Carton, Board & Paper


Opportunities knock for carton converters


UK businesses are making great strides in switching to sustainable forms of packaging, meaning there are a wealth of new opportunities for carton converters, says Tony Hitchin, general manager of Pro Carton


Sustainable boxes star of the show


T


he strong sustainability profile of cardboard and paper, and the materials’ ability to produce high quality packaging solutions for


effective brand differentiation and premium positioning were the key themes of the Pollard Group stand at Packaging Innovations Birmingham. The largest producer of rigid boxes in the UK as well as one of the largest throughout Europe, Pollards is also the only UK company to offer in-house print finishing. Among the techniques on display to help convey a luxury image for goods was be spot UV varnish, hot foil stamping, thermal embossing and silk screen printing. Also on show was Pollards’ capabilities in the use of sensory elements and ‘smart packaging’ technologies, which deliver interactive brand differentiation for increased on-shelf presence and consumer appeal. In addition, Pollards demonstrated a variety of


structural techniques, such as opening doors for a see- through effect and window packs, that effectively showcase products. “Cardboard is widely recognised as the most


environmentally-friendly material used in packaging and its many other practical and aesthetic benefits make it the number one choice for luxury packaging,” comments Pollards’ commercial director Peter Conner. “This will be the major focus for our stand, as well as emphasising to visitors that such skills and quality products are available locally in the UK for a very fast response and shortened lead times.”


pollardboxes.co.uk I


t’s already well documented that frozen food retailer Iceland is working towards having their own-


label range ‘plastic-free’ by 2023. Frozen food manufacturer and retailer


Cook recently announced that it is making progress in its mission to replace black plastic with recyclable cardboard-based trays, while Waitrose is also trialling recyclable trays for its Italian ready meals to replace black plastic. Of course, the environmental advantage


of switching to cartonboard-based packaging is immense – but not only that, there’s evidence that it could also be having an effect on the bottom-line. Pro Carton’s independently-conducted


European Consumer Packaging Perceptions study polled 7,000 consumers across seven countries – France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. It reveals that the environmental impact of a product’s packaging affects the purchasing decisions of 75 per cent of consumers, while 52 per cent of consumers claim to have switched brands or products because of concerns about the packaging used. More importantly perhaps is the fact that


a resounding 91 per cent of European consumers report they’d choose to spend their money with a supermarket or shop


convertermag.com


that was proactively encouraging suppliers to adopt more environmentally-friendly packaging and policies – proof if ever it was needed that sustainable packaging can win the hearts and minds of shoppers. Younger consumers are the most likely to be influenced by how a product is packaged: 62 per cent of 19-29-year-olds surveyed said they have switched brands because of packaging concerns, compared to only 36 per cent of over 60s. People claim they are also prepared to


pay more for sustainable packaging solutions. Our study found that 77 per cent of consumers say they’d be happy to pay extra if it meant a product’s packaging had less impact on the environment. And some people say they are willing to pay significantly more: 1 in 5 respondents would accept an increase of more than 10 per cent, while 1 in 20 are not put off by a rise of 20 per cent or more. We believe the figures speak for themselves. Nobody can afford to ignore consumer sentiment when it comes to sustainable packaging and we’re expecting to see many more changes to kore environmentally-friendly forms of packaging over the coming 12 months.


procarton.com February 2019 23


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