Which is better – chain of custody certified virgin or recycled paperboard?

We believe in a total life-cycle approach to sustainable packaging which incorporates both CoC virgin and recycled paperboard. But because paper can only be recycled five to seven times, virgin paper must be constantly introduced into the global paper use stream. Experts estimate that without adding more virgin paper, we would run out of paper to recycle in about 30 days!

Do you know where the paperboard in YOUR packaging originates and are you proving it to your customers? Less than 10% of the world’s forests are certified to meet sustainable standards….. so be sure the virgin paper you select for your packaging comes from responsibly managed sources.

Virgin
Using chain of custody certified virgin paperboard encourages the renewal of forestry resources.

In North America, trees used for manufacturing paperboard are grown on tree farms where five new trees are planted for every one harvested. Conversely, in some parts of the world illegal logging contributes to global deforestation and climate change.

Recycled
At a recovery rate of 65.8% in 2017, paper is the most recycled material in the US.

When you compare this recovery rate to that of plastic at less than 10%, it becomes more obvious that paperboard is the most sustainable packaging material available. But not all recycled paperboard is suitable for packaging applications. To create a high quality folding carton the paperboard used must have good paper fibers for strength, brightness, runability, printability, and opacity.

Let the experts at Winston Packaging assist you in selecting the best substrate for your project!