Europe’s Proven Circular System Operating at Scale
Corrugated cardboard packaging supports Europe’s circular economy through established recycling systems at industrial scale.
From the parcel at your door to the box protecting fresh product at the market, corrugated cardboard is a part of everyday life. Behind it is a mature circular system, built over generations and operating at industrial scale today. To assess the circular performance of this system and provide a robust evidence base for outcome-focused packaging policy, FEFCO commissioned a peer-reviewed study by the circular economy consultancy Circul’R [1]. The peer-reviewed study considers selected stages and characteristics of the circular value chain, including material inputs, selected environmental indicators, logistics, packaging functionality, number of uses, collection, recycling and secondary-material markets.
Here's what makes the
corrugated circular model mature
Corrugated cardboard operates a mature circular model, with established capacity, widespread collection and recycling infrastructure, substantial material recirculation, and an operating secondary-material market.
After decades of investment, innovation and industrial expertise have created a circular that already works at scale across Europe. The numbers speak for themselves:
A high level of recycled content
A renewable and certified material origin
Recycling that operates at scale
Regionally integrated circular loops
A functioning secondary material market