Packaging: A Change Continuum

Cost concerns

Raw material and energy prices are a major concern at all levels of the packaging industry today. Even in the realm of papers and boards, the new emphasis on sustainability and forest stewardship certification (FSC and, in Europe, PEFC) is affecting the prices paid for pulp-based materials by product manufacturers and packaging suppliers with integrity and a sense of environmental responsibility. The advent of the European REACH chemical control legislation—which affects imports to the region as well as domestic product—has major implications for the print industry globally, particularly in inks and label adhesives.