By Tom Sander, VariJET Product Manager
Demand for folding carton packaging is being defined by major economic shifts including GDP growth, household consumption expenditure, population trends, and urbanisation.
Addressing the impact of this future growth is the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which aims to reduce packaging waste, promote reuse and mechanical recycling, and establish clear circularity standards across all materials, including folding cartons.
Its key objectives that impact folding carton printers are the reduction of packaging waste by minimising unnecessary materials, promoting recyclability and design for circularity, restrictions on certain materials and composite structures and increased transparency and documentation (e.g., proof of recyclability, traceability). It also sets reusable and refillable packaging targets.
We at Koenig & Bauer Durst are ideally positioned to help folding carton converters adapt to the PPWR through a combination of technology, expertise, and documentation.
Innovative digital printing technology enables rapid, flexible, and resource-optimized production. From concept to market-ready product, the production timeline is reduced from weeks to just days.
The VariJET 106 digital printing press, jointly developed by Durst and Koenig & Bauer, combines conventional offset technology with digital inkjet printing and software expertise to deliver flexible, on-demand production. By eliminating the need for physical printing plates and enabling digital job changes, it significantly reduces setup paper waste compared to traditional analog printing processes. Furthermore, it supports application versatility using water-based, food-safe inks formulated without organic solvents.
The topic was explored at the European Carton Makers Association Congress in Istanbul in October, which was also a strong reminder of the role collaboration plays in shaping the future of folding cartons. Among the takeaways we found worth sharing included market challenges, regulatory adaptation under the PPWR, and measurable value creation through digital workflows.. See more details here [use link].
Interested to learn more? Contact us to see how our digital technology help you create a brighter folding carton future.