Amazon approves Smurfit Kappa’s 3 L Bag-in-Box as “Frustration-Free Packaging”
15 Apr 2021 --- Smurfit Kappa’s 3 L Bag-in-Box packaging design has received Amazon’s “Frustration-Free Packaging” (FFP) certification.
“This new collaboration gives businesses the opportunity to sell through Amazon Marketplace at a much faster speed,” says Arco Berkenbosch, Smurfit Kappa VP of innovation and development.
Smurfit Kappa maintains the move circumvents having to go through “costly and time-consuming testing” at a specialized International Safe Transit Association (ISTA)-certified laboratory to gain FFP certification.
Speed-to-market online delivery has become crucial for companies competing in the ever-competitive e-commerce arena. Innova Market Insights revealed “Home Delivery Haven” as its leading packaging trend for 2021.
According to a 2021 survey by the market researcher, 35 percent of global consumers have increased their home food delivery use since the COVID-19 outbreak.
Eco-considerations to the fore
In 2018, Amazon reinforced its FFP program across Europe and North America. The broader aim was to reduce packaging waste, protect products and improve overall supply chain efficiency with financial incentives.
The FFP program was first enacted as a voluntary scheme but is now imposed with financial penalties across the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
Pre-certified FFP designs are projected to grow the market share of bag-in-box wines on Amazon.Bag-in-Box, part of Smurfit Kappa’s eBottle portfolio, protects juices and wine from transit-related damage with shapes allowing for “optimal logistical efficiency and handling.”
Bag-in-Box uses on average 75 percent less plastic than rigid plastic packaging and has easy to separate materials, therefore guaranteeing high recycling rates.
“FFP is a testament to the experience Smurfit Kappa has gathered conducting ISTA-certified packaging analysis and Amazon FFP certification over the past 14 years,” says Berkenbosch.
Case in point
When in Rome is a British wine company projected to benefit from the announcement. Rob Malin, CEO of the premium Italian craft wine brand, notes his company has sold “very successfully” on Amazon UK since July 2020.
“The availability of pre-certified FFP designs will certainly make it easier for us and other eco-friendly wine brands to grow the market share of bag-in-box wines on Amazon and, accordingly, help us reduce the environmental footprint of the wine industry.”
Bag-in-Box is a part of Smurfit Kappa’s Better Planet Packaging portfolio of products seeking to make a positive eco-impact on supply chains, while improving packaging’s environmental footprint.
The company’s upgraded Better Planet 2050 sustainability targets focus on further reducing its environmental footprint, increasing support for the communities in which it operates and improving its employees’ livelihoods.
By Anni Schleicher
