Targeting Success

Plastic folding cartons pose a longer-term threat for paperboard packaging, notes Ratkus. This alternative is two to three times more expensive and will always be dependent on volatile petrochemical pricing, but he sees it as a viable option, if only in some niche markets.

What may hold future promise for folding cartons is the whole area of smart packaging, including RFID. "The industry is working very hard to find opportunities and applications for packaging security, authentication, and interactive properties," says Petrelli. "The future of folding carton technology will be enhanced by interactive ink technologies such as lenticular image printing, temperature-sensitive (thermochromatic) inks, time-sensitive inks, bio-sensitive inks, and thermoconductive inks."