In 2026, manufacturers’ demand for packaging is shifting from 'fit and ship' to 'stack higher, transport farther, reduce damage.' Using paper instead of wood, structural optimization, and carbon reduction compliance have become core keywords across the industry. According to publicly available industry information, the domestic market for paper-instead-of-wood packaging is expected to exceed 80 billion yuan in 2026, with an average annual growth rate of over 12%. Fully-paper heavy-load solutions have now achieved mature market substitution for goods under 1 ton.
Ongoing policy support is accelerating the industry’s green transformation: In May 2026, the "Heavy Machinery Packaging Design Standard" (GB/T 47717-2026) was officially released and came into effect on September 1; the national standard "Packaging Containers – Heavy Corrugated Boxes" is currently open for public comment. At the same time, China’s "Opinions on Accelerating Comprehensive Green Transformation for Economic and Social Development" clearly promotes packaging reduction. The European Union’s "Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations" have already been fully implemented, and the fumigation cost for export wooden boxes continues to rise. Pure paper-based packaging for export avoids fumigation, requires no IPPC marking or heat treatment, saving 50–100 yuan per cubic meter compared to wooden packaging, and also saves 3–5 days of fumigation time, greatly improving export logistics efficiency.
In terms of market structure, in 2026 heavy-duty packaging service providers have clearly split into two categories: capacity-oriented and engineering-oriented. The former can only deliver standardized carton products, while the latter can provide comprehensive packaging solutions integrating 'load path, failure boundaries, and transport environment.' Technology-oriented companies with compression databases and structural simulation capabilities are rapidly gaining recognition from top clients. This in turn is pushing upstream packaging equipment manufacturers to accelerate technological iteration. High-speed sealing machines, high-precision labeling machines, and heavy-duty automated packaging lines compatible with new paper-based packaging materials have become new points of market demand. Equipment featuring strong stability, simple operation, and customizability is more favored by small and medium-sized manufacturers amid the wave of green transformation.