2Sustain

Thanks to the trend towards “lightweighting,” the average basis weights of corrugated containerboard are now 20 percent lighter in Europe than the U.S., according to new research by RISI.

The study results, published in a report titled The Future of Lightweight Containerboard in North America, underscore cultural differences between the U.S. and Europe, where sustainability is a priority and government environmental initiatives with targets and penalties for non-compliance are implemented across the supply chain.

RISI contends that geographic factors, fiber considerations and supply chain drivers are not different enough to explain the 20 percent differential in average basis weights.

Instead, the report points out the discrepancy could lie with the lack of equipment modernization here in the U.S. Since 2000, only three new machines have been built in North America, compared with 32 in Europe. Modern machines, or conversions of existing machines, can produce extra-lightweight containerboard (under 26#) more quickly and economically.

The reluctance to adopt updated production processes is likely to change. As RISI points out in a press release, the containerboard market is customer-driven and with the largest global retailer–Walmart –aiming to reduce five percent of packaging across its supply chain by 2013, analysts anticipate that the lightweighting trend will continue, providing an opportunity for corrugators that invest in modern machines that offer the speed, quality and versatility needed to help their customers find green packaging solutions.