Marco Terragni and Matteo Bressan: Visionaries Who Brought Cartonplast to Italy

In the mid-1970s, an encounter took place that would significantly influence the future of reusable and recyclable plastic packaging. Marco Terragni, founder of the COVEMA Group together with his brother Dino, met Matteo Bressan, one of the co-founders of Karton S.p.A.

From that meeting emerged a milestone agreement: the supply and installation of the first Cartonplast extrusion line in Italy, an innovative technology developed by the COVEMA Group. This event marked the beginning of Cartonplast sheet extrusion in the country, paving the way for the production of reusable and recyclable boxes—solutions perfectly aligned with what we would, decades later, define as the principles of the Circular Economy.

A historic sample sheet that tells a story

Among the many materials tested at Corima, one of the companies within the COVEMA Group, a sample of one of the very first Cartonplast sheets stands out today as a remarkable piece of industrial history.

The screen-printed sample proudly featured the headline:

“Cartonplast – the revolutionary material exclusive to Covema.”

Below it, the text highlighted characteristics that sound astonishingly modern and forward-thinking:
 

•    Rigid, even when wet

•    Lightweight

•    Translucent – see contents, see through

•    Can be stapled, heat-sealed or taped

•    No odour or taste transfer

•    Scuff-resistant

•    Low-slip surface for stable stacking

•    Resistant to most chemicals

•    Oil & grease resistant

•    Does not support mould or bacterial growth

•    High crush resistance and good recovery

•    Can be sterilised and washed

•    Waterproof – wet strength

•    Not readily cut by sharp corners

•    Re-usable

•    Screen printable

Reading these features today, it becomes clear: the core principles of modern sustainability—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—were already embedded in Cartonplast nearly 50 years ago.

Terragni & Bressan: A partnership beyond business

The cooperation between Marco Terragni and Matteo Bressan was far more than a commercial operation. It represented a shared intuition: bringing to the Italian market a material that was innovative, durable, hygienic, long-lasting, and inherently sustainable.

Long before the term Circular Economy entered mainstream vocabulary, Cartonplast embodied its essence. It wasn’t just a product; it was a new way of thinking about packaging and its lifecycle.

A legacy that lives on

Today, Agripak proudly celebrates this legacy—not only the technology itself, but the ability to see the future before it arrived.

The extrusion line installed in Italy in the 1970s and the early test sheets produced at Corima remain key milestones in a journey that continues today, guided by the same values: innovation, sustainability, and industrial vision.