FOR GOODS PROTECTION & EASY HANDLING

Goods often travel long distances from the production facility to the consumer's hands, often making stops at warehouses of retailers and others. To ensure that the goods do not come to harm in the process and resist possible hazards such as impact, dirt and moisture, high-quality packaging is essential.

Cardboard and corrugated packaging are a proven solution here. Not only because they provide reliable protection, but also because they are very easy to handle thanks to their light weight as well as stackable shape, making logistical processes easier.

CUSTOMIZABLE

The construction of FEFCO cartons is standardized, but there is still plenty of scope for design. You have complete freedom of choice with regard to the material and format as well as the printing and finishing.

When it comes to printing, for example, the sky's the limit. On the one hand, all our cartons and boxes can be printed over their entire surface, both on the outside and the inside. On the other hand, thanks to modern digital printing technology, it is even possible to personalize each individual package.

In addition, you can customize the look of your packaging just by choosing the material (e.g. white-coated or natural brown) and the protective coating (e.g. glossy or matte laminates and varnishes).

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS

By reducing the risk of unused goods having to be disposed of because of damage in transport and storage, packaging makes an important contribution to environmental protection - but for this to actually be true in practice, the advantages of using packaging must outweigh its disadvantages.

Packaging made of corrugated cardboard and cardboard scores points here with a particularly good climate balance. On the one hand, paper is made from wood, a renewable raw material. On the other hand, paper can be recycled almost loss-free and very energy-efficient. Paper-based packaging also has a significantly higher recycling rate than other packaging materials such as plastics.

FEFCO: SHORTCUT & ORGANIZATION

FEFCO is the shortcut for the European Federation of Corrugated Cardboard manufacturers. Although the acronym refers to the former French name of the association, i.e. Fédération Européenne des Fabricants de Carton Ondule, it is still in use today.

FEFCO's main function is to represent the interests of its members, for example in technical and economic matters. Beyond the corrugated industry, it is best known for the FEFCO codes used worldwide, which were developed by the organization in the 1960s.

FEFCO CODES: INTERNATIONAL STANDARD

The goal in developing the FEFCO codes to this day is to overcome language barriers between manufacturers and purchasers of packaging materials. In the beginning, the focus was purely on corrugated packaging and the European market. However, a lot has changed over the years:

Since the involvement of the European Solid Board Organization (ESBO), the FEFCO catalog of around 200 packaging materials also includes solid board products, for example. And since the adoption by the International Corrugated Case Association (ICCA), the FEFCO-ESBO codes have also been applied worldwide.

FEFCO codes usually consist of four digits. The first two digits always refer to the respective basic type of packaging. There are a total of eight different ones, which are referred to with the number combinations 01 to 07 as well as 09 (there is no basic type with 08).

Each of these basic types is in turn subordinated to various versions whose designs sometimes differ from the basic design to a greater or lesser extent. These variations are identified by the last two digits of the code.

In addition, there are special cases where packages have five- or eight-digit FEFCO codes. For example, in the case of packaging modifications, a hyphen and an additional digit are added to the base code of the modified model (e.g. 0201-2).

In the case of packaging that is a combination of two different types of packaging, both codes are listed and separated by a slash (e.g. 0204/0215).

• 01 = Commercially available rolls and sheets e.g. roll corrugated cardboard and corrugated cardboard blanks
• 02 = Folding boxes e.g. classic shipping/folding cartons
• 03 = Lid boxes e.g. two-piece shoe boxes with slip lid
• 04 = Folded sleeves and trays e.g. shipping boxes with hinged lid

• 05 = Sliding boxes e.g. in the form of (larger) matchboxes.
• 06 = Form-fitted boxes e.g. three-part boxes with wire stitching
• 07 = Ready glued boxes e.g. product packaging with crash lock base
• 09 = Inner design e.g. inlays for shipping boxes

FEFCO 0211: CORRUGATED CARDBOARD FOLDING BOXES WITH TUCK-IN FLAP

• Length: 50 to 600 mm
• Width: 50 to 400 mm
• Height: 100 to 500 mm

FEFCO 0215: CORRUGATED CARDBOARD FOLDING BOXES WITH SNAP LOCK BASE

• Length: 15 to 350 mm
• Width: 15 to 250 mm
• Height: 30 to 400 mm

FEFCO 0713: CORRUGATED CARDBOARD FOLDING BOXES WITH CRASH LOCK BASE

• Length: 85 to 600 mm
• Width: 85 to 400 mm
• Height: 100 to 500 mm

FEFCO 0427: HINGED-LID BOXES

• Length: 60 to 700 mm
• Width: 60 to 700 mm
• Height: 15 to 250 mm

FEFCO 0703: SHIPPING CARTONS WITH ADHESIVE STRIPS AND CRASH LOCK BASE

• Length: 85 to 700 mm
• Width: 85 to 500 mm
• Height: 90 to 600 mm

FEFCO 0885: HINGED-LID BOXES WITH ADHESIVE STRIPS

• Length: 100 to 700 mm
• Width: 100 to 700 mm
• Height: 20 to 250 mm