North America And Europe Reusable Corrugated Boxes Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Slotted Boxes, Telescope Boxes), By End-use (Electronics, Chemicals), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The North America and Europe reusable corrugated boxes market size was estimated at USD 2.96 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4% from 2023 to 2030. This market growth is attributed to their cost-effectiveness and high strength compared to that of recycled corrugated boxes. In addition, these boxes exhibit better durability and strength and provide higher protection than traditional cardboard boxes as they are manufactured from different flutes and wall construction (or thickness) combinations.

The U.S. market for reusable corrugated boxes is driven by the rising raw material prices required in the manufacturing of new corrugated boxes such as pulp, paper, and allied products consisting of lined and unlined corrugated paperboard in sheets and rolls. This has led several end-users to adopt reusable corrugated boxes for the transportation and shipment of bulk products. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the producer price index (PPI) in the U.S. has risen from USD 218.4 million in April 2014 to USD 330.2 in April 2023.

The PPI measures the average change over time in selling prices received by domestic producers of goods and services. When the producers face input inflation, i.e., a rise in prices of raw materials and/or energy costs, the increase in prices of raw materials results in an increase in their production costs, which is further passed on to the suppliers and end-users.

Thus, the rising raw material prices and energy prices can drive end-use industries to consider reusable corrugated boxes as a suitable option to fulfill their packaging requirements and control the overall packaging cost in the U.S. markets. The reusable corrugated boxes provide cost savings and help fill in the demand-supply gap created by the shortage of new corrugated boxes. These factors are expected to propel the demand for the reusable corrugated boxes market in the country.

Type Insights

Based on type, the North America & Europe reusable corrugated boxes market is segmented into slotted boxes, telescope boxes, corrugated boxes, and folder boxes. Among these, the telescope boxes dominated the segment with a market share of over 44.0% in 2022 in terms of revenue. This growth is attributed to the boxes being extra thick and providing additional stacking ability and support for flat, long slender items, heavy items, and fragile products such as pipes, poles, water heaters, and kitchen crockery items.

The corrugated pallets segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period, owing to the corrugated pallets being considered a lightweight and cost-effective alternative to heavy wooden pallets in various end-use applications. Many landfills no longer accept wood pallets as they are difficult to dispose of. This has driven pallet manufacturers to develop reusable options as an alternative to wooden pallets, which can be further disposed of easily upon completing its service lifecycle. For instance, Green Label Packaging manufactures Ecodek Pallets, manufactured from 100% corrugated paper and assembled with "repulpable" F.D.A.-approved adhesive.

The rising demand for slotted-type corrugated boxes in packaging is driven by several box manufacturers developing slotted-type boxes complying with the edge crush test (ECT) and burst resistance strength test to increase the loading capacity of the slotted corrugated boxes. This further makes them suitable to be reused more than once. These boxes are mainly of four types: regular slotted cartons (RSC), half-slotted cartons (HSC), partial overlap (POL), complete overlap slotted cartons (FOL), and center slotted corrugated boxes. Out of these, regular slotted cartons account for a significant market share of slotted-type reusable corrugated boxes.

The demand for reusable folder corrugated boxes is driven by its primary application in transporting smaller products such as cosmetics, books, documents, and small-sized e-commerce products. These boxes comprise one or more pieces of the combined board, providing an unbroken surface that is scored to fold around the product. To enhance the box design, manufacturers add customizations to these boxes, such as handles and locks, as per the product requirement.

End-use Insights

Based on end-use, the North America & Europe market for reusable corrugated boxes is categorized into food & beverages, electronics, home & personal care, chemicals, textile goods, glassware & ceramics, paper products, e-commerce, and others. Among these, food & beverage held the largest market share of over 19.0% in 2022 in terms of revenue. This market growth is due to its utilization in the food & beverage industry for cost savings, supply chain efficiency, and sustainability.

Food & beverage manufacturers mainly receive shipments of food ingredients and packaging materials in sturdy and durable reusable corrugated boxes. These boxes are reused by food & beverage manufacturers for packaging and transportation purposes instead of being disposed of. For instance, Liviri, a U.S.-based wine bottle packaging manufacturer, uses reusable corrugated boxes for wine bottles for a cost-effective supply chain by reducing overall packaging expenses for wine manufacturers.

The e-commerce industry is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 10.7% over the forecast period. This is owing to the reusable boxes being considered the backbone of the supply chain in the e-commerce industry. This industry utilizes these boxes to ship fragile, delicate, or heavy products requiring secure and protective packaging. Several e-commerce platforms have shifted from traditional plastic packaging to reusable corrugated boxes to reduce packaging waste and landfills. For instance, in July 2022, Amazon.com, Inc. adopted reusable corrugated boxes as a part of its sustainability goals.

The demand for reusable corrugated boxes in the electronics industry is driven by their utilization to provide cushioning and protection to electronic products such as smartphones. Moreover, electronic manufacturers, such as SAMSUNG, prefer these reusable corrugated boxes as a part of their sustainability initiatives. This allows electronic manufacturers to enhance customer engagement and showcase their sustainability commitment to their customers. For instance, in April 2020, SAMSUNG introduced a new ‘eco-packaging’ made from eco-friendly corrugated cardboard for the packaging of Samsung television models, such as The Frame, The Serif, and The Sero.

Regional Insights

The Europe market for reusable corrugated boxes held the largest market share of over 70.0% owing to the growing end-use industries, which propelled the increased demand for packaging. According to FEFCO, in 2022, corrugated packaging accounted for 75-80% of the products transported in Europe. The primary function of corrugated packaging is to protect the packed goods from the loading point from any factory or warehouse until their final consumption to avoid product loss. The high percentage share of corrugated packaging signifies a higher demand for reusable corrugated boxes in the region.

According to the German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery, and Detergent Association, the cosmetics market in Germany is on the rise owing to the increasing demand for cosmetic products over the years. Corrugated board solutions have wide applications in the cosmetics & personal care industry as they offer the flexibility and strength required for packaging, thereby enhancing storability, along with providing ambient temperature control in most cases. Increasing demand for cosmetics & personal care products coupled with delivery services offered by most online shopping websites & companies is expected to boost the demand for reusable corrugated boards in Germany over the forecast period.

The reusable corrugated boxes market in North America is driven by the growing electronics consumer industry in the region due to increasing demand for work-from-home devices, including personal computers and routers. The rise in demand for the aforementioned products positively benefits the reusable corrugated boxes demand for bulk transportation of electronic products such as laptops across the region. In addition, the increasing focus on reducing plastics, especially in the automotive and electronics industries for bulk transportation, is expected to augment the demand for reusable corrugated boxes over the forecast period. Regulations pertaining to environmental safety and the rising need for easy disposal are projected to drive the demand for sustainable materials in packaging applications, which is expected to boost the corrugated box market over the coming years.

The reusable corrugated boxes demand in Canada is driven by several government initiatives supporting the utilization of these boxes in the region to reduce plastic packaging waste. For instance, in 2012, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) worked with major retailers, restaurants, and brand owners in the packaging industry to come up with an industry-driven approach to reduce landfills caused by packaging waste in Canada.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Key companies resort to multiple mergers and acquisitions in a bid to gain market share in a particular region. In some cases, the companies build technological collaborations to produce an advanced product with superior performance characteristics to increase revenue. For instance, on June 21, 2023, Boox, a sustainable packaging provider announced a collaboration with ReturnBear to launch reusable corrugated boxes in the Canadian markets for e-commerce industries. Some prominent players in the North America and Europe reusable corrugated boxes market include:

• Mondi Group

• Rengo Co., Ltd.

• DS Smith

• International Paper

• sappi

• Stora Enso

• Trident Paper Box Industries

• Packaging Corporation of America

• WestRock Company

• Packman Packaging

• Smurfit Kappa

• Cascades Inc.

• Georgia-Pacific, LLC.

• Nine Dragons Worldwide (China) Investment Group Co., Ltd

• Kapco Packaging

North America And Europe Reusable Corrugated Boxes Market Report Scope

North America And Europe Reusable Corrugated Boxes Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts volume and revenue growth at regional & country levels and provides an analysis of the industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the North America and Europe reusable corrugated boxes market report based on type, end-use, and region:

• Type Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Slotted Boxes

  • Telescope Boxes

  • Folder Boxes

  • Corrugated Pallets

• End-use Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Food & Beverage

  • Electronics

  • Home & Personal Care

  • Chemicals

  • Textile Goods

  • Glassware & Ceramics

  • Paper Products

  • E-commerce

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • France

    • UK

    • Italy

    • Spain