In the luxury packaging sector, the material plays a fundamental role in communicating value, exclusivity and brand identity, so that its choice can never be accidental but the result of precise aesthetic, tactile and sustainable strategies, starting with the high-value boxes that are mainly made of cardboard for about 2/3 of production, but also with other for the rest.
Within cardboard, rigid cardboard is undoubtedly the most popular material for luxury packaging, used in around 40% of boxes and chosen because it combines robustness and versatility, allowing elegant shapes and solid structures that immediately convey the feeling of quality. It is the material of choice for sectors such as jewellery, fashion, perfumery and fine watchmaking, lending itself to numerous finishing techniques such as lamination, fabric coating, hot stamping or embossing.
A different use of rigid cardboard concerns the 25% of luxury boxes, when this material is coupled with embossed, metallised, pearlised or recycled high-end papers in order to confer tactile and visual uniqueness. Paper makes it possible to play with refined textures and colours, becoming a decisive decorative element, but also to guarantee the growing demand for environmental sustainability with the use of FSC-certified or recycled papers.
While the need for eco-sustainability is becoming ever stronger, not least because of the increasing number of international regulations on the subject, plastic nevertheless retains a role of some importance in the production of luxury packaging boxes, approximately 15%, especially in sectors such as cosmetics and perfumery thanks to acrylic materials, transparent or coloured, used for inserts, windows and details that highlight the product. The current challenge is to gradually replace traditional plastics with bio-based or recyclable versions.
Wood, on the other hand, accounts for about 10% of luxury boxes, but its use is growing steadily because it has always been considered a material of great value, durability and authenticity, with its use mainly oriented towards fine wines, spirits, watches and high-end jewellery. Wood, whether natural or lacquered, conveys a strong feeling of craftsmanship and solidity, making the packaging an integral part of the product itself, and moreover representing the eco-friendly material par excellence.
Another 5% or so of luxury box production is represented by products that use fabrics and leathers, natural or synthetic, in whole or in part. These include velvets, silks, linens and regenerated leathers, which are used to give a touch of superior elegance, and this choice often involves limited editions, special collections and products that must stand out as icons of prestige.
Finally, the remaining 5% of luxury boxes use metal or metal details such as closures, logos, frames and personalised plaques, although metal is hardly ever the main material, but is inserted as a decorative and reinforcing element to give a perception of exclusivity.
Looking to the future, the materials used to make luxury boxes will increasingly be a mix of refined design and sustainable solutions, with an increasing use of paper and wood and a gradual decrease in plastic.
