Billerud has warned that reducing packaging weight can undermine environmental gains if weaker packs allow more products to be damaged or wasted.
The paper and packaging materials supplier set out the warning on 17 September in a preview of its Packaging Tomorrow 2026 report. The full report will be available to download on 25 September, following a webinar on 24 September.
Billerud says the report draws on industry interviews, its own specialists and research to identify six packaging trends. Its preview highlights growing interest in fibre-based materials, lower material consumption and designing for recycling.
Timothy Nordin, the company’s brand and product management director, said material reductions must preserve protection. The announcement does not provide quantified results from packaging trials, so it should not be treated as proof that a particular lighter pack performs better.
Assess the Total Cost of Lightweighting
For supermarket buyers, the practical issue is the cost of delivering saleable food, not simply the price or weight of an empty carton. A procurement comparison should therefore include rejected deliveries, damaged stock and filling-line losses alongside material savings.
That means asking converters to test proposed specifications against the existing pack under the same conditions. For a fresh-produce case, a useful trial would track crushing and fruit damage through the actual distribution route, rather than relying only on a laboratory weight comparison.
Check Barrier Performance for Chilled Foods
For chilled or moisture-sensitive foods, buyers should also request evidence on barrier performance and shelf life. A lighter pack that needs an additional liner or extra transit protection should be assessed as a complete packaging system.
Consider the Regulatory Context
The regulatory context is changing too. The European Commission’s packaging framework, which began applying on 12 August 2026, covers waste prevention, design and recycling across materials. Its provisions have different implementation dates; choosing paper alone is not evidence of compliance.
Billerud features in GTN’s guide to Swedish packaging suppliers. Its report preview addresses a procurement question distinct from the new PaperFlex consortium’s work on paper-based flexible packaging: how to judge whether a material reduction delivers a net improvement.
Set Acceptance Criteria Before Trials
Procurement teams can make that comparison more useful by agreeing acceptance criteria before trials start. Packaging grams, delivered cost, damage rates and the recycling route in each sales market should be recorded together, with commercial approval conditional on acceptable product protection.
The report’s publication on 25 September will give buyers the opportunity to examine the supporting evidence. Until then, the preview offers a reason to review specifications, not a basis for approving a packaging switch.
