솔리드 보드 시장 보고서 : 동향, 예측 및 경쟁 분석(-2035년)

Solid Board Market

The future of the global solid board market looks promising with opportunities in the building and construction, tobacco packaging, food and beverage, cosmetic, and electronic markets. The global solid board market is expected to reach an estimated $14.1 billion by 2035 from $10.6 billion in 2027 with a CAGR of 3.8% from 2027 to 2035. The major drivers for this market are growing demand for processed food industry and increasing consumer preference towards eco-friendly products.

• Lucintel forecasts that, within the application category, boxes will remain the largest segment over the forecast period due to increasing utilization of solid boards to hold various items in those containers for storage and transportation purposes.
• Within the end use category, food and beverages will remain the largest segment over the forecast period due to rising demand for food and beverage packaging.
• In terms of regions, Europe is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period due to significantly growing e-commerce industry and presence of major players in the region.

Emerging Trends in Solid Board Market

The solid board market will develop more along specification-based packaging solutions than volume packaging solutions in the years leading up to 2027. The main driving sectors for solid board packaging will be food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods, as well as e-commerce. The solid board converting industry will have to find ways to package goods with less fiber, while still allowing for high fiber board recyclability. Supplier competition will be for optimal performance of the material, along with legal compliance and raw material sourcing.

• Sustainability: The European Union's packaging legislation for 2025 promoted the use of formats and designs that integrate low fiber, high fiber efficiency, and recyclability. The use of post-consumer fiber and recycled content, in addition to a decrease in the basics weight of boards, gained consideration in board purchases. These trends led to changes in the design and packaging of goods.
• Digital Manufacturing: The use of digital manufacturing, simulation and design tools gained popularity in the packaging industry, and remote monitoring and control of manufacturing processes became commonplace. This led to a reduction in packaging defects and an improvement in overall equipment effectiveness. Digital Control and tooling reduced the costs for the production of small and medium batch sizes.
• Premiumization: Packaging for higher-end products, like cosmetics and "premium" food, is expected to use even brighter, solid colors on board surfaces in the next few years. Packaging will likely remain price competitive for lower-end products, but charging a premium for higher-end products is expected to grow.
• Supply Chain Diversification: Buyers have tried to source paperboard from multiple regions in the last few years because of long lead times due to war and disruption of global trade. Over the next few years, supply contracts will likely be awarded to mills that are closer to the buyer, and the buyer will carry less stock.
• Functional Grades: Solid board used for packaging pharmaceuticals and food that is perishable and requires temperature control is in increasing demand. To meet this demand, as well as government initiatives to reduce the use of plastics, board mills have developed board with more functional characteristics.

The paper industry has not fully recovered from the economic slowdown in the last few years; however, some mills that focus on specialty grades and convert fiber into paper in a more efficient manner will increase their market share. Mill's that focus on commodity grades will see their margins shrink as customers compare mill's environmental impacts and the total cost of the product.

Recent Developments in the Solid Board Market

The solid board market is anticipated to experience strong growth from 2025-2027. As the e-commerce market continues to grow along with initiatives to reduce the use of plastic in packaging, converters will need to look for other ways to efficiently procure and utilize fibers. It is expected that capacity will be focused on light-weighted and lower-gauge boards as well as on the integration of mills with value-added boards.

• Capacity Expansion: In January 2023, Smurfit Kappa WestRock (Smurfit WestRock following the completion of the transaction) announced the acquisition of the Verzuolo Mill in Italy from Monti-Silo. The Mill has a containerboard capacity of approximately 600,000 tons and will further integrate Smurfit WestRock's containerboard production in Europe. It is expected that the acquisition will increase the competition for sourcing fibers in Europe.
• Acquisition: The acquisition by Smurfit WestRock of the Verzuolo Mill in January 2025 added approximately 600,000 tons of containerboard to the company's capacity. The mill could increase competition for raw materials and change the dynamic of the solid board industry.
• Technology Launch: In 2025, Stora Enso launched Performa Nova, a recyclable food-safety-contact-coated board. It aims to capture the markets that rely on packages made of plastic-coated boards. Being a recyclable board, it is expected that Performa Nova will find a market in segments where end-users' expectations about the packages' boards' recyclability positively influence their buying decisions.
• Strategic Partnership: In 2025, the paper making company Mondi and pet supplies store chain Fressnapf's paper-based packaging alliance, which aims to develop packaging formats that will replace carton-based packages, expanded to other European markets. Similar alliances between board and carton converters offer solid boards' suppliers more long-term certainty about the volume of packages they will produce.
• Government Support: The final version of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive was published in December 2024. It sets rules for the implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging. The new rules influenced packaging producers' and boards' manufacturers' investments, and from 2026, fiber-based boards will be given preference over other boards.

During the next 3 to 5 years, it is expected that various regulations and alliances will strongly influence the solid board industry. A mix of factors, including the chemistry of the coating, energy costs, recyclability of the fiber used, and food-contact compliance will determine pricing and differentiate suppliers. Capacity expansions will largely be determined by the sales outlook. Being a capital-intensive business, regulations will strongly influence the industry.

Strategic Growth Opportunities in the Solid Board Market

Demand for solid board is expected to rise in the next few years due to shifting requirements in the packaging industry. For example, the regulations and requirements of retailers to lessen their environmental impact, and the increase in food delivery services have posed challenges in balancing the demands for package integrity, functionality, and sustainability. According to Lucintel, a leading market research firm, other factors such as the location and reliability of board supply become more important than the volume of board supply.

• Fiber-based Food Service Packaging: Food service Packaging (ex. Take out containers) has traditionally been made of fiber boards with a plastic lining to be moisture and grease resistant. The EU Packaging Waste and Regulation requires all member states to implement laws to make all packaging fully recyclable by 2025. Given the trends in the packaging industry and food service industry, there will be an increase in the demand for sustainable and recyclable fiber-based food service packaging.
• Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging: Serialize, tamper evident and/or comply with regulatory and legal requirements for packaging of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The global pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow to more than $2 trillion by 2028.
• Premium Retail Presentation: Create rigid, tactile, and printable solid board for segments such as beauty, specialty food, and consumer electronics. LVMH is a prime example of a premium brand that requires specialized packaging. In 2024, LVMH generated €84.7 billion in revenue. It is projected that board suppliers would benefit from engineering board for shelf impact to charge a premium as compared to commodity board.
• Emerging Market Converting: Establish finishing suppliers in India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. DS Smith and International Paper combined their packaging businesses in 2025. With the merger, they gained more geographic packaging coverage. Converters in the region will play an essential role for the supplier in gaining pack impact for customers by adjusting package size and shape.
• Barrier Coated Recyclable Board: Develop board that is unrestricted by water and/or oil, and resists oxygen to create a board that is compatible with paper for dry recovery. The board would allow packaging to comply with new regulatory standards. Coating advances would increase the board's application to refrigerated and other packed goods.

Fiber-based formats will gain traction, especially in food service and medical. Packaging producers have the opportunity to integrate multiple disciplines. Selling circular economy packaging will gain traction. The highest performing suppliers will integrate multiple disciplines in packaging across various geographies.

Solid Board Market Drivers and Challenges

The packaging industry is undergoing various transitions, presenting both threats and opportunities for the solid board market. Sustaining business requires innovations in not only products and services, but also manufacturing processes and the supply chain. The solid board market is largely restrained by raw material costs and price volatility.

The factors responsible for driving this market include:

• Increasing Emphasis on Sustainable Packaging: Over the last few years, there has been a visible shift in consumer awareness about the impact of packaging on the environment. As a consequence, various brand owners have shifted from less sustainable packaging formats, mainly plastics, to more sustainable formats, especially fiber-based packaging. In addition, brand owners have committed to reducing their carbon footprint and have set 2025 as the target year for achievement of most of these goals. With the revision of the Framework on Packaging and Packaging Waste, which is in line with the 2025 targets, and the introduction of extension schemes for various flexible plastic packaging formats, the demand for solid boards is expected to increase during the next three to five years.
• Flexibility of Solid Board: The use of solid board has expanded to include food packaging such as trays, and sleeves as well as beverage multipacks. Some advantages of using solid board over other materials are its rigidity, high speed processability and printability. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, there has been a surge in the use of delivered/take-away meals and other ready to eat food packages. This increased use of delivered meals has in turn increased the use of fiber-based food packaging. It is expected that in the next 3 to 5 years, and with increased urbanization and more demand for convenience and prepackaged food, use of solid board will increase.
• Improvements in Packaging Technology: Recent improvements in packaging technology have decreased the use of multiple materials in a package, and has led to more use of mono-material packages. In the next 3 to 5 years, it is expected that packaging technology will continue to improve, and solid board will be used in areas that were previously dominated by plastic packaging, such as food and beverage packages, including food and beverage packages for transport and distribution.
• Use of Packaging in Retail: In the last few years, the use of fiber-based board and cartons has increased to provide package and protect products sold through retail and online stores. It is expected that the use of board and cartons to protect and deliver products through online stores will continue to increase. Moreover, continued emphasis on right-sized and custom-sized packages will increase the use of board and cartons in various package and distribution industries.
• Increased Automation and Digital Printing: Digital printing and converting technology allow for fast and efficient production offboard products with minimal waste. Automated processing and customization continued to improve in 2025 with the integration of automated inspection and material handling systems within the packaging process. In the coming 3-5 years, additional enhancements to the packaging process will allow for the affordable production of short runs of promotional and individualized packaging.

The challenges facing this market include:

• Raw Material and Energy Cost Volatility: Costs of key inputs, particularly energy, remain unpredictable. In May 2025, global averages for market pulp continued to reflect adjustments in available supply. Packaging converters had limited visibility into the cost and pricing of raw materials used in packaging. Between 2025 and 2030, unpredictability of costs for raw materials will require converters to use multiple suppliers, improve their energy efficiency, and increase the use of recycled content in their products.
• Performance Limitations in Demanding Conditions: Water, grease and freezer resistances are a few performance characteristics of board that remain a challenge for packaging converters. Between 2025 and 2030, performance requirements will increase. Paper and board-based packaging will be required to provide performance characteristics similar to plastics, while also being recyclable, compostable and non-toxic.
• Variability of Recycling Systems and Regulations: Recycling depends on many factors like regulations, collection systems, and coating and binding materials. September 2025 was no different, with many markets modifying regulations concerning recyclability, recycled content and labeling, and imposing extended producer responsibility. Most agree that the lack of consistency and harmony in recycling regulations will force manufacturers to delay market entry of new products, and mandate the use of higher materials and design costs for producers to structure their products for different regional markets.

The production of solid board is expected to increase due to growing sustainability and food safety concerns, the surge in retail and e-commerce, and the continuous improvement in manufacturing technology. Although recycling is essential for a true "Circle Economy", there are other limitations including high variability and inconsistency, which can hinder industry profitability. Producers that integrate recyclability, automation and flexibility in their supply chains can gain a competitive edge. Improved integration and partnerships between industry and government to fund and provide collection systems will also be crucial. There is a clear industry trend to adopt more sustainable and renewable packages. However, to retain market share and be competitive, companies must demonstrate continuous improvement in their products, and promote their positive impact on the environment.

List of Solid Board Market Companies

Companies in the market compete on the basis of product quality offered. Major players in this market focus on expanding their manufacturing facilities, R&D investments, infrastructural development, and leverage integration opportunities across the value chain. Through these strategies solid board market companies cater increasing demand, ensure competitive effectiveness, develop innovative products & technologies, reduce production costs, and expand their customer base. Some of the solid board market companies profiled in this report include-

• VPK Packaging
• Smurfit Kappa
• International Paper
• Nuttall Packaging
• Eska
• Reston Board & Packaging
• Unipak

Solid Board Market by Segment

The study includes a forecast for the global solid board by material type, application, end use, and region.

Solid Board Market by Material Type [Value ($B) from 2019 to 2035]:

• Virgin Paper
• Recycled Paper

Solid Board Market by Application [Value ($B) from 2019 to 2035]:

• Layer Pads
• Trays
• Edge Protectors
• POP Displays
• Boxes

Solid Board Market by End Use [Value ($B) from 2019 to 2035]:

• Building and Construction
• Tobacco Packaging
• Food and Beverages
• Cosmetics
• Electronics

Solid Board Market by Region [Value ($B) from 2019 to 2035]:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• The Rest of the World

Country Wise Outlook for the Solid Board Market

The market for solid-board packaging is changing due to consolidation in the packaging sector, combined with modernizations at paper mills and shifting circularity regulations. During this same time frame, converters prefer fiber formats for packaging, and manufacturers adapt their products and production capacities to the new legislation. Based on Lucintel's recent assessment, these trends will continue.

• United States: The main trend during this period was consolidation. In 2025, International Paper (IP) completed its acquisition of DS Smith. The combined company has operations in over 30 countries and more than 55,000 employees. This acquisition strengthened IP's position in paperboard and packaging and influenced competitor's actions in the market.
• China: From 2016 to 2025, the Chinese government promoted automation and upgrading of manufacturing facilities. Many large paper and board producers constructed high-speed, continuous, and efficient production facilities of coated and/or recyclable board. These trends led to improvements in mills' automation and solid board production, which, in turn, allowed packing of higher-quality products (e.g. pharmaceuticals and personal care).
• Germany: Regulation: The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation 2025 established policies on recycling, use of recycled content and minimization of packaging. The regulation is expected to drive modifications in packaging formats and structures by 2030. Germany has a large converting industry, which is catalyzing the evaluation and use of solid board formats.
• India: Investment: The establishment of formal consumer and pharmaceutical goods supply chains have driven investments in board and converting structures by Indian packaging producers. The ITC Ltd. (Indian Tobacco Company) has planned a capital expenditure of 2,500 crore INR for its packaging business for 2024-25. Increased investments facilitate the use of solid board formats in packaging.
• Japan: Innovation: In 2025, Japanese paper companies, with the help of mono-material structures, launched barrier coated paper boards for various packaging formats. Japan has stringent packaging formats; thus, the use of lightweight, high-functional paper boards in packaging is expected to increase.

Features of the Global Solid Board Market

• Market Size Estimates: solid board market size estimation in terms of value ($B).
• Trend and Forecast Analysis: Market trends (2019 to 2026) and forecast (2027 to 2035) by various segments and regions.
• Segmentation Analysis: solid board market size by material type, application, end use, and region in terms of value ($B).
• Regional Analysis: solid board market breakdown by North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.
• Growth Opportunities: Analysis of growth opportunities in different material types, applications, end uses, and regions for the solid board market.
• Strategic Analysis: This includes M&A, new product development, and competitive landscape of the solid board market.

Analysis of competitive intensity of the industry based on Porter's Five Forces model.

If you are looking to expand your business in this or adjacent markets, then contact us. We have done hundreds of strategic consulting projects in market entry, opportunity screening, due diligence, supply chain analysis, M & A, and more.

This report answers following 11 key questions:

• Q.1. What are some of the most promising, high-growth opportunities for the solid board market by material type (virgin paper and recycled paper), application (layer pads, trays, edge protectors, POP displays, and boxes), end use (building and construction, tobacco packaging, food and beverages, cosmetics, and electronics), and region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World)?
• Q.2. Which segments will grow at a faster pace and why?
• Q.3. Which region will grow at a faster pace and why?
• Q.4. What are the key factors affecting market dynamics? What are the key challenges and business risks in this market?
• Q.5. What are the business risks and competitive threats in this market?
• Q.6. What are the emerging trends in this market and the reasons behind them?
• Q.7. What are some of the changing demands of customers in the market?
• Q.8. What are the new developments in the market? Which companies are leading these developments?
• Q.9. Who are the major players in this market? What strategic initiatives are key players pursuing for business growth?
• Q.10. What are some of the competing products in this market and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share by material or product substitution?
• Q.11. What M&A activity has occurred in the last 8 years and what has its impact been on the industry?

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary

2. Market Overview

• 2.1 Background and Classifications
• 2.2 Supply Chain

3. Market Trends & Forecast Analysis

• 3.2 Industry Drivers and Challenges
• 3.3 PESTLE Analysis
• 3.4 Patent Analysis
• 3.5 Regulatory Environment

4. Global Solid Board Market by Material Type

• 4.1 Overview
• 4.2 Attractiveness Analysis by Material Type
• 4.3 Virgin Paper: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)
• 4.4 Recycled Paper: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)

5. Global Solid Board Market by Application

• 5.1 Overview
• 5.2 Attractiveness Analysis by Application
• 5.3 Layer Pads: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)
• 5.4 Trays: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)
• 5.5 Edge Protectors: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)
• 5.6 POP Displays: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)
• 5.7 Boxes: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)

6. Global Solid Board Market by End Use

• 6.1 Overview
• 6.2 Attractiveness Analysis by End Use
• 6.3 Building and Construction: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)
• 6.4 Tobacco Packaging: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)
• 6.5 Food and Beverages: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)
• 6.6 Cosmetics: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)
• 6.7 Electronics: Trends and Forecast (2019-2035)

7. Regional Analysis

• 7.1 Overview
• 7.2 Global Solid Board Market by Region

8. North American Solid Board Market

• 8.1 Overview
• 8.2 North American Solid Board Market by Application
• 8.3 North American Solid Board Market by End Use
• 8.4 United States Solid Board Market
• 8.5 Mexican Solid Board Market
• 8.6 Canadian Solid Board Market

9. European Solid Board Market

• 9.1 Overview
• 9.2 European Solid Board Market by Application
• 9.3 European Solid Board Market by End Use
• 9.4 German Solid Board Market
• 9.5 French Solid Board Market
• 9.6 Spanish Solid Board Market
• 9.7 Italian Solid Board Market
• 9.8 United Kingdom Solid Board Market

10. APAC Solid Board Market

• 10.1 Overview
• 10.2 APAC Solid Board Market by Application
• 10.3 APAC Solid Board Market by End Use
• 10.4 Japanese Solid Board Market
• 10.5 Indian Solid Board Market
• 10.6 Chinese Solid Board Market
• 10.7 South Korean Solid Board Market
• 10.8 Indonesian Solid Board Market

11. ROW Solid Board Market

• 11.1 Overview
• 11.2 ROW Solid Board Market by Application
• 11.3 ROW Solid Board Market by End Use
• 11.4 Middle Eastern Solid Board Market
• 11.5 South American Solid Board Market
• 11.6 African Solid Board Market

12. Competitor Analysis

• 12.1 Product Portfolio Analysis
• 12.2 Operational Integration
• 12.3 Porter's Five Forces Analysis
  • Competitive Rivalry
  • Bargaining Power of Buyers
  • Bargaining Power of Suppliers
  • Threat of Substitutes
  • Threat of New Entrants
• 12.4 Market Share Analysis

13. Opportunities & Strategic Analysis

• 13.1 Value Chain Analysis
• 13.2 Growth Opportunity Analysis
  • 13.2.1 Growth Opportunities by Material Type
  • 13.2.2 Growth Opportunities by Application
  • 13.2.3 Growth Opportunities by End Use
• 13.3 Emerging Trends in the Global Solid Board Market
• 13.4 Strategic Analysis
  • 13.4.1 New Product Development
  • 13.4.2 Certification and Licensing
  • 13.4.3 Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, Collaborations, and Joint Ventures

14. Company Profiles of the Leading Players Across the Value Chain

• 14.1 Competitive Analysis
• 14.2 VPK Packaging
  • Company Overview
  • Solid Board Business Overview
  • New Product Development
  • Merger, Acquisition, and Collaboration
  • Certification and Licensing
• 14.3 Smurfit Kappa
  • Company Overview
  • Solid Board Business Overview
  • New Product Development
  • Merger, Acquisition, and Collaboration
  • Certification and Licensing
• 14.4 international Paper
  • Company Overview
  • Solid Board Business Overview
  • New Product Development
  • Merger, Acquisition, and Collaboration
  • Certification and Licensing
• 14.5 Nuttall packaging
  • Company Overview
  • Solid Board Business Overview
  • New Product Development
  • Merger, Acquisition, and Collaboration
  • Certification and Licensing
• 14.6 Eska
  • Company Overview
  • Solid Board Business Overview
  • New Product Development
  • Merger, Acquisition, and Collaboration
  • Certification and Licensing
• 14.7 reston Board & Packaging
  • Company Overview
  • Solid Board Business Overview
  • New Product Development
  • Merger, Acquisition, and Collaboration
  • Certification and Licensing
• 14.8 Unipak
  • Company Overview
  • Solid Board Business Overview
  • New Product Development
  • Merger, Acquisition, and Collaboration
  • Certification and Licensing

15. Appendix

• 15.1 List of Figures
• 15.2 List of Tables
• 15.3 Research Methodology
• 15.4 Disclaimer
• 15.5 Copyright
• 15.6 Abbreviations and Technical Units
• 15.7 About Us
• 15.8 Contact Us