01
Grind
Limestone into ultrafine CaCO₃ powder.
Product
Waterproof by Material, Not by Coating
3R Box keeps the corrugated box format your lines already handle, while replacing wax coating and PE lamination with a calcium carbonate + PE composite structure engineered for wet and refrigerated conditions.
Product range
One Material Platform. Every Cold Chain Format You Ship.
Foldable, printed, size-graded — from 5 kg produce cartons to 10 kg seafood masters. Same waterproof structure, tuned to your SKU.
Seafood & Shellfish
Cold storage seafood packages, 7–10 kg load, drainage-tolerant walls for iced shipments.
Meat & Salmon
Prime meat and salmon demo formats rated for −60°C freezing and high-gloss retail print.
Fresh Produce
M / XL foldable formats with vent and window options for pre-cooled fruit and vegetables.
Mushroom & Specialty
Open-top and 0–2°C store formats for delicate, high-humidity SKUs.
Custom sizes, print and load ratings are made to order — send your SKU dimensions and cold chain profile.
Outer liner
CaCO₃ + PE composite
Fluted core
Corrugated structure
Inner liner
Non-absorbing surface
Product solution
Waterproof by Material, Not by Coating
Stone-based composite board. The water resistance is inside the material, so there is no coating left to fail.
Waterproof, not coated
Nothing to crack, flake or vary between batches.
Holds shape when wet
Ice water, condensation, 90%+ humidity cold storage.
Drops into your line
Same corrugated format, same equipment, no retraining.
Prints like premium paper
Full-colour brand graphics, QR codes and labels.
Request Material Details
- Custom dimensions available
- Material disclosure on request
Manufacturing
Limestone to Box in Six Steps
The waterproofing happens at step two — which is why it never varies by batch.
02
Blend
CaCO₃ plus PE resin, pelletized.
03
Extrude
Pellets into continuous sheet.
04
Stretch
Biaxial orientation for tensile strength.
05
Corona treat
Surface prepared for ink adhesion.
06
Die-cut
Creased and formed into the box.
Head-to-head
3R Box vs. Wax-Coated
Same format, same lines. The difference shows up under stress.
Consistency
Wax-coated
Varies by supplier, batch and coating thickness.
3R Box
Identical in every unit — there is no coating step.
Long transit
Wax-coated
Micro-fractures let moisture in over 20+ day sea freight.
3R Box
Bottom-of-pallet strength holds to the destination port.
Wax-coated
Dull, low-contrast, limited colour.
3R Box
Sharp full-colour, like premium paper packaging.
Compliance
Wax-coated
Exposed to the EU PFAS ban.
3R Box
PFAS-free and EPS-free by composition.
Specifications
The Short Version — and the Full Data
Five headlines below. Open any card for the full engineering detail.
- 70–80% calcium carbonate, 20–30% PE
- Holds up in 24h+ ice-water immersion
- Offset, UV and flexo printable
- Flat-pack, standard equipment
- PFAS-free, EPS-free, food-grade
Material Composition7 data points
- Base material
- Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) + polyethylene (PE/HDPE) composite
- CaCO₃ content
- Approximately 70–80% by weight
- PE/HDPE content
- Approximately 20–30% by weight
- Common name
- Stone paper / mineral paper
- Waterproof mechanism
- Inherent material hydrophobicity — no coating, wax or film required
- PFAS content
- None — PFAS-free by material composition
- Food contact safety
- Food-grade material; FDA and GB 4806 series certifications available
Physical Performance6 data points
- Wet structural strength
- Maintains stacking integrity under sustained ice-water immersion (24h+)
- Humidity resistance
- No structural degradation in 85–95% relative humidity cold storage
- Vs. conventional corrugated
- Conventional corrugated loses 50–70% strength in 4–8 hours; this product maintains structural integrity
- Temperature range
- Suitable for standard cold chain temperatures (−20°C to +40°C)
- Stacking performance
- Consistent across batches — a material property, not a coating variable
- Surface finish
- Smooth, corona-treated surface optimised for print adhesion
Printing & Branding5 data points
- Compatible processes
- Offset printing, UV printing, flexographic printing
- Print quality
- High-resolution, full-colour graphics with sharp edge definition
- Surface treatment
- Corona treatment applied during manufacturing for optimal ink adhesion
- Vs. wax-coated
- Wax-coated boxes print dull and low-contrast; this product supports premium brand graphics
- Vs. EPS foam
- EPS cannot be printed; this product supports full-surface brand decoration
Logistics & Handling6 data points
- Form factor
- Standard corrugated box profile
- Flat-pack
- Yes — ships and stores flat, handled like standard corrugated
- Equipment compatibility
- Standard folding, sealing, taping and palletizing equipment
- Custom sizing
- Available — manufactured to match your existing box dimensions
- Use type
- Single-use
- Weight
- Comparable to conventional corrugated; varies by size and wall configuration
Regulatory & Certification5 data points
- PFAS status
- PFAS-free — aligned with the EU PPWR PFAS ban (effective 12 August 2026)
- EPS status
- Not EPS — compliant with EPS bans in 12+ US states, Australia and pending EU restrictions
- Food contact certifications
- FDA (US), GB 4806 series (China) — available upon request
- End-of-life classification
- CaCO₃ + PE composite — plastic recycling stream, not standard paper recycling
- Disposal guidance
- Market-specific guidance provided for all target markets
Performance figures come from internal and comparative industry testing. Certificates available on request.
What you get
Three Certainties, Not Three Promises
01
It arrives intact
Wet strength that holds
No softening or stack collapse in refrigerated transit and ice contact.
02
It switches easily
Built to your current box size
Start with one size, one route, one test batch.
03
It passes review
PFAS-free, EPS-free, documented
Food-contact papers and market disposal guidance on request.
Regulatory landscape
Wax and EPS Are Running Out of Runway
3R Box is PFAS-free and EPS-free by composition — compliant today, not retrofitted later.
European Union
PPWR PFAS ban
Effective 12 August 2026
PPWR targets the fluorinated coatings used in many wax boxes. If you ship to the EU on wax, you have a deadline.
United States
EPS foam packaging bans
12+ states — NY extended to refrigerated containers, 2024
NY, CA, NJ, CO, VA and more restrict EPS food packaging, now reaching cold chain.
Australia
EPS phase-out
Launched 2025
National phase-out underway across seafood distribution and retail.
France
EPS seafood ban
Committed by 2030
A full ban on EPS seafood packaging — the direction wider EU rules are heading.
Cost logic
Do Not Only Compare Box Price. Compare the Cost of Failure.
In cold chain packaging, the cheapest box is not always the lowest-cost solution. For seafood, fresh produce, and premium grocery shipments, packaging failure can create product loss, customer claims, returns, rejected shipments, and brand damage.
True packaging cost model
True Packaging Cost=Box Price+Damage Risk+Claims+Returns+Brand Loss
Slightly higher box cost
Lower packaging failure risk
Reduced claim probability
Better branded presentation
More predictable cold chain performance
- Executive-ready cost breakdown
- Response within 24 hours