Tree to Box: The Billion Dollar Cardboard Business

Summary by Krater

This video examines the global cardboard packaging industry, analyzing how corrugated fiberboard is manufactured, recycled, and sourced by the two dominant market leaders, International Paper and WestRock.

From the video

Answers: Who actually makes the world's cardboard boxes and how does the cardboard industry work?

• Cardboard box manufacturing process
• Corrugated fiberboard structure and fluting
• Paper recycling limitations and virgin fiber sourcing
• Forestry management and global wood fiber supply
• Supply chain optimization in containerboard and converting facilities
• Business strategies of International Paper and WestRock

What it concludes

• Paper can only be recycled an average of four to six times before fibers degrade.
• Over 95% of the world's physical goods are packed, transported, and stored in corrugated cardboard boxes.
• International Paper restructured its business by selling off consumer packaging, lumber, and forests to focus on industrial packaging and cellulose fibers.
• WestRock achieves supply chain differentiation as the largest paper recycler in the United States and through cross-selling consumer and corrugated packaging.
• International Paper leads in overall cardboard revenue, but WestRock has consistently closed the gap with 9% average annual growth.