ReportWire

Tag: cardboard boxes

  • Cutting cardboard and the signs it delivers about the economy – WTOP News

    [ad_1]

    The cardboard industry in the U.S. is massive, and there’s been a recent, significant decrease in the number of cardboard boxes being ordered. That could be trouble for the economy.

    Despite resilient stock markets and relatively low unemployment, cracks are forming beneath the surface: job growth is cooling, inflation remains stubborn and retailers are preparing for a weaker holiday season. And a slowdown in cardboard box production could be one of the clearest signs yet that the U.S. economy is bracing for a downturn.

    But there are signs that companies are expecting things to go sour. For one, recent forecasts about the upcoming holidays suggest retailers are expecting a drop in shopping leading up to Christmas. One of the biggest signs is neatly packaged, and it has to do with the packaging itself.

    “You’re seeing fewer cardboard boxes being ordered,” said Jadrian Wooten, an economics professor at Virginia Tech.

    The cardboard industry in the U.S. is massive — about four times bigger than the NFL’s $23 billion in revenue.

    This goes way beyond someone ordering a little bit less from Amazon though. It’s thought that about 75-80% of everything that gets sold in stores are shipped in cardboard boxes. The products sitting on those shelves are also often in boxes. But right now, the manufacturing plants that make cardboard are reducing capacity and production at levels not seen since the financial collapse in 2008.

    “Cardboard box companies today are shutting down plants or reducing capacity in anticipation of what’s coming ahead in the next couple months,” Wooten said.

    But the reverberations are probably bigger than you first imagine — reductions in manufacturing, which then hits the shipping industry and truck drivers, eventually hits the retail industry.

    “It’s not just a reduction in the number of boxes showing up at your house,” Wooten said. “It really is coming from boxes that are shipped to stores, boxes that are shipped overseas. And then there’s sort of these knock-on effects. So if we’re not shipping as many things, that’s going to impact the trucking industry, that’s going to impact the shipping industry, that’s going to impact our local stores.”

    Most of that demand reduction is likely impacted by holiday shopping and tariffs, which is leading to a reduction in exports.

    “What’s happening at a lot of these plants is they’re saying ‘we’re not seeing future increase in demand, we might as well shut some of these down,’” Wooten said. “Some of them are permanent shutdowns. Some of them are temporary shutdowns. But either way, it’s a signal that we’re not going to see future demand at the level that these companies think will justify operating these plants.”

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    [ad_2]

    John Domen

    Source link

  • China tightens rules on packaging waste in express delivery

    [ad_1]

    China’s express delivery industry, which processed 174.5 billion parcels in 2024, has introduced stricter measures to cut packaging waste and increase the use of eco-friendly materials.

    The regulations, which came into effect on 1 June, are intended to reduce single-use plastics and encourage the adoption of biodegradable, recyclable and reusable packaging.

    The State Post Bureau confirmed that China’s parcel volumes have been the highest in the world for 11 consecutive years, with a 21 percent increase recorded in 2024.

    The agency’s earlier estimates showed that in 2022 the sector consumed almost 10 billion boxes and more than 55 billion feet of tape.

    The new rules prohibit wasteful repackaging and require logistics firms to limit unnecessary wrapping, with a focus on replacing traditional plastics and cardboard with greener alternatives.

    Major firms are adapting operations to comply with the new standards.

    JDL Express reported avoiding over one billion instances of repackaging in 2024 by shipping goods such as tissues, diapers and small electronics in their original manufacturer boxes.

    ZTO Express has deployed an intelligent system across nearly 300 warehouses to determine the most efficient packaging option for each parcel. Other initiatives include redesigned cardboard boxes that use up to 25 percent less material, which companies say contributes to lower carbon emissions.

    Reusable circulation boxes are also being rolled out by JDL Express, SF Express and Deppon Express to reduce the reliance on single-use packaging during inter-station transfers.

    Efforts to make parcel delivery more sustainable are not limited to companies.

    Several universities have introduced collection points where students can leave used boxes for redistribution. Zhejiang University, which received more than 8.2 million parcels in 2024, reported reusing a significant number of boxes for outbound shipments.

    Similar schemes are in place at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and other campuses, aiming to reduce waste through consumer participation.

    Despite these developments, single-use packaging remains widespread, and environmental analysts note that further action will be required if China is to significantly reduce the impact of its fast-growing express delivery sector.

    “China tightens rules on packaging waste in express delivery” was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand.

    [ad_2]

    Source link