Balancing sustainability and performance in carton packaging

For many brands and retailers, sustainability is a core commercial, operational and reputational priority. 

Customers want to reduce plastic use, improve recyclability, source materials responsibly and make environmental claims with confidence. Balancing sustainability and performance is about making good packaging decisions.  It means looking at the material, the structure, the print and finish, the packing process, the supply chain and the end use. 

And this is where our team at Kingston Carton can help! 

Kingston Carton produces more than 350 million cartons a year, giving us practical experience of balancing material efficiency, shelf performance and supply-chain reliability at scale. 

But sustainable packaging only works if it also performs. A carton that uses less material but crushes in transit does not work. A board grade that improves environmental credentials but slows down an automated line, is not the right answer. And a beautifully printed carton that looks impressive on the shelf but uses unnecessary material or cannot support a brand’s sustainability goals, may no longer be fit for purpose.

Start with the right material

Carton board is already a strong starting point for brands looking to improve the sustainability of their packaging. It is fibre-based, widely recyclable and, when sourced correctly (as ours is), can be traced back to responsibly managed forests or recycled sources. It also offers a practical alternative to more difficult-to-recycle packaging formats in many applications. Our material is sustainably sourced. We hold FSC® and PEFC chain-of-custody certification, helping customers specify carton board from responsibly managed and traceable sources.

For brands, retailers and food manufacturers, FSC certification is valuable because it gives more confidence that the fibre used in their cartons comes from responsibly managed sources and controlled supply chains. It also supports customer sustainability policies and gives procurement teams a clearer basis for specifying responsibly sourced fibre-based packaging.

It’s not only the carton board that’s kind to the environment, it’s the way we manufacture the cartons, too. All of our manufacturing processes are implemented with a view to protecting the environment, from our mineral oil free production systems and our bespoke waste segregation recycling system, all the way through to operating a number of electric vehicles, we take the environment seriously. Our in-house design capability can also support more sustainable packaging development, including alternatives to plastic windows and foil effects where brands want to improve recyclability without losing shelf appeal.

However, choosing carton board does not automatically make a pack sustainable! 

The environmental performance of a carton depends on a much wider set of decisions. Which board grade is being used? Is it the right weight and thickness for the job, or is the pack over-specified? Does the structure make efficient use of material? Are the inks, coatings and finishes appropriate for the product and end use? Will the finished carton move efficiently through warehousing and transport? Can the sustainability claim being made actually be supported by the pack specification?

If a pack does not run properly on an automated line, it may cause stoppages, rejects and lost productivity. If the board grade is not suitable for the product or distribution route, cartons may crush, split or fail in transit. If the pack is difficult to erect, fill or close, labour time and inefficiency increase. If the structure does not protect the product, the environmental impact of damaged or wasted goods can be far greater than the packaging itself.

Use the right amount of material

One of the biggest opportunities for improving sustainability is using the right amount of material for what you need. A carton may use a heavier board grade than necessary, have dimensions that create avoidable empty space, or include structural features that do not add meaningful value. All of these things can increase material use, production cost, pallet space and transport inefficiency. Which therefore, means the product is less sustainable. 

But if you are going to reduce weight, or structure, you need to ensure the decision is done with the performance of the carton at the forefront of the decision. 

Your carton needs to protect the product, survive packing, hold its shape in transit and on shelf, be the suitable materials for the product and environment it will be placed in, and work within the customer’s production environment.

We had a customer struggling with crushing issues when the product was packed into a full pallet and then transported. We redesigned the product to make it slightly smaller, which resulted in a more solid carton. This solved the crushing problem and reduced the cost for the customer, with just one simple design change!

Expertise on good packaging design and technical knowledge are essential. Sometimes a small structural adjustment can improve sheet utilisation and reduce board usage without affecting package performance. In other cases, a change in dimensions, flap design or internal fit can improve efficiency while maintaining strength and appearance.

Specific needs for specific sectors 

In food packaging, the specification needs to reflect not only sustainability goals, but also food safety, barrier requirements and the conditions in which the carton will be used. Chilled, frozen, greasy or direct-contact applications all place different demands on the board and pack construction. The right solution must satisfy both environmental objectives and the realities of product protection and compliance. In food packaging, we use low migration inks and food-grade lubricants, and can supply direct-contact fibre cartons as well as recycled board outer cartons depending on the application.

We recently worked with a customer who had purchased an automated machine for a new product line they were introducing. They had the product, but no packaging for the machine. So we designed the packaging to be fit for the machine. We spent time with the customer helping them with the automated line, which made sure the launch went smoothly. We have quicker production-line speeds and fewer stoppages caused by reject cartons when packaging is manufactured to a high standard.

A carton has a job to do. If it cannot do that job reliably, it is not a sustainable solution. 

Balance shelf impact, creation, the manufacturing process and end use

Does it need to stand out on the shelf? Does it need a premium finish? Will it be packed by hand or on a high-speed automated line? Does it need to stack, hang, display or withstand distribution pressure? Will it be stored for long periods or delivered in staged call-offs? Each of these factors influences the final specification.

A good packaging partner should be able to review those demands together, not in isolation. Premium finishes, coatings and embellishments can be important for brand impact, but they should still be considered carefully within the wider sustainability picture. Structural features should support the product rather than add unnecessary complexity. Board choice should be aligned not only with appearance, but with how the pack will run, how it will be stored and how it will be transported.

We recently changed the varnish on a customer's large auto-pack run. We changed the varnish from a ‘rough touch’ varnish to a ‘soft touch’ varnish, which helped the carton run better on their auto-pack machine. When you produce a product with a smoother run, there is less maintenance on the machine, as belts and machine parts will last longer, resulting in significant cost savings and smoother production.

When sustainability is built into the design process in this way, the result is usually a better all-round carton: one that uses materials more efficiently, performs reliably and still delivers the visual and commercial result the brand needs.

Sustainability and supply: How cartons are made and supplied

When businesses assess the sustainability of packaging, it is easy to focus only on the carton itself. In reality, the wider manufacturing and supply model also plays a role.

Waste handling, process efficiency, transport planning, stockholding and delivery all affect the overall performance of a packaging supply chain. 

Our 4,000-pallet warehousing capacity and call-off delivery model show that packaging performance is not just about the carton itself, but about how stock, storage and logistics are managed across the supply chain.

We have an energy efficient fleet of vehicles to deliver our products, meaning we are supporting sustainable processes. We also ensure our machinery is serviced every year on our shutdown to maintain top efficiency and less waste, maximising production and time. At Kingston Carton, we also ensure tight delivery schedules, which maximises loads and is therefore, a more sustainable way of working. 

Ask good questions early

One of the most effective ways to balance sustainability and performance is to involve packaging expertise early in the process.

Ask the right questions at the start. What is the product? How will it be packed? Does it run on an automated line? Is it direct food contact or an outer carton? What level of shelf impact is required? What transport, storage and handling conditions will it face? What sustainability goals is the brand trying to achieve? Reduced material, improved recyclability, responsible sourcing, plastic replacement, or all of the above?

When these questions are built into the brief, it becomes much easier to develop a carton that balances environmental goals with operational performance.

Sustainable packaging should work in the real world

There is no single formula for sustainable packaging, because no two products, brands or supply chains are exactly the same. But the right carton should support your sustainability goals, as well as protecting the product, performing in production, working through storage and logistics, and presenting your brand in the right way. Sustainable packaging should work in the real world; on the shelf, on the line and across the supply chain.

Do you have a question about packaging? Call us on 01482 329886 or email sales@kingstoncarton.co.uk.