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June 2025
The global single-wall corrugated boxes market is booming, poised for a revenue surge into the hundreds of millions from 2025 to 2034, driving a revolution in sustainable transportation. The rising expansion of the retail and e-commerce sector is expected to drive the global single-wall corrugated boxes market over the forecast period.
In the packaging industry, Single-wall corrugated boxes are the most commonly used packaging solution, offering a good balance of cost-effectiveness and strength. Single-wall corrugated boxes generally consist of a single inner layer, a single outer layer, and a fluted medium sandwiched between the two. Single Wall Corrugated Boxes are widely used across various industries such as e-commerce and retail, food and beverage, consumer goods and electronics, and others. Single-wall boxes are lightweight and cheaper than double-wall or triple-wall boxes. They are well-suited for shipping lightweight or non-fragile items.
Single-wall corrugated boxes are extensively available in a wide range of sizes, with different combinations of outer and inner liners and grammages. Recycled materials, reprocessed from previously used products, to becoming a vital component in sustainable packaging. Businesses are increasingly shifting to recycled content to optimize manufacturing processes and minimize wastage, offering both economic and environmental benefits.
| Metric | Details |
| Key Driver | Rising demand for eco-friendly, lightweight, and cost-effective packaging |
| Leading Region | North America |
| Market Segmentation | By Material Type, By Box Type, By End-Use Industry and By Region |
| Top Key Players | Mondi Group, International Paper, WestRock Company, DS Smith, Smurfit Kappa Group, Rengo Co., Ltd. |
As AI technology continues to evolve, Artificial intelligence integration holds great potential to positively impact the growth of the non-cushioned mailers market. Machine learning (ML) algorithms can effectively analyze historical and real-time data to optimize production schedules, predict maintenance needs, and reduce wastage. The incorporation of AI is a strategic imperative for manufacturers seeking to stay competitive in a complex and dynamic landscape by optimizing production processes, enhancing precision, personalized packaging, and sustainability.
AI is revolutionising the way single-wall corrugated boxes are designed. AI algorithms assist businesses in creating innovative designs customised to the evolving specific needs. AI-powered predictive maintenance alerts responsible operators before any critical component fails, which reduces downtime. AI assists in controlling the quality by using computer vision to detect any defects in corrugated boxes or printing misalignments, which are often overlooked by the human eye. Leveraging the power of AI ensures that the corrugated box industry remains competitive, agile, and responsive to meet the evolving needs of the market.
Increasing Demand for Environmentally-Friendly Packaging
The rising need for environmentally friendly packaging is expected to boost the growth of the single-wall corrugated boxes market during the forecast period. The rising environmental concerns are reshaping the packaging landscape, and single-box corrugated materials are meeting these demands. The increasing awareness of circular economy models influences sustainable packaging practices. Single-wall corrugated boxes are the most popular and sustainable packaging solution globally. These boxes are reliable, strong, and made from mostly recycled materials, heightened focus on significantly lowering carbon emissions. Several efficient methods are being adopted by manufacturers, where corrugated single-wall boxes are recycled into new packaging at scale. Additionally, the rising environmental concerns are increasingly encouraging businesses to invest in eco-friendly and sustainable packaging solutions, driving the expansion of the market during the forecast period.
Fluctuating Raw Material Costs
The price volatility is anticipated to hinder the market's growth. The fluctuation in the price of raw materials, particularly paper and wood pulp, has led to an increasing production cost of single-wall corrugated boxes, which can adversely impact the profitability of manufacturers. In addition, the risk of structural damage may hinder the growth of the global single-wall corrugated boxes market during the forecast period. The rough handling or excessive exposure to moisture often weakens single-wall corrugated boxes, which results in a reduction of their ability to protect contents. Waterlogged boxes lose rigidity and become more prone to collapsing during transit.
How is the Expansion of the E-commerce Industry Impacting the Market Expansion?
The rapid expansion of the e-commerce industry is projected to offer lucrative growth opportunities to the single-wall corrugated boxes market in the coming years. In the e-commerce industry, single-wall corrugated boxes are used for numerous applications, including shipping, packaging, and storage. Single-wall corrugated boxes allow for shipping lightweight goods with durability and strength. These boxes assist in improving handling efficiencies, product protection, and reducing product damage, and offer an economical option for the e-commerce industry. Moreover, printing on packaging improves branding and seasonal references to enhance the customer’s unboxing experience.
The Kraft paper segment held a dominant presence in the single-wall corrugated boxes market in 2024, owing to its maximum strength and durability for shipping. Kraft fibers are widely used to produce the liner of single-wall corrugated boxes. Kraft paper is considered a sustainable material, mostly obtained from wood pulp. These boxes are recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable, assisting in promoting a circular economy. On the other hand, the recycled paperboard segment is expected to grow at a significant rate. The growth of the segment is attributed to the growing need for eco-friendly materials. These single-wall corrugated boxes are made out of recycled paper; they are highly durable and eco-friendly.
RSC is the most common box style and is considered a highly efficient design for several applications. RSC boxes are most commonly utilised for Appliances, Consumer goods, Electronics, Fragile items, Industrial products, and others. RSC corrugated box is widely utilised as a shipping carton, owing to its cost effectiveness, highly efficient and versatile design that creates minimal wastage. On the other hand, the die-cut boxes segment is growing at the fastest CAGR. Die-cut boxes can be customizable to fit any shape, size, or need. Die-cut boxes also allow businesses to create more customizable looks that can be printed with logos and instructions. To enhance customer experience, custom die-cut boxes are increasingly becoming a popular choice for luxury brands and higher-end items. Moreover, the die-cut boxes offer various benefits such as versatility, enhance brand awareness, lower shipping costs, and provide product protection.
The food and beverages industry segment accounted for a significant share of the single-wall corrugated boxes market in 2024, growing demand for single-wall corrugated boxes for food packaging in fresh produce, ready-to-eat meals, and frozen foods. Single-wall corrugated boxes play a crucial role in the food and beverages industry by offering protection, durability, affordability, versatility, and availability in a wide range of sizes and innovative designs. Moreover, increasing adoption of these boxes in the packaging of meat, dairy, and seafood is expected to fuel the segment’s expansion during the forecast period. On the other hand, the e-commerce segment is expected to witness remarkable growth during the forecast period, owing to the rising online shopping of groceries, consumer goods, consumer care and cosmetics, and others.
North America has a robust presence of food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, retail and ecommerce, personal care and cosmetics, and the apparel industry, which are all major users of single-wall corrugated boxes. The region has a high e-commerce penetration rate, with prominent e-commerce giants such as Amazon, Walmart, Apple, and eBay widely using single-wall corrugated packaging for their light-weightiness, high strength, high durability, and aesthetic value. The incorporation of smart technologies into corrugated packaging, such as QR codes, NFC tags, and RFID tags, allows for real-time tracking, authentication, and improved consumer engagement.
The rising consumer and business inclination towards sustainable packaging solutions is expected to drive the market’s revenue in the region. For instance, in June 2025, International Paper announced the plan to explore building a new sustainable packaging facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. The exploration of a prospective new facility is part of International Paper's strategic growth plans to expand manufacturing capabilities in the United States. This initiative is part of IP’s broader strategy to expand its manufacturing footprint in the country and better serve customers by meeting the growing demand for high-quality, sustainable packaging.
On the other hand, Europe is expected to grow at a significant rate in the market during the forecast period, owing to the increasing focus on improving recyclability, stricter environmental regulations, rising consumer inclination for personalized and customized packaging solutions, surge in online shopping, and increasing demand for lightweight and cost-effective packaging solutions from various industries. Several manufacturers are heavily investing in developing innovative packaging designs and printing on packaging to better connect with customers and stand out from the competition.
Europe’s government-led sustainability initiatives and stricter environmental regulations compel companies to adopt eco-friendly alternatives, boosting the market’ expansion. European countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, France, Germany, and the UK are leading with robust recycling measures and EPRs. Policies like the European Union’s Circular Economy Action Plan encourage companies to invest more in sustainable packaging solutions. Such factors are increasingly contributing to the increasing demand for single-wall corrugated boxes in the region.
By Material Type
By Box Type
By End-Use Industry
By Region
June 2025
June 2025
June 2025
June 2025
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