The research was commissioned from an external research institute and it found that the carbon footprint of cartonboards from within the same product range "reduces at least in proportion to its basis weight".
This means a 15% reduction in board weight equates to a proportional 18% reduction in carbon footprint.
Paper company M-real calculated that if 100,000 biscuit cartons were made using a 25g/m2 lighter board, the CO2 saving per annum equaled to driving 1,000km by car.
Calculations assessed energy used in forestry, transport and manufacturing at all stages from harvesting the wood to making the cartons.
Riikka Joukio, vice president marketing of M-real Consumer Packaging, said: "By making packaging more effective and less wasteful, sustainability goes hand in hand with cost savings, which can be achieved both by the choice of lightweighted materials and by a design that has the right impact."
