Kraft Packaging Explained: Materials, Uses, and Benefits

There is a reason kraft packaging has been a staple of the packaging industry for well over a century. It is strong, versatile, widely available, and carries a natural aesthetic that has only grown more relevant as consumer preference has shifted toward less processed, more transparent brand presentations. From grocery bags and shipping boxes to custom retail packaging and food-safe wraps, kraft material shows up across nearly every product category.

Despite how common it is, kraft packaging is often misunderstood. Not all kraft is the same. The term covers a range of paper and board grades with meaningfully different strength profiles, print characteristics, and end-use suitability. Buying or specifying kraft packaging without understanding those differences leads to material choices that either over-engineer the solution or fall short of what the application actually needs.

This guide covers how kraft material is made, what distinguishes the major grades from one another, where kraft packaging performs best, and what brands should understand about its sustainability profile.

What Kraft Paper and Board Actually Are

Kraft is a type of paper or paperboard produced through the kraft pulping process, a chemical method that converts wood chips into wood pulp by breaking down the lignin that binds cellulose fibers together. The name comes from the German word for strength, which is accurate. The kraft process retains a higher proportion of long cellulose fibers compared to earlier pulping methods, and those longer fibers are what give kraft paper its characteristic tensile strength and tear resistance.

The natural brown color of unbleached kraft comes from the residual lignin left in the pulp after processing. This is not a byproduct of inferior manufacturing. It is the deliberate result of leaving the pulp in its natural state, which preserves fiber integrity and contributes to the material's strength properties.

Bleached kraft paper undergoes additional chemical treatment to whiten the pulp. This produces a brighter surface more receptive to printing but removes some of the fiber structure in the process. Bleached kraft is softer and less strong than unbleached kraft at the same basis weight, which is worth factoring into material selection for structural applications.

Major Grades of Kraft Paper and Board

Kraft material is available in a range of grades, each optimized for different performance requirements. Understanding the differences prevents both over-specification and underperformance.

• Virgin unbleached kraft is produced entirely from freshly processed wood pulp that has not been recycled. It offers the highest tensile and burst strength among kraft grades and is used where structural performance is the primary requirement. Virgin kraft is standard for shipping sacks, heavy-duty bags, and high-performance corrugated medium and liner.
• Recycled kraft incorporates post-consumer or post-industrial recycled fiber. The fiber length in recycled pulp is shorter than in virgin pulp because each recycling cycle degrades the fibers somewhat. Recycled kraft is generally weaker per unit of weight than virgin kraft but carries a meaningfully lower environmental footprint and meets the sustainability requirements of many retail and brand sourcing programs. For most standard packaging applications, recycled kraft performs adequately.
• Bleached kraft is processed to remove the natural brown color of the pulp. It is used in applications where a lighter, cleaner surface appearance is required, such as food packaging that will be printed with light or pastel colors, or retail packaging where a bright baseline is part of the brand aesthetic. Food-grade bleached kraft is formulated to meet FDA requirements for food contact.
• MG (machine-glazed) kraft has one smooth, glossy side produced by pressing the paper against a heated drum during manufacturing. The glazed side offers improved print receptivity and grease resistance compared to standard kraft. MG kraft is widely used for food wraps, butcher paper, and flexible food packaging applications.
• Natural kraft board refers to heavier-weight kraft material used in rigid or semi-rigid packaging applications, including folding cartons, mailer boxes, and retail packaging. It typically ranges from 200 to 450 GSM and provides the natural brown aesthetic that many brands use intentionally as part of their visual identity.

Common Uses of Kraft Packaging

Kraft material appears across an exceptionally wide range of packaging applications. Its versatility comes from the combination of strength, workability, printability, and visual appeal.

• Corrugated shipping boxes are among the largest volume uses of kraft material globally. The liner and fluting layers that make up corrugated board are predominantly kraft-based. The combination of kraft liners and a corrugated medium delivers the structural performance needed for palletized shipping, retail distribution, and e-commerce fulfillment. Standard brown shipping boxes are essentially kraft packaging in its most utilitarian form.
• Kraft paper bags and grocery bags are a direct-to-consumer touchpoint familiar to virtually everyone. Flat bags, gusseted bags, and handle bags made from kraft paper are used across grocery retail, bakery, foodservice, and specialty retail. They are one of the most established sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic bags and are accepted in paper recycling streams in most US municipalities.
• Retail and gift packaging made from natural kraft board has grown significantly as a packaging aesthetic. Subscription boxes, artisan food brands, small-batch producers, and direct-to-consumer brands use kraft-based folding cartons, mailer boxes, and wrapping as an intentional design statement. The natural brown surface communicates craftsmanship, minimal processing, and environmental awareness without requiring explicit claims.
• Food wraps and deli paper made from MG or food-grade kraft are used extensively in foodservice, butcher shops, bakeries, and specialty food retail. The paper's grease resistance, strength when wet, and food-contact safety make it suitable for direct contact with a wide range of food products.
• Kraft tape and void fill round out the category. Paper-based packaging tape made from kraft is a plastic-free alternative to polypropylene tape and is curbside recyclable with the box. Kraft paper void fill, including crinkle cut and honeycomb kraft, replaces plastic bubble wrap or foam peanuts in e-commerce shipments.

Kraft Packaging in the Context of Brand Identity

One of the reasons kraft packaging has remained relevant through decades of packaging innovation is that its visual character carries meaning. The natural brown surface reads as honest, unprocessed, and environmentally grounded. For brands whose identity is built around those values, kraft packaging reinforces the message at every point of contact.

This is not accidental or purely aesthetic. Brands that use kraft packaging are making a choice about what they want their packaging to communicate before a single word is read. That signal reaches customers who may never read the sustainability statement on the back panel but respond to the texture and color of the material itself.

At Boxo Packaging, kraft-based options are consistently among the most requested materials for custom retail and food packaging, particularly among natural food brands, small-batch producers, and direct-to-consumer companies building their first retail-ready packaging.

That said, kraft is not the right choice for every brand or every product. Brands with vibrant, color-heavy graphics may find that the natural brown substrate limits color vibrancy unless a white ink underprint is used, which adds cost and complexity. Brands competing in premium categories where a bright, clean visual impression is the expectation may need SBS board with a white surface to achieve the packaging presence their retail environment requires.

Strength and Performance Characteristics

Kraft packaging is not a single performance specification. The strength of a given kraft material depends on the fiber source, grade, basis weight, and any additional processing applied.

Key performance metrics relevant to kraft packaging buyers include:

• Basis weight: measured in pounds per 1,000 square feet (in the US) or grams per square meter (GSM). Higher basis weight generally means stronger, heavier material.
• Tensile strength: resistance to tearing when pulled. Virgin kraft outperforms recycled kraft at equivalent basis weights.
• Burst strength (Mullen): resistance to puncture under pressure. Relevant for bags and flexible packaging that will be loaded and handled.
• Tear resistance (Elmendorf): resistance to tearing once a cut or nick is initiated. Important for bags and wraps that may encounter sharp edges.
• Wet strength: standard kraft loses significant strength when wet. Wet-strength kraft is treated with resins to retain structural integrity when moisture is present. Relevant for produce bags, ice applications, and outdoor or refrigerated environments.

For corrugated applications, the relevant metrics shift to ECT (Edge Crush Test) for stacking strength and the combined board weight, which determines how the finished corrugated box performs under compression load.

Kraft Packaging and Sustainability

Kraft packaging carries genuine sustainability credentials, but like any material, those credentials depend on how the specific product is sourced, manufactured, and disposed of at end of life.

Paper fiber used in kraft packaging can come from virgin or recycled sources, and both have legitimate roles. Virgin kraft fiber certified under FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) programs comes from responsibly managed forests with documented chain-of-custody. Recycled kraft fiber reduces demand for virgin pulp and diverts material from landfill, though it requires energy and water to process.

Kraft paper and board are among the most widely recyclable packaging materials in the US. Uncoated kraft paper is accepted in curbside paper recycling in virtually every US municipality with collection programs. Kraft board used in corrugated boxes has one of the highest recycling rates of any packaging material in the country.

Compostability is another end-of-life option for uncoated kraft paper. Uncoated, untreated kraft paper without plastic laminates or wax coatings will break down in commercial composting environments and many home composting setups, making it a viable choice for brands serving food or foodservice customers who have composting infrastructure.

The sustainability claim that requires the most care is biodegradability. Kraft paper does biodegrade, but the rate depends entirely on the disposal environment. Paper in a landfill, deprived of oxygen and moisture, biodegrades very slowly. The more accurate and useful claim for most kraft packaging is recyclability, which is verifiable and broadly supported by existing infrastructure.

Printing on Kraft: What Brands Need to Know

Kraft packaging presents specific considerations for print production that differ from white-surface substrates. Understanding them before finalizing artwork prevents surprises in the finished product.

The natural brown color of unbleached kraft affects how printed colors appear. Dark colors, earth tones, and muted palettes render well and often look richer on kraft than on white board. Bright colors, pastels, and anything requiring accurate white reproduction will appear muted or off-tone without a white ink underprint layer, which adds a press pass and cost to the job.

Four-color process printing (CMYK) on unbleached kraft works best for artwork designed with the substrate color in mind. Packaging designers experienced with kraft substrates typically design artwork that incorporates the natural brown as a design element rather than fighting against it.

Flexographic printing is the dominant method for kraft paper applications like bags, wraps, and rolls. Offset lithography is used for kraft board folding cartons and higher-detail retail packaging applications. Digital printing on kraft board has improved considerably and is a viable option for short-run custom kraft packaging where offset plate costs are not justified by the volume.

Finishes on kraft packaging tend toward the minimal. Aqueous matte coating is common for folding cartons and adds surface protection without altering the natural aesthetic. Heavy gloss lamination or high-shine treatments visually contradict the natural kraft character and are rarely specified for kraft-based packaging unless a deliberate contrast effect is intended.

Choosing Between Kraft and Other Substrates

The decision to use kraft packaging versus white SBS board, recycled board, or another substrate is both a performance decision and a brand decision. Neither is universally correct.

Kraft is the better choice when:

• The natural aesthetic aligns with brand positioning
• Recyclability or compostability is a documented requirement
• The application is corrugated or heavy-duty paper-based
• Print artwork is designed around the natural substrate color
• Cost efficiency at standard grades is a priority

White SBS or coated board is the better choice when:

• Vibrant, full-color photography or illustration is central to the packaging design
• Bright whites or light pastels are required without a white ink underprint
• The retail environment requires a clean, bright shelf presence
• Premium perceived quality through a high-gloss or specialty finish is the goal

Many brands use both. Kraft for shipping and outer packaging, white board for retail-facing primary packaging. The two materials serve different roles in the packaging system and choosing them intentionally, rather than defaulting to one, produces a more coherent and cost-effective result across the full packaging architecture.