Pro Carton: Mr Rex, Pro Carton is 25 this year. What is your assessment in the jubilee year?

The assessment is extremely positive. Following the European restructuring of the organisation we were able to sharpen our focus on positioning the performance spectrum of cartons even more - a major issue at Pro Carton for the past 25 years and one we will continue to work on.

There can be no doubt that cartonboard and cartons are the most sustainable form of packaging today. And sustainability will remain a trump card which will become the most important factor in production in the coming years. Only recently we updated our brochure on the CO2-footprint of cartons which clearly demonstrates that industry performance is continuously improving in this area.

In which direction would you like to steer Pro Carton in the future?

Cooperation with the supply chain is one of my main concerns and I can see progress here. With our two competitions - both for students and packaging already available on the market - we support the development and dissemination of innovative packaging concepts for design and marketing and thus also communicate the general advantages of cartonboard packaging. Meanwhile the cartons of award winners and finalists tour across Europe every year! Our E-news provides over 9,000 interested persons in the fields of design, branded products and the retail trade with information.

How do you view the current economic climate and how will it affect the European carton industry in your opinion?

Cartonboard is at home in numerous segments and therefore not quite as susceptible to economic cycles – even in difficult times demand is still there. And I view the coming years positively. We have recovered from a long slump and upward trends are on the horizon. Of course, not fast enough for many people, but the positive aspect is that this upward trend appears sustainable in the future.

Cartons have the advantage of adding character to products on the shelves through numerous printing and processing options. Brand owners use the carton to actively support their products at the point of sale. Carton is also unbeatable and in terms of communication it is predestined as the optimal packaging carrier for interactive elements, the ideal link between the real and the virtual world. Nowhere else can you place QR codes - which are growing in leaps and bounds - so efficiently and clearly readable than on the surface of cartons.

There are a number of products promising growth. For example, the number of pre-packed meals is growing, and most of these are packed in cartons. This is where cartons truly demonstrate their convenience factor. But non-food areas such as wellness, health care and pharmaceuticals will also grow, and not just for elderly consumers which are also a growing target group. And last not least, cartons are the packaging of choice in the premium segment as they add prestige to a product.

And how about the future?

Here too, I am very confident. There are two very solid reasons, both leading to the same conclusion: cartons create a win-win situation for the branded goods industry, the retail trade and consumers.

First, no other packaging material can convey authenticity as well as cartonboard. It is 100 per cent natural and sustainable, offers more space and optimal display of text and codes, better than any other medium. Cartonboard offers virtually unlimited visual, tactile and even olfactory design options.

Second, based on an extensive survey, we were last year able to confirm that packaging is also a significant advertising medium with multiple effects - both at the point of sale and in the home. Packaging made of cartonboard proved exceptionally effective in combination with its sustainability advantages. It meets consumers' communication needs, invites them into the Internet via digital codes such as the QR code where they can select tailor-made offers - from practical applications to fan clubs; there are so many possibilities for real added-value benefits, or for adding flair to a product and reinforcing the message.