Category deep-dive · April 15, 2025

Cardboard packaging for the food industry: a beneficiary of the sustainability wave

The US food industry is fleeing plastic and cardboard is the first choice. European producers have a technological head start here.

The source of demand

State plastic bans and brand pledges create explosive demand for cardboard and fiber packaging: food boxes, drink cups, molded fiber trays. Local production cannot keep up either in volume or in technology.

Europe, including Estonia, is ahead in developing food-grade cardboard and barrier solutions: this is a rare moment when our regulatory strictness turns into an export advantage.

Technical gates

FDA food contact compliance is the first question: declarations for materials and coatings must be ready. Compostability claims have their own certificates in the US, such as BPI: without them the green talk is just talk.

The buyers are food producers, packagers and food service distributors: three different sales routes, each with its own rhythm.

Could your product sell in the USA?The first consultation is free: we show the real import numbers for your category and a few sample buyers.

A practical direction

In our paper category data, food service packaging importers are a clearly distinct group. If your product has FDA compliance in place or achievable, we put you in front of them in the first round: right now demand in the buyers' market is greater than supply.

Let's talk about your export plan

The first consultation is free: together we'll see who in the US already buys your product and how to reach them.