FBA Insights (CONT’D FROM PAGE 8)
What This Means For Your Packaging Decisions These findings have direct implications for packaging professionals making strategic decisions. Environmental performance depends on your specific supply chain con- figuration, geographic footprint, and which environmental impacts matter most to your stakeholders. Companies with carbon reduction commitments should pay particular attention to the findings on global warming impact. Those prioritizing energy efficiency will find corru- gated’s 110 percent advantage in non-renewable energy use compelling. The weight differential also affects oper- ational costs, making corrugated attractive from both sus- tainability and business perspectives. Organizations focused on water conservation may find RPCs align better with their goals, but they need to under- stand the trade-offs in carbon and energy performance, as well as the business cost implications of heavier contain- ers and complex reverse logistics. Consumer Preferences
more sustainable overlooks critical operational realities. Container weight drives both environmental impact and business costs. RPCs can weigh up to four times more than corrugated containers, creating significant implica- tions throughout the supply chain. Reusable plastic containers require extensive support- ing infrastructure. Containers must be transported back to centralized cleaning facilities, washed using water and energy, then shipped back to points of origin. The heavi- er weight of RPCs compounds transportation emissions across these trips. In contrast, lighter corrugated containers reduce freight costs and transportation emissions. Local sourcing en- ables shorter supply chains, and the reduced weight al- lows more products per truckload, improving efficiency.
A 2025 McKinsey survey found re- cyclability as consumers’ foremost sus- tainable packaging concern (McKinsey & Company, 2025). This makes corrugated’s proven recyclability a competitive differen- tiator. With a recycling rate of 69-74 percent in 2024 (American Forest & Paper Asso- ciation), the industry has established in- frastructure and consumer familiarity that supports circular economy goals. The study reinforces an important prin- ciple: beware of absolute claims that any packaging type is universally “better” for the environment. Marketing messages promoting reusable containers as the ob- vious sustainable choice ignore the evi- dence of meaningful trade-offs between systems. Both systems offer opportunities for environmental improvement. Corrugated manufacturers continue advancing light- weighting technologies while benefiting from established recovery infrastructure. RPC operators can optimize reuse cy- cles, incorporate recycled content, mini- mize transportation distances, and reduce breakage rates. Corrugated’s strong performance in categories like global warming, energy use, and eutrophication reflects both the renewable, recyclable nature of the ma- terial and the efficiency of established re- covery systems. In sustainability, complex- ity is reality. Better decisions come from embracing that complexity with rigorous data rather than accepting oversimplified narratives.
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December 8, 2025
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