According to FEFCO, corrugated board now has a CO2 footprint of 491 kg CO2e per tonne, significantly less than the previous figure of 531 kg CO2e per tonne.  This represents an improvement of 8% on the 2018 assessment, reflecting the continuous efforts made by Europe’s corrugated industry and its paper suppliers to reduce their environmental impact.

This important new number adds to the message that we can promote corrugated cardboard as a sustainable packaging material and fundamental part of the future Circular Economy.

There has been increased scrutiny of environmental statements, and it is crucial that we justify these numbers.  The data was sourced from the 2021 European FEFCO Database for Corrugated Board Life Cycle Studies, and is based on Cepi’s  “Framework for Carbon Footprints for Paper and Board Products” which has been subject to an independent peer review by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research in Heidelberg and has been found to be compatible with the requirements of the “Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard” of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol by WRI (World Resources Institute).
 
 For more information contact Andy Barnetson on 01793 889602 or abarnetson@paper.org.uk.