5%. It’s a high increase, with the need to recover at least in part the increases in production costs relating to both energy and raw materials. The trend relating to the paper converting industry, instead, shows a fall of 3.1%.

The cellulose packaging market in Italy

The sector manages to maintain a stable share of the total packaging area, analysed in terms of both weight (33%) and turnover (around 24%).

After successfully getting through the difficult two-year period of 2020-21, in 2022 the cellulose packaging sector unfortunately recorded a negative production trend, closing the year with -3.3%: such a fall in this sector had not been seen since the 2008/2009 and 2011/2012 crises. The total production of paper and cardboard packaging in 2022 was a little over 5,900 t/000. Foreign trade travels in two different directions: exports fell in line with production, but there was a significant increase in imports, which recorded +19.1%. It is worth noting that the growth in imports relates to all packaging materials and the entire packaging sector, which in 2022 arrived at over 10%.

Most trade relations developed by our country remain in the European sphere (a common denominator of all packaging types): in 2022, 86.5% of imports came from European countries and 89.6% of exports remained in Europe. These figures remain substantially unchanged from year to year.

Within this segmentation, German and France are still our most faithful commercial partners, but in 2022 it should be noted that imports from Turkey increased by 149% compared to the previous year! The turnover shows a very high increase, closing with a +25.5%, equivalent to 10 billion euros, similar to what occurred in the paper-converting industry. With regards to the rest of the world, China is the absolute leader for non-EU imports, with 93%. 72% of non-EU exports went to Africa.

Types of paper and cardboard

packaging Corrugated
cardboard This material is mainly used for the production of boxes for the transport and storage of goods or for secondary packaging to contain products already packed in primary packaging.

Corrugated cardboard packaging is the most predominant of the category, with a share of 74%, but it contracted in 2022, recording a fall of -4.4% arriving at 4,284 t/000 produced. On the basis of the analysis of the Assografici research office, this result should be seen as only moderately negative, as a natural consequence of the sharp rise recorded in 2021, in which corrugated cardboard packaging grew by +12% after the pandemic crisis. Comparing the 2022 results with those of the pre-covid period (2019), paper and cardboard packaging was 9% higher. Imports were quite stable, achieving +0.8%; exports, instead, closed 2022 with a -5.9%, arriving, respectively at 38,000 and 333,000 tonnes.

Rigid cardboard cartons and boxes
Rigid cardboard packaging accounts for 15% of the cellulose packaging sector. They can be 100% composed of cardboard or combined with PE or aluminium film. The combination of plastic and aluminium film is generally necessary for giving the carton a more attractive look, as occurs, for example for those used in the cosmetics sector, or for requirements linked to use.

After the significant positive trend in 2021, in 2022 cardboard cartons also suffered a contraction: the production trend, standing at 868,000 tonnes, was -1%. Mainly used as secondary packaging, 44.2% of cartons are intended for foods, 19.2% for drinks and 9.2% for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The remaining 27.3% relates to the “other non-food” heading, inside of which there are, for example, small and large domestic appliances, cookware and kitchen utensils, home cleaning products, furnishing accessory products, etc.

Large paper bags

This type of packaging is mainly used in the construction sector in which, according to Gipsac’s figures (one of Assografici’s Specialisation Groups), is the only type of packaging to show a positive trend, thanks to a modest increase in animal foods and chemical fertilisers. In 2022, production arrived at 221 t/000, marking an increase of 1.4%.

Other cellulose packaging sectors

This heading includes several types of packaging such as cellulose drums and tubes for packaging bottles, cellulose tubes for household paper, wrapping paper, parchment paper and sulphite wrapping paper, corrugated paper, small bags, shopping bags, automatic wrapping, sheets of paper to support garments, labels, rigid and thick cardboard platforms and displays, etc. Also for these types, in 2022 there was a negative production trend of -1.2%, taking the tonnes produced to around 406,000.

Rigid mainly paper-based laminated containers

Rigid mainly paper-based laminated packaging is also included in this analysis, although in “Packaging in Figures” it isare analysed in a separate section. The sector has shown a certain stability for a number of years, with the exception of 2020; the sector today is recording zero growth, both in terms of turnover and production.

Barbara Iascone
Istituto Italiano Imballaggio