Food packaging in the future and cardboard boxes

Cardboard has long been used in the agricultural and food industries, but plastic has long since supplanted it. However, in light of recent environmental concerns, cardboard is about to usurp plastic as the preferred material for food packaging. Observations indicate that it is growing steadily, 6% annually. What characteristics of cardboard packaging make it suitable for use in the food sector?

Cardboard packaging benefits the food industry

Given its many advantages, cardboard is the perfect packaging material for both the food industry and its primary application as shipping boxes. Indeed, cardboard is a lightweight, malleable material that can be molded into any shape, making it a good choice as a packing material. Unlike its main rival, plastic, it is also compostable and recyclable. Because we can recycle cardboard for many times the amount of boxes we previously used, we use fewer raw materials as a result. More and more customers and members of the food industry are becoming aware of this fact.

To prevent grease buildup and safeguard the packaging, the cardboard used in the food industry is frequently coated with a thin layer of paraffin wax. Additionally, it can be combined with other substances like polyethylene or aluminum to produce airtight packaging that can hold any kind of liquid (such as milk or fruit juice). The only issue is that this protective layer cannot be recycled; however, separating it from the cardboard is the most challenging task.

Another benefit is that it can be produced in various qualities, or different thicknesses with a variety of layers and paper types, allowing it to realize a variety of packaging models, such as a straightforward paper film like parchment paper or a sturdy cardboard box that can hold rice or sugar for years.

The various ways that cardboard is used to package food

As you will see, cardboard can be used to make a variety of food packaging and for other food-related industries. It appears in:

1. Disposable dishes,

2. Cardboard boxes for heavy loads,

3. Bricks of milk or fruit juice,

4. Kraft paper carrier bags (with or without handles),

5. Food trays,

6. Pastry boxes,

7. Pizza boxes.

8. Candy boxes

Related Knowledge: Use Cardboard Boxes for Gift packaging.

The majority of these containers are used to ship food. Additionally, there is secondary packaging like kraft bags as well as primary packaging like milk boxes or rice cartons. For some foods, like cereal, the cardboard box can also be used as secondary packaging after being first used to package the food in a plastic bag. The pizza box is specifically made to retain the heat of the pizza, while the pastry box has a folding lid that completely encloses it. These two types of primary packaging are very popular with gourmands.

But there are also cardboard boxes that are used only to hold food that will be eaten later, like a plate or a cup; these are also regarded as one-time-use disposable food containers. Because they only need to be used once, they are categorized as "disposable crockery". However, given that they directly contain food that is ready to be consumed, food trays can also be categorized under this name. However, they differ from disposable dishes in that they can also be used to carry food from restaurants that offer take-out. We can zoom in slightly on the kraft bag, which comes in a variety of bag models:

1. The final packaging is a kraft bag with handles that can hold multiple foods at once and is used to transport those foods to the home;

2. a hand-made kraft bag for transporting and storing produce;

3. A sandwich bag that is used to safeguard the single sandwich inside before the buyer consumes it;

4. A bread bag, frequently white and bearing the bakery's logo, that is used to transport bread;

5. A bag of grouping that typically contains sticks and can hold multiple foods at once.

Because of its versatility, cardboard has a bright future as a food packaging material. It has adapted to the needs of the agriculture-food sector to provide useful and environmentally friendly packaging. Likely, it will soon become the standard for food packaging.