Cartons

Cartons are packaging containers made primarily from paper-based materials such as paperboard or cartonboard. They are designed to be lightweight, stackable, printable, and either foldable or rigid, serving to protect, present, and convey information about products during storage, display, and transport.

Materials range from uncoated or coated paperboard to laminated structures used for beverages. Folding cartons are the most common form of consumer packaging, constructed from single sheets that are cut, printed, scored, folded, and glued into three-dimensional shapes. Set-up or rigid cartons hold a fixed shape without folding. Specialized carton types include beverage cartons with laminated layers of paperboard, polymer coatings, and sometimes aluminum for moisture and gas barriers; egg cartons often use molded pulp or plastics.

Design features include opening methods, branding-ready printing, and performance traits such as rigidity, cushioning, and barrier properties. Carton design must consider manufacturing feasibility, automated packing lines, and shelf impact.

Manufacture involves converting pulp into paperboard, applying coatings as needed, and performing printing and finishing. In converting lines, sheets are cut, scored, folded, and glued to form final cartons, which are then assembled and prepared for packaging and distribution.

Sustainability and regulation: most paper-based cartons are recyclable where programs exist and are increasingly produced with higher recycled content. However, laminates used in some beverage cartons can complicate recycling and may require specialized facilities. Recyclability varies by region and facility. Food-contact safety and labeling regulations govern carton production, especially for packaging of edible goods.