The Italian Box Manufacturers Association has created a new manual for box converting manufacturers, aimed at increasing industry knowledge, improving relationships with customers, defining best practices, and advancing the sector
“Corrugated cardboard packaging – general information and production aspects; technical and commercial guidelines” is the new publication developed by the Italian Box Manufacturers Association, representing box converting manufacturers throughout Italy: a sector with a total turnover exceeding €1.2 billion and employing thousands of people in Italy.
The manual results from collaborative efforts between the association, a team of experts on various topics covered, and a selection of box manufacturers clients. Its goal is to build knowledge about corrugated cardboard packaging (both within and outside the industry) and foster growth in the sector.
The key values of the project include: raising visibility for the box converting manufacturers sector, which is part of a complex and articulated supply chain with its own specific needs and characteristics, but the sector is not sufficiently recognized in important venues, including institutional ones; highlighting the many advantages of corrugated cardboard packaging in terms of circularity and sustainability, both within the industry and externally, up to consumers.
The manual was developed by the Technical Commission of the Association, which, to write some sections, collaborated with the Paper Quality Center of Lucca (an independent laboratory specializing in testing, certification, experimentation, and research serving as a key reference point for the sector) and specialists in the various themes discussed. It addresses the most relevant technical aspects of corrugated cardboard packaging with the aim of making the supply of corrugated packaging and related services more efficient; ensuring high quality and safety of supplies, and enabling buyers of packaging to make informed and transparent commercial choices.
The manual is divided into two parts. The first part ‘General information and production aspects’ introduces the world of corrugated cardboard and its main packaging types, explaining their characteristics and providing useful elements to guide choices toward the most suitable packaging for various needs. It then describes the most relevant technical aspects, wave characteristics, performance, laboratory tests, tolerances, and the main certifications and standards related to corrugated cardboard packaging.
The second part ‘Technical and commercial guidelines’ defines the main elements to consider in supply contracts for corrugated cardboard packaging, with a specific focus on the characteristics of box converting manufacturers.
The manual was officially launched last November during a press conference at the Chamber of Deputies and was distributed in advance to box manufacturers belonging to the Association. Now it is available to the entire box converting manufacturers sector, with the aim of becoming a reference standard for the industry.
Promotion of environmental sustainability
The Association, committed for years to place environmental sustainability at the core of its activities, also aims to actively promote the concepts of circular economy and environmental impact reduction within the box manufacturers sector through this new manual.
The manual emphasizes how corrugated cardboard is an effective response to the EU’s tightening measures on packaging sustainability. It serves as a guide to navigate the market’s continuous evolution and increasingly stringent sustainability requirements. Corrugated cardboard is positioned as a key resource for promoting an economy that fully respects the environment: a material that could potentially replace high-impact materials in numerous sectors.
