Your Essential Guide to Packaging Materials in 2025: What to Use and Why It Matters

What Do We Mean by ‘Material Packaging’?

It’s the stuff your packaging is made from — plain and simple. Whether it’s kraft paper, clear PET, thick board, or a compostable pulp tray, your choice affects cost, recyclability, customer impression, and how your product survives the journey.

Why Choosing the Right Packaging Material Really Matters?

Every packaging material comes with trade-offs. Some are better for protection, others for presentation, and some align more closely with eco values. The right choice depends on your product, your goals, and how you want customers to experience your brand.

So what are your options in 2025? And which one fits best?

The Main Players: What Packaging Materials Are Available?

Paperboard (Folding Carton)

A go-to for lightweight retail packaging. Think cereal boxes or perfume sleeves.

• Best for: Cosmetics, pharma, small gadgets
• Eco status: Recyclable, often FSC-certified

Corrugated Cardboard

Double-walled, impact-resistant and a shipping hero.

• Best for: Mailer boxes, ecommerce shipping
• Eco status: 100% recyclable in most areas

Kraft Paper (Unbleached Brown Paper)

Natural-looking and tough, kraft paper adds a rustic, eco-friendly vibe to your packaging.

• Best for: Food wraps, kraft mailers, product wraps, branded inner linings
• Eco status: Biodegradable, compostable, and easy to recycle

Rigid Board (Also Called Greyboard)

This is the heavyweight champion of luxury packaging. It doesn’t bend easily and gives gift boxes a premium, substantial feel.

• Best for: High-end magnetic boxes, perfume kits, presentation sets
• Eco status: Often made from recycled paper and widely recyclable

Plastic (Common Types: PET, HDPE, PP)

Plastic’s clear advantage is visibility and water resistance — it’s still used widely despite eco concerns.

• Best for: Blister packs, clamshell packaging, retail product covers
• Eco status: PET is easily recycled; HDPE/PP recycling varies by region

Glass

Glass offers a sense of purity and elegance — plus, it’s inert and doesn’t interact with what’s inside.

• Best for: Skincare, oils, fine spirits, or candles
• Eco status: 100% recyclable, though heavy and energy-intensive to produce

Metal (Usually Aluminium or Tin)

A durable, high-barrier material that adds both protection and shelf appeal.

• Best for: Specialty food tins, reusable kits, or cosmetic samplers
• Eco status: Infinitely recyclable with a strong reuse appeal

Foam (EPE, EPS, PU)

Foam packaging cushions your fragile items better than most — but it comes at an environmental cost.

• Best for: Fragile electronics, glass products, high-value shipments
• Eco status: Generally non-recyclable. If you’re aiming green, consider paper-based inserts or honeycomb wrap instead

Compostables & Bioplastics

Made from plants, not petroleum. Think PLA, bagasse, mushroom trays.

• Best for: Food packaging, eco mailers, conscious brands
• Eco status: Compostable (some home, some industrial)

Pulp Moulded Inserts (Custom-Shaped Pulp Packaging)

You’ve likely seen these in egg boxes or tech packaging — formed pulp is basically recycled paper reshaped into protective, form-fitting trays. It cushions products well and breaks down naturally after use.

• Best for: Candle jars, electronics trays, food containers, eco inserts
• Eco status: Fully recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable

What Are the 4 Levels of Packaging? (Explained Simply)

1. Primary – What touches the product (like a glass bottle or candy wrapper)
2. Secondary – What groups units together (like a folding carton around soap)
3. Tertiary – Used for shipping or storage (like a corrugated outer box)
4. Quaternary – Bulk transport systems (like shrink-wrapped pallets)

What’s the Most Common Material Used for Packaging?

That crown goes to corrugated cardboard. It’s strong, affordable, and recyclable — perfect for ecommerce, food delivery, and B2B shipping.

What Material Is ‘Best’ for Packaging?

Depends on your needs:

• Want to be sustainable? Go with kraft or pulp.
• Need something premium? Try rigid board with foil or embossing.
• Shipping heavy items? Corrugated with inserts.
• Selling food or drinks? PET, glass, or aluminium.

There is no one-size-fits-all. Match material to message.

What Is the Lightest Packaging Material?

Foam and air pillows win for weight, but for a greener option, shredded paper, kraft void fill or pulp trays do the job without the plastic guilt.

Choosing the Right Material: What to Think About

Before you choose, ask:

• What am I packaging? (Size, fragility, value?)
• Is it shipping far? (Durability vs cost trade-off)
• Do I need branding appeal?
• What are my environmental goals?
• What are my local recycling regulations?

Still unsure? That’s where we come in.

Let’s Talk Materials That Work for Your Brand

Trying to figure out if kraft, plastic, or rigid board is your best bet? Buy Packaging Boxes has helped thousands of UK brands pick the right packaging — and we’d love to help you too.

Explore Packaging Materials ➔ or Get a Quote