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Summary of our market study
The French corrugated board market is estimated at €4.5 billion.
The global market is estimated at over $140 billion in 2023.
Germany and France are the main producers in the EU.
Demand for cardboard packaging is driven by the growth of e-commerce, which accounts for 4-5% of the corrugated market share.
Trends in the French carton packaging market
The French cardboard packaging market is enjoying steady, dynamic growth. Corrugated board, particularly appreciated for its ecological qualities and adaptability, has become the material of choice for packaging.
In the space of 15 years, the share of cardboard and paper production used for packaging has risen from 45% to around 55-60%.
The food sector absorbs more than half of production, and consumer goods 25%.
Nearly 80% of cardboard is recycled in France
The development of e-commerce has led to a sharp increase in parcel shipments, most of which are packed in corrugated cardboard.
Key players in the cardboard packaging industry
Corrugated board manufacturers
- Smurfit Kappa is a giant in the corrugated packaging sector, with a global presence in many countries.
- Saica is another key player, firmly established in the European market. It specializes in the manufacture of corrugated packaging and the production of paper for packaging.
- DS Smith is a leader in sustainable packaging solutions.
- International Paper, a heavyweight in the global paper and packaging industry.
Specialists in custom and boutique cardboard packaging
- Mizenboite, a small company offering customized cardboard packaging solutions.
- BBA Packaging, experts in creating environmentally-friendly packaging solutions.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
The cardboard packaging market covers theentire cardboard packaging sector. It is used for transporting objects and/or storing materials and products in warehouses and stores. There are different types of cardboard packaging, but corrugated cardboard remains the packaging preferred by consumers for use in stores and for transporting goods. Cardboard packaging can be recycled to produce paper or corrugated board, making it a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.
The carton packaging market has been growing steadily for several years, primarily thanks to the development of the e-commerce sector, which is driving this growth upwards. Although the sector experienced a spectacular boom during the Covid-19 crisis, it has since had to face a number of economic challenges, such as difficulties in sourcing raw materials, rising energy costs and inflation.
Growth forecasts for the cardboard packaging market remain fairly positive , however; the increase in shipments of electronic materials and cosmetics in recent years opens up interesting prospects for corrugated board, for example. The implementation of the Green Pact for Europe in 2021 is also helping to boost this sector, with a shift from plastic to cardboard packaging. In France, paperboard now accounts for over a third of the total packaging sector.
The carton packaging market is dominated by the world's leading packaging companies, leaving little room for new entrants. Players in the carton packaging market are now faced with the need to invest in new technologies that offer more colors and more finishes. The main challenge for the carton packaging market remains recycling, in a climate that favors the circular economy.
1.2 The global and European carton packaging market: current situation and main characteristics
The global market:
The value of the global packaging market is estimated at $**** billion in ****, of which paperboard accounts for **.*%, i.e. around $*** billion in **** [***]. Over the period ****-****, annual growth in the carton packaging market is estimated at *.*%. Global production of carton packaging reached *** Mt in ****, mainly from China (***).
Breakdown ...
1.3 Sustained growth for the French carton packaging market
The French cardboard market :
Production value of cardboard and corrugated cardboard boxes and cartons France, ****-****, billions of euros Source: ****
national cardboard production is experiencing a growth dynamic over the ****-**** period, despite a slight decline in **** at the time of the Covid-** crisis. The value of the market has in ...
1.4 Cartonboard foreign trade
Trade balance for corrugated paper, flexible packaging paper and board (***) :
Evolution of the volume of French imports and exports of Packaging (***). France, in thousands of tons,
Despite a slight rebound in ****, mainly due to containment measures, France's trade balance in volume terms in the corrugated base paper, flexible packaging paper and ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Demand for cardboard and paper packaging on the rise in France
Breakdown of paper and cardboard production by type France, ****-****, % Source: ****
The trend in the breakdown of paper and board usage by type of use, shown in the graph above, indicates a clear increase in demand for paper and board packaging. In fact, in ****, **.*% of paper and board production was destined ...
2.2 Demand for corrugated packaging
Corrugated cardboard packaging has become particularly popular in Europe in recent years, and France is no exception. Indeed, corrugated cardboard offers many advantages, the main ones being[***] :
it is a biosourced, biodegradable, recyclable and recycled material; it combines lightness and strength; it can be used for many purposes (***); it is infinitely ...
2.3 The weight of the food industry in demand for cardboard packaging
The agri-food sector is a major consumer ofcorrugated packaging, particularly for displaying products in fruit and vegetable departments. In fact, corrugated trays offer a number of advantages that cannot be underestimated:
lightness and strength ; traceability ; hygiene ; ergonomics ; low cost; respect for the environment.
The significant impact of cardboard packaging on ...
2.4 Recycling-related demand for cardboard packaging
Consumption of recycled paper and cardboard for recycling by sector of use France, ****, % Source: ****
The collective awareness of environmental issues and the recycling of materials and products consumed is perfectly reflected in the breakdown of paper and cardboard to be recycled in France. Cardboard packaging is the leading sector of use, ...
2.5 Cardboard packaging: the right answer to the challenges of e-commerce
After a record year in **** - thanks to the Covid crisis - for the e-commerce sector, with growth of **% compared to ****, representing an evolution from a total capital of *** billion in ****, to *** billion in ****[***].
While this new trend is generally positive for the cardboard packaging market, as shown in the following ...
3 Market structure
3.1 French carton packaging value chain
Source: ****
3.2 Market and business structure
Competitive structure :
Competition in the paper and cardboard packaging production market is fairly concentrated, with only ** groups operating ** production sites in France. Cardboard production is an industry that currently employs **,*** people directly. If all employees are taken into account, i.e. direct, indirect and induced, the total number rises to **,***[***].
Business ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Typology of the cardboard packaging offer
Corrugated board:
A "sandwich" material, corrugated cardboard is made by gluing together flat liner papers, held together by corrugated fluting papers. The thickness of this fluting paper can vary from * to * millimeters. The average weight of corrugated board is ***g/m². Each part plays a different role: the liners provide the ...
4.2 The price of cardboard packaging
PPI corrugated paper and board and paper or board packaging France, ****-****, base *** in **** Source: ****
From **** onwards, we see a significant increase in the paperboard production price index. This is primarily due to the recovery in economic activity following the crisis triggered by Covid-**. Demand for cardboard was very high, driven ...
4.3 Innovations in packaging from cardboard/cellulose
Paper and cardboard are both materials made from wood fibers: cellulose. With the trend to reduce plastic packaging, innovations in the paper/cardboard sector are being developed to find materials that can replace plastic, while retaining its advantages.
Two innovations to watch in the paper and cardboard market:
Transparent paper
To ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Current regulations for corrugated fruit and vegetable trays
The CFQ label:
This label guarantees a number of commitments to the users of these products, in terms of quality, economics and the environment:
Logistical efficiency guaranteed by the flexibility of the product ranges and compliance with European technical specifications for tray dimensions and stacking devices; Guaranteed compliance with load-bearing, storage, ...
5.2 A trend towards regulatory changes in the legal framework in favor of growth in the carton packaging market
The AGEC (***) law, which came into force on January *, ****, has put in place a number of measures, such as the end of plastic packaging for the press, or a ban on the State purchasing single-use plastic. Added to this is a target to reduce plastic packaging by **% by ****[***].
This trend towards ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Positioning the players
- Smurfit Kappa
- DS Smith
- SAICA
- International Paper
- Europac (DS Smith)
- VPK packaging
- Cartonneries de Gondardennes
- Papeteries et cartonneries Lacaux
- Guillin Groupe - Guillin Emballages
- Mayr-Melnhof Karton
- Raja
- VKP
- Rossman Groupe
- Gascogne Papier
- Carton Service- Inapa
- Elopak
- Cartonnage de Vaucanson (Sentosphère Groupe)
- Barry Wehmiller
- Schubert Group
- La Cartonnerie Moderne
- CEE Schisler Packaging Solutions
List of charts presented in this market study
- Value of cardboard and corrugated cardboard box production
- Worldwide sales of corrugated board
- Breakdown of the global packaging market by type
- Main European countries producing packaging paper and board
- Breakdown of paper and cardboard production by type
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Latest news
In the Doubs region, the Guillin group acquires 49% of Wobz, a specialist in personalized cups - 21/05/2024
- Groupe Guillin European leader in food packaging
- 49% stake in Wobz, specialized in the personalization of reusable plastic cups and glasses for sporting and cultural events, parties and festivals
- plant in Oyonnax, Ain, specialized in digital inkjet printing.
- Wobz employs 60 people and is aiming for sales of 10 million euros in 2023.
- The Guillin Group employs 3,000 people at its 21 production sites in ten European countries, and its eleven distribution subsidiaries, and has sales of 884 million euros.
- Guillin had already acquired 80% of Creabag and Media Bag, specialists in advertising bread bags.
7 billion merger in paper and packaging - 17/04/2024
- Agreement for the purchase of DS Smith by International Paper: $7.2 billion.
- - Percentage of the new entity held by DS Smith shareholders: approximately one third.
- - DS Smith workforce: over 30,000 employees in 30 countries.
- - DS Smith sales last year: around $10.2 billion.
- - International Paper workforce: 39,000 employees in ten countries.
- - International Paper sales last year: $18.9 billion.
- - Estimated global pulp and paper market in 2022: $354 billion.
Elopak details its investments in the USA - 10/01/2024
- Year Elopak was founded: 1957
- Manufacture of cardboard packaging for liquid foods and related production systems
- Elopak sales in 2022: 1.02 billion euros
- Number of employees: 2,600
- Annual production: over 14 billion packs
- Number of plants: Eleven.
CEE Schisler invests and opens up its capital (Packaging) - 28/12/2023
- CEE R. Schisler is a producer of paper-cardboard packaging that recently received investment from two investment companies, Unigrains and iXO Private Equity.
- The company is still majority-owned and managed by "family shareholders".
- Schisler is a long-standing player in the fast-food paper and cardboard packaging sector, with customers including McDonald's and Burger King.
- The company generates sales of 135 million euros and employs 540 people.
- The company has a single plant in Thouars (Deux-Sèvres), with around a hundred manufacturing and converting lines.
Smurfit WestRock merger on track - 09/12/2023
- Merger of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock (two cardboard manufacturers) announced on September 12.
- Cost of operation for Smurfit Kappa: 11 billion dollars.
- Valuation of the new Smurfit WestRock entity: close to $20 billion.
- Sales of the new entity based on twelve-month results to June 30: $34 billion.
- The new entity is the world leader in corrugated board and packaging.
- Smurfit Kappa shareholders will hold 50.4% of the capital, while WestRock shareholders will hold 49.6%.
- Smurfit WestRock will operate in 42 countries.
- The new entity will have 500 cardboard mills and 67 paper mills. It will employ 98,000 people.
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the carton packaging market | France
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