Sonoco will increase prices for uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) by €60 per tonne across the EMEA region, citing continued inflation and expectations of higher energy, fuel and transportation costs.

The increase will apply to all shipments made on or after September 15, 2026, according to Sonoco S.a.r.l., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonoco Products Company.

The announcement adds another price increase to Europe’s paper and board market as manufacturers continue to manage cost pressure across production and logistics.

Energy and Fuel Costs Drive Increase

Sonoco attributed the €60-per-tonne increase to a combination of geopolitical constraints and continued inflation across its operations and supply chain.

The company expects energy and fuel costs to increase further, adding pressure to both manufacturing and transportation expenses.

“Geopolitical constraints and the continued inflationary business environment are driving cost increases across our operations and supply chain,” said Karsten Kemmerling, division vice president, sales and marketing, Industrial Paper Packaging, EMEA.

“Expected increases in energy and fuel costs are likely to further pressure our operating and transportation costs. As we are unable to absorb these additional costs, we are forced to pass them on to the market.”

Sonoco did not provide a breakdown showing how much of the €60-per-tonne adjustment is attributable individually to energy, transportation or other input costs.

Increase Covers EMEA URB Grades

The price adjustment applies specifically to uncoated recycled paperboard grades sold by Sonoco in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

URB is manufactured primarily from recovered paper and is used in a range of industrial and consumer packaging applications.

For converters purchasing the material, the September increase will add directly to paperboard input costs if fully implemented.

The eventual impact on downstream packaging prices will depend on individual contracts, board consumption, product specifications and converters’ ability to absorb or pass through higher material costs.

Sonoco Operates Five European Paperboard Mills

Sonoco has a substantial industrial paper packaging footprint in Europe.

Its European operations include five paperboard mills and 19 tube and core plants, giving the company an integrated position across recycled paperboard production and downstream converting.

This structure links movements in paperboard manufacturing costs directly with markets including industrial tubes and cores.

Sonoco has not indicated whether the September price adjustment will result in separate changes to prices for its converted products.

September 15 Implementation

The timing of the increase gives customers several weeks before the new pricing becomes effective.

Rather than applying to orders placed after a particular date, Sonoco specified that the adjustment will cover shipments from September 15 onward.

That distinction can be important for customers with orders already in the production or delivery pipeline.

The announcement also indicates that energy and logistics remain important variables for European paperboard producers even where recovered fibre is the principal raw material.

The next question for the market will be whether other recycled paperboard producers respond to similar cost pressures with their own price adjustments.

For now, Sonoco has set its increase at €60 per tonne across EMEA URB grades from September 15, 2026.

Last Updated on 27/08/2026 by Jota Machinery