I. Definition and core features
Insulation carton is a packaging container with temperature control function made of paper substrate (such as
honeycomb cardboard, composite cardboard) combined with insulation material (such as foam lining, aerogel). It is mainly used for short-distance insulation transportation of food, medicine and other products.
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Core features
- Material composition: the outer layer is mostly kraft paper or waterproof cardboard, and the inner layer is composite thermal insulation material (such as pearl cotton, vacuum insulation board fragments). Some products are used in combination with ice packs to enhance the effect of cold/thermal insulation.
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- Function positioning: Considering packaging protection and temperature maintenance, it is suitable for 2-8℃ pharmaceutical cold chain, fresh distribution, takeout and other scenarios. The insulation time is usually 6-48 hours (depending on the ambient temperature and auxiliary ice source).
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II.?Core advantages
Cost and logistics efficiency
- Lightweight and folding: The folding design reduces the storage space (saving more than 70% of the storage cost compared with the traditional foam box), the volume of empty boxes is reduced by 80%, and the freight cost is reduced by 15%-30%.
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- Customization flexibility: multi-specification customization can be achieved without molds, adapt to different product sizes, reduce the use of fillers, and reduce packaging time (50% less than the sealing time of foam boxes).
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Environmental protection and compliance
- Recyclability: The recovery rate of paper substrate is over 90%, and some products are fully degradable, which solves the problem of plastic particle pollution after traditional foam boxes are damaged.
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- Policy adaptation: Comply with the requirements of the European Union's "Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive" (94/62/EC) and China's "Plastic Limit Order" for environmentally friendly packaging, and avoid the use of non-environmentally friendly materials.
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Performance balance
- Buffer protection: The compressive strength of honeycomb cardboard structure is 300-500kPa, which is 2-3 times higher than that of traditional carton, reducing the transportation damage rate.
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- Printing compatibility: Support four-color water-based printing, can customize the brand logo, improve the added value of products.
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III. Market status and growth opportunities
1. Market Size and drivers
Related market basis
In 2024, the overall global insulation box market size will reach 1.327 billion US dollars (including plastic, metal and other materials), among which paper insulation box accounts for about 12%-15%, mainly relying on e-commerce fresh and pharmaceutical cold chain growth.
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Core growth drivers
- Policy promotion: China's 14th Five-Year Cold Chain Logistics Development Plan drives the demand for pharmaceutical cold chain packaging, and the cold storage capacity exceeds 210 million cubic meters in 2023, which indirectly stimulates the insulation carton market.
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- Consumer trends: The global delivery market is over $200 billion in 2024 to create the demand for low cost and environmental protection heat preservation packaging;The camping economy will drive the demand for household thermal insulation boxes, and the market CAGR will reach 6.1% from 2024 to 2031.
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2. Region and scene opportunities
Emerging markets in Southeast Asia
RCEP tariff concessions reduce cross-border logistics costs, medical enterprises in Malaysia, Thailand and other countries accelerate the replacement of traditional insulation equipment, and the CAGR of Southeast Asia's insulation box market in 2024 will reach 12.7%, providing incremental space for paper insulation boxes.
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Segmented scene penetration
- Pharmaceutical cold chain: In the 2-8℃ temperature control scenario, thermal insulation cartons replace part of traditional foam boxes in short-distance distribution by means of cost advantages (30%-50% lower than VIP insulation boxes).
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- Fresh e-commerce: The penetration rate of fresh e-commerce in China exceeds 25%, and thermal insulation cartons have become the standard distribution of the "last mile". The market size is expected to exceed 500 million US dollars in 2024.
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IV. Summary
Clear positioning: Insulation carton is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional foam box, focusing on "low cost + lightweight", suitable for short-distance cold chain and take-out scene, insulation time of 6-48 hours.
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Core values: Save 30%+ storage/logistics cost, recovery rate over 90%, strong policy compliance, is the preferred packaging under the "plastic limit order".
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Growth drivers: Pharmaceutical cold chain (cold storage capacity of 210 million cubic meters in China), fresh e-commerce, and emerging markets in Southeast Asia (CAGR 12.7%) were the three incremental engines.
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Technical shortcomings: The insulation performance is weaker than VIP insulation box, which needs to be improved by aerogel composite technology, and the extreme environment weather resistance needs to be improved.
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The key to competition: Cost control (the advantage of local enterprises) and environmental compliance are the focus of short-term competition. In the long term, it is necessary to break through the material composite technology to expand the scene boundary.
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