Brands sourcing custom paper tube packaging for the first time often discover the same thing: two suppliers can look nearly identical on a homepage and still operate very differently once a real order is placed. Earthycores and Paper Tube Co. are two manufacturers that come up regularly in that search, each with a distinct operating model, and each better suited to different kinds of buyers.
Company Background and Positioning
Paper Tube Co. was founded in 2013 and has built custom paper tube packaging into a core part of its business, alongside other packaging formats it also offers. The company maintains a headquarters and presence near Chicago, with customer support, design, and R&D operations based in the United States, while manufacturing takes place in China.
Earthycores operates its own manufacturing facility in China and has built its product focus specifically around coffee, beauty and personal care, and supplement packaging categories. The company maintains office and customer support capabilities in Canada and China, with R&D activity conducted in both locations as well.
Both companies are competing in a broader packaging category that has drawn increasing attention as brands look for alternatives to plastic. Recent analysis of the U.S. paper tubes and cores market points to steady demand growth in this category, driven partly by that same shift away from plastic-first packaging.
Estimated Business Scale
Neither company publishes audited financial results, so any revenue figure here should be understood as a third-party estimate rather than confirmed company data. Paper Tube Co.’s estimated annual revenue is approximately US12 to 13 million. Both estimates suggest businesses operating at a broadly similar scale, with Paper Tube Co. somewhat larger by this measure, though the margin is within a range where estimation methodology could account for some of the difference.
Minimum Order Quantities
This is one of the more consequential differences for smaller and growing brands. Earthycores sets its custom printed MOQ at 1,000 units per design, with no minimum order quantity on its available stock or plain kraft paper tubes that don’t require custom printing.
Paper Tube Co. also offers stock paper tubes with no MOQ. For custom projects, many start at approximately 1,000 units as well, matching Earthycores at that entry tier, though the company states that certain fully custom or more specialized structures may require approximately 2,500 units. Buyers with a straightforward custom print run are likely to find comparable entry points at both companies, but projects requiring more specialized structural work may face a higher minimum at Paper Tube Co.
Custom Sizing
Earthycores describes highly flexible custom sizing, covering a range from very small tubes through large-format structures. Paper Tube Co. also offers custom sizing, subject to its own manufacturing limitations, though the specific size range available isn’t detailed in the company’s published information to the same degree. Buyers with an unusual or extreme size requirement should confirm feasibility directly with either supplier rather than assuming based on general marketing language.
Manufacturing and Production
Both companies manufacture in China, though their business models around that manufacturing differ. Earthycores operates its own manufacturing facility directly, with published production capacity exceeding 500,000 tubes per month. Paper Tube Co. manufactures in China as well, while maintaining its design, engineering, and customer-facing operations from its US base near Chicago. Neither operating model is inherently superior; a directly operated overseas facility and a US-based company managing overseas production are simply different structures, and the right fit depends on how much a buyer values direct manufacturing control versus US-based project management.
Production Lead Time
Earthycores states a typical production lead time of approximately 20 days once size, material, design, and printing specifications are finalized. Paper Tube Co. publishes a custom production timeline of approximately 4 to 8 weeks after prototype approval, with prototype development itself taking approximately 2 weeks. These figures aren’t directly comparable since Paper Tube Co.’s timeline includes a distinct prototype phase before production begins, while Earthycores’ figure applies once specifications are already finalized. Buyers should ask both companies what falls inside and outside each published timeline, including shipping time, before assuming one is faster in practice.
Printing Capabilities
Earthycores offers multiple printing methods, including both digital and offset printing. Paper Tube Co. uses offset printing for production runs, with digital printing available at the prototype stage. Buyers needing a very fast, small custom run may find digital printing options more relevant, while larger production runs typically favor offset printing regardless of supplier.
Premium Finishing and Structural Customization
Both companies offer a substantial range of finishing options. Earthycores lists matte and gloss finishes, foil stamping, embossing, debossing, Spot UV, windows, and locking or closure structures among its documented capabilities. Paper Tube Co.’s published finishing options include foil stamping, Spot UV, embossing, debossing, specialty papers, windows, inserts, and ribbons. The two lists overlap considerably on the core premium finishes (foil stamping, embossing, debossing, Spot UV, and windows), while each company also lists a few options not explicitly documented by the other, matte and gloss finish naming from Earthycores, and specialty papers and ribbons from Paper Tube Co.
Full-Paper and Plastic-Free Structures
Both companies offer plastic-free paper tube structures. Earthycores describes full-paper and mono-material options specifically. Paper Tube Co. also states that plastic-free paper tube structures are available. In both cases, it’s worth noting that a plastic-free base structure doesn’t automatically make every finished package recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable everywhere; that depends on the complete construction, including any liners, coatings, and closures used on a specific order, not just the core tube material.
Sustainability and Certifications
Earthycores offers FSC-certified material options. Paper Tube Co. offers FSC paper options as well, using FSC Mix paper for custom tubes according to its published information, with FSC 100% recycled paper available on request for qualifying projects at a higher MOQ. Buyers with a specific certification requirement, particularly those needing FSC 100% recycled content, should confirm exact certification scope and any associated minimum order increases directly with the relevant supplier, since certification terms can vary by project.
Food Packaging
Earthycores offers food-grade packaging options for categories including coffee, tea, and dry food, provided an appropriate structure is used for the specific product. Paper Tube Co. also offers food packaging structures, including lined options suited to dry-food applications. Neither company’s paper tube should be assumed suitable for direct food contact without the correct liner or barrier construction specified for that product; this is a detail worth confirming directly rather than assuming from general “food packaging” language on either company’s site.
Beauty, Personal Care, and Supplements
Both companies maintain a substantial presence in beauty and personal-care packaging. Earthycores also lists supplement packaging as a strong product focus alongside coffee and beauty categories. Paper Tube Co.’s published information centers its supplement-specific offering less explicitly, with beauty and cosmetics described as a significant category rather than supplements specifically, though its general custom capabilities would likely extend to supplement packaging on request.
Design Support
Earthycores provides design assistance without a separate design charge when a customer proceeds to production. Paper Tube Co. offers dedicated structural engineering, graphic design, branding, and prototyping services as part of its business. The two approaches differ in structure: Earthycores’ model folds design support into the production relationship itself, while Paper Tube Co. presents design and engineering as a more formalized service offering, which may suit brands wanting deeper structural engineering input earlier in the process.
R&D, Customer Support, and North American Presence
Paper Tube Co. bases its customer support, design, and R&D operations in the United States, with a headquarters near Chicago and the ability to ship stock products and offer warehousing and drop-shipping from that location. Earthycores maintains office and support capabilities in Canada and China, with inventory and R&D activity available in both locations. Brands prioritizing US-based communication and domestic warehousing may lean toward Paper Tube Co., while brands comfortable working across Canada and China may find Earthycores’ structure a closer fit.
Stock Packaging
Both companies offer stock paper tubes with no minimum order quantity, giving buyers who don’t need custom printing an accessible entry point. Paper Tube Co.’s ready-made tube offering is supported by its US-based shipping and warehousing capability, meaning a buyer ordering stock product can potentially receive it from a domestic location rather than waiting on an international shipment, a genuine advantage for buyers prioritizing speed on non-custom orders.
Specialized Capabilities
Paper Tube Co. offers a specialized child-resistant paper tube called EcoVault, which the company describes as independently tested and CPSC compliant, a capability not documented in Earthycores’ published information. Paper Tube Co. also offers packaging formats beyond paper tubes as part of its broader product range. Earthycores, for its part, documents locking and closure structures among its finishing options and maintains a specific stated focus on supplement packaging alongside coffee and beauty categories, though it does not publicly document a dedicated child-resistant product line comparable to EcoVault.
Comparison at a Glance
| Criteria | Earthycores | Paper Tube Co. |
| Estimated annual revenue | ~US$12 to 13 million (estimate) | ~US$15 million (estimate) |
| Custom MOQ | 1,000 units per design | ~1,000 units; ~2,500 for certain specialized structures |
| Stock MOQ | No MOQ | No MOQ |
| Custom sizing | Very small to large-format | Available, subject to manufacturing limitations |
| Manufacturing location | China (own facility) | China (manufacturing); US design and support base |
| Production capacity | 500,000+ tubes/month (published) | Not specified in published information |
| Production lead time | ~20 days after spec finalization | ~4 to 8 weeks after prototype approval, plus ~2 weeks prototyping |
| Printing methods | Digital and offset | Offset (production); digital (prototype) |
| Full-paper / plastic-free options | Yes | Yes |
| FSC certification | FSC-certified options available | FSC Mix (standard); FSC 100% recycled on request, higher MOQ |
| Food packaging | Yes, with appropriate structure | Yes, including lined dry-food options |
| Design support | Included when proceeding to production | Dedicated engineering, design and prototyping services |
| North American presence | Canada (office, support, R&D, stocking) | US-based HQ, support, R&D, warehousing near Chicago |
| Specialized capability | Locking/closure structures documented | EcoVault child-resistant tube (CPSC compliant, per company) |
Which Supplier Fits Which Buyer
Neither company comes out ahead across every category, and the more useful question is which buyer profile each one actually fits.
A brand prioritizing US-based communication, domestic warehousing for stock orders, dedicated structural engineering services, or a documented child-resistant format is likely better served by Paper Tube Co. Its Chicago-area presence and EcoVault product address specific needs that Earthycores doesn’t publicly document an equivalent for.
A brand prioritizing a lower entry point on more specialized custom structures, a shorter published production timeline once specifications are locked, broader documented custom sizing range, or a supplier with direct ownership of its manufacturing facility may find Earthycores’ model a closer fit. Its stated focus on coffee, beauty, and supplement categories specifically may also matter to brands operating in those spaces.
Buyers evaluating either company should still verify current MOQ, lead time, and certification details directly before committing, since published figures can change and the specific requirements of an individual project, particularly around liners, food contact, and certification scope, often decide more than a general comparison can.
