Carton packaging volumes grow in EU and UK
In Europe and the UK, more and more consumers are choosing the alternative of carton packaging. Let's discover together the case of fresh milk
In Italy as elsewhere in Europe, fresh milk is traditionally associated with gable top carton containers.
More and more consumers are becoming aware of the importance their purchasing choices have on the environment, leading to a re-evaluation of habits especially in packaging. Even in countries where consumers are used to other types of packaging - such as the United Kingdom and Ireland - there continues to be an increase in volumes of milk packaged in cartons.
This is thanks to the differentiating, 100% recyclable packaging that has always been associated with fresh and premium products.
Growth in the market of carton packaging
Consumers' search for lower-impact products is increasingly growing and involves every product category.
In the food sector, the response from the large-scale retail sector has been rapid and has led toincreased demand for products in more sustainable packaging, just like Gable Top.
Emblematic is the case of Morrison - a major supermarket chain in the UK - which has chosen to completely replace plastic with cardboard containers for the milk distributed on its shelves.
This market change has led and is leading many producers to supplement their production with milk packaged in Gable Top.
Due to consumers' excellent perception of this packaging, the change actually becomes an opportunity to:
- Give premium value to their products
- Differentiate production
- Offer consumers a practical and easy-to-carry container
- Ensure maximum food safety
Gable Top: from increased recycling to the circular economy
In response to 100% recyclable packaging, beverage and food carton manufacturers have developed several projects in recent years to make cartons even lighter in impact.
Of particular interest is ACE's Carton Ready campaign aimed at supporting British governments to increase the collection and recycling of cardboard packaging.
Other countries have also acted. As early as 2021, many European states were already reporting high collection rates for cardboard containers - Belgium (90%), Germany (80%), Austria (80%), and Spain (70%)
At the same time, examples and applications of the circular economy to food carton are also increasing.
One case is that of Lucart, an Italian paper mill that is engaged in recycling and transforming food cardboard into new objects: from recycled paper items for hygienic uses to pallets and projects to create barriers for urban centers made with 3D printing.
The case of milk in the UK and Ireland
The revival of fresh milk in cartons in the UK and Ireland took place in a special context.
In these countries, fresh milk has been packaged predominantly in plastic cans (HDPE) for the past 30 years.
Some producers saw this scenario as an opportunity to differentiate premium products by offering their premium milk in gable tops.
Despite the change in habits, consumers have rewarded this choice by finding the Gable Top a convenient, lighter and easier to transport packaging, as well as naturally in line with their sustainable principles.
Cases of dairy producers in the UK and Ireland that we followed closely include:
Tirlán (Ireland): a historic Irish brand, it produces the highest quality milk. After introducing 1-liter packs in 2014, it is working with Galdi in 2023 to install a packaging line for milk in 1.75-liter packs.
Lee Strand (Ireland): the company was already equipped with a Galdi packaging machine for the 91x91 format. Later an RG270 (2019) and an RG50 (2023) were installed for the 70x70 (1000 ml) format.
St Helen's Farm (UK): goat milk producer, installed a Galdi packaging system in 2024. We were chosen as a partner because of the competitiveness of our offer and the possibility of not tying ourselves to a single paper producer.
Galdi's support for milk producers
Galdi has accompanied many milk producers in the transition from HDPE bottle to Gable Top, providing comprehensive support and its competitive advantages:
- 40 years of experience in fresh milk packaging
- Packaging machines set up for every type of paper thanks to collaboration with leading paper manufacturers
- Technologies tailored to producers' needs: packaging systems up to 7,000 pieces/hour, shelf life up to 14 days for high quality milk without the need for Ultra Clean modules
- Single point of contact for packaging line installation
- Digital services for advanced performance monitoring and support even remotely
- New dedicated spare parts portal and new spare parts warehouse in the UK
