Why Recycled Cardboard Should Not Be Used for Chocolate Packaging?

Recycled packaging materials are preferred by everyone these days because they help to keep the costs low and also contribute towards establishing adequate sustainability for the respective business. However, chocolate packaging is a rare exception to this practice. Apparently, any cardboard packaging or packing boxes for chocolates must be made up of virgin fibres only.

Taste and odour neutrality are the most important factors that are considered during the selection of packaging materials for chocolates. Since the products / contents are brought directly in contact with the packaging material, the possibility of issues pertaining to tainting, odour and migration are high. Recycled materials may not be completely ineffective, but the risk of contamination is always there.

Moreover, the ongoing debate on the possibility of mineral oils in the recycled fibres contaminating the contents, also makes it difficult for a chocolate manufacturer to settle for recycled packaging materials. It is therefore important for the manufacturer to stay updated with the latest developments on the environmental impact of recycled materials and the way that these materials could have an effect on the quality of the contents. 

Even if you consider wrapping up the chocolates individually and then storing the entire lot together, you need to be absolutely certain that the packing box would provide a neutral environment. Usually, any new packaging material that a chocolate manufacturers selects, is tested thoroughly for 6 months (minimum) in a controlled environment to analyse its impact on the contents. 

This is an important consideration because the chocolates need to have a decent shelf life. There is a good probability that the package would have to spend quite a long time on a shelf in a retail outlet before a customer picks it up. Even during the transportation of the consignment, the immediate surroundings / environment cannot be controlled completely. This clearly indicates that the packaging needs to be able to protect the contents and preserve them with no negative impact being witnessed on its quality. 

As a preventive measure, experts believe that manufacturers should stick to virgin fibre cardboard boxes to ensure the maintenance of the quality of their products once they have been packed and prepared for shipping. The cost of packaging would be comparatively high, so the manufacturer needs to consider the profit component of the packaging so as to set a final selling price for the product. This has to be further accentuated with the maintenance of high quality levels in the product so that the customers do not mind bearing a slightly high price resulting out of the use of virgin fibre cardboard packaging material.