By Winfried Muehling, director of marketing and communications at Pro Carton
Zero Waste Week 2025 serves as a powerful reminder of the growing environmental challenges we face, particularly the alarming amount of waste we produce and its contribution to climate change. As we witness the effects of wasteful habits, ranging from overflowing landfills to rising carbon emissions, this week urges us all to rethink our consumption patterns and take action toward reducing waste.
Pro Carton is proud to support Zero Waste Week’s mission of promoting sustainability and circularity. By encouraging both individuals and businesses to reduce their landfill contributions, we can all work together to conserve resources and protect our planet for future generations. Small, everyday changes can add up to a monumental impact, and we must take those first steps today.
Consumers are already taking steps to lead more sustainable lifestyles and limit their environmental impact. According to the results of Pro Carton’s 2025 Consumer Packaging Perceptions Survey, 51% (of 1,000 respondents) say that living a sustainable lifestyle has become more important to them in the last 12 months. Also, over a third (34%) have switched brands or products over concerns about packaging, and 67% have recycled more waste. However, consumers are also hungry for more action, with 77% believing that we could do more to combat climate change.
Cartonboard is a key enabler of the circular economy. We use renewable sources as raw material and we support a well trusted collection and recycling system across Europe. Latest Eurostat figures show a recycling rate of 86.6% for 2023. Material which is collected in the paper and cartonboard recycling streams will find its way back on the shelves as new packaging material. Its durability and recyclability make it an excellent choice for sustainable packaging solutions, and it can be recycled multiple times without losing quality. By choosing cartonboard, businesses and consumers alike can significantly reduce waste, lower environmental footprints, and contribute to a truly sustainable future.
This Zero Waste Week, I encourage everyone, from individuals to large corporations, to consider how their actions can help drive the circular economy forward. Whether it’s reducing single-use fossil-based packaging, recycling more, or choosing circular packaging like cartonboard, we all have a part to play in reducing waste and mitigating the effects of climate change.
Join us in making a real difference. Let’s turn Zero Waste Week into a movement that lasts far beyond the first week of September. Together, we can reduce waste, save money, and protect the planet.
To learn more about fibre-based packaging, please visit the Pro Carton website: https://www.procarton.com
