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There is a significant shift from plastic to paper packaging which is gaining momentum driven by environmental concerns, consumer demand and regulatory pressures. Paper packaging has notable environmental advantages over plastic, making it a preferred choice for many businesses and consumers. In a nutshell, eco-friendly paper packaging offers numerous benefits for both businesses and the environment. Here are some key advantages:
Sustainability
The future of packaging is evolving with paper-based products spearheading the reduction of plastic packaging and its associated waste.
Cardboard/paper is one of the most environmentally friendly packaging materials available. It is biodegradable, recyclable and sourced from renewable materials – which makes it a brilliant eco-friendly alternative to plastic. As an added bonus, recycling cardboard and paper uses significantly less resources of water and energy compared to producing new packaging materials.
Reduced Carbon Footprint
Recycled paper-based packaging materials generate lower carbon emissions compared to conventional packaging as fewer resources are need for production. For example, compared to plastics the production of cardboard packaging generates up to a whopping 60% fewer CO2 emissions – which makes it a compelling choice for those who are looking to reduce their environmental impact.
Biodegradability & Recyclability
Unlike traditional plastic, eco-packaging in all forms is designed to break down naturally or be easily recycled, thereby reducing landfill waste and hopefully pollution in our oceans and countryside.
Cardboard and paper begin to decompose naturally within weeks - unlike plastic which can take hundreds of years to break down and generally leaves harmful microplastics as a by-product of decomposition.
Paper has a well-established recycling route, with high recycling rates compared to plastic, which is often contaminated and difficult to process. Here’s an interesting statistic from Business Waste, 2024:-
5,389,000 tons of paper and cardboard packaging waste is produced in the UK every year. Paper and cardboard packaging has a recycling rate of 70.6% with 3,802,000 tons of paper and cardboard packaging recycled annually. About 3 million tonnes of cardboard is composted each year in the UK.
“It is estimated that UK households throw away a staggering 90 billion pieces of plastic packaging a year, or 1.7 billion pieces a week. With plastic waste recycling rates in the country still significantly low, the government has been making strides in recent years to tackle the problem at the source by introducing policies to reduce the use of single-use products.” Statista, 2025.
Cost-Effectiveness – small order on ALP
Cardboard packaging is an affordable option, particularly for small orders or business start-ups. At A Local Printer our website specialises in offering small quantity orders of all types of packaging, which is essential when you are just starting out. We can also create your packaging product for you and run samples so you can test it for suitability before placing an order. Check out or eco-packaging products here, but remember this is just a tiny sample of what we can achieve together!
Enhanced Brand Image
Consumers are increasingly drawn to businesses of all sizes that actively embrace sustainability through the use of eco-packaging. Combined with eco printing logos, branding and product information directly onto to paper based packaging the customer experience is enhanced and trust and product loyalty is developed.
Versatility & Innovation – with the Veloblade at A Local Printer
Card and paper packaging is easily customisable in terms of shape, size and style. At A Local Printer we have invested in a nifty piece of kit called a Veloblade, which essentially means we can create literally hundreds of different bespoke packaging products – from boxes to wallets to pouches and everything in between! Learn more about this brilliant tool and see our video here .
