Three Insights on the Folding Carton Industry in 2025

Putting a finger on the pulse of the folding carton industry in 2025 reveals two things: It is stable and growing.

“The folding carton sector remains fundamentally stable and healthy, and anchored by a lot of strong demand,” says Emily Leonczyk, executive director and vice president of the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC). “Now, with that being said, it is certainly a challenging time, and we've seen that challenge in Q1 and Q2. Printers, converters — they're definitely navigating inflationary pressures, the political, the economic uncertainty, and all of the ways that that influences the cautious consumer. … Everyone that I'm speaking to, despite having to make some challenging decisions to navigate the first six months here, feels very confident that the folding carton market is going to continue to grow.”

This is just one of the insights shared in Packaging Impressions’ exclusive report, “State of the Folding Carton Industry.” Here’s a sneak peek at three key takeaways from the report.

1. Labor Challenges

Labor is heavy on the minds of folding carton leaders, and companies are worried about establishing the next generation of workers — from leadership all the way down the ladder to operators.

To combat this, Steve Scherger, executive vice president and CFO of Atlanta, Georgia-based Graphic Packaging International and board chair of PPC, says his company engages with high school and trade school students in local communities to share the opportunities the folding carton industry holds.

2. Embellishments

Embellishments can bring attention to a product on a shelf, but some brands will avoid it for various reasons. For brands that do want that extra flair, Kyle Vlasak, general manager of strategic initiatives for folding cartons at Nosco, says it’s crucial to keep up with decoration trends.

“What we're trying to do is stay on top of it — really take the lead — on enhancing the look and feel of our customers’ printed packaging that increases engagement and perceived value,” he says. “The challenge is that the brand owner is always asking, ‘What's new out there that we can differentiate ourselves on the shelf?’ And a lot of that comes back down to the decoration.”

3. Sustainability

Across the U.S., packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws are calling into question the sustainability of certain packaging materials. However, these have been passed on a state by state basis, so ensuring compliance with these different regulations can be tricky — especially when it comes to packaging heading for several of these distinctly regulated locations, or that is made with plastic.

“But, I think on the other side, it's such an opportunity because fiber is renewable, recyclable, [and] we have such a beautiful story around sustainability,” Leonczyk says. “It's just a matter of putting our heads down, working together, understanding what are these regulations and how do we work with them so that fiber-based packaging can continue to be the solution of choice for consumers.”

We’re just scratching the surface with these insights from experts in the folding carton industry. To learn more about the trends impacting the industry today, plus how folding carton printers and converters are innovating to ensure growth, download the exclusive “State of the Folding Carton Industry” report for free.