Antalis Packaging designs honeycomb-inspired shipping carton for long distance recyclability boost
07 Mar 2022 --- Antalis Packaging is unveiling an easy-to-recycle alternative to wooden shipping crates that saves customers money and supports their environmental sustainability goals. The fiber-based honeycomb cell shipping carton is lightweight and made from more than 80% recycled materials.
When Antalis’ customer – an industry leader in hot-holding units and food-to-go solutions – won a contract to ship its units all over the US, it required environmentally sustainable crates to transport the heavy, fragile goods overseas.
The customer wanted the packaging to withstand long journeys and be easy-to-recycle to support its environmental sustainability objectives and reduce the inconvenience for the end recipient.
After struggling to find a suitable supplier, the client turned to Antalis Parkside, an Antalis team based in Coventry, UK, which recommended a highly effective solution through its packaging expertise.
Honeycomb cell design
Antalis Parkside’s solution was a bespoke shipping carton manufactured from Pallite, a lightweight, paper-based material reinforced with an innovative 25 mm honeycomb cell design.
To avoid the food hot-holding units from puncturing the cardboard, the base of the box was die-cut to create a structure that would support the underneath of the unit, taking the weight off the legs.
Antalis’ honeycomb design shipping cartons are lightweight and made from more than 80% recycled materials.
The Pallite cartons are up to 83% lighter than wooden shipping crates, offering a considerable saving in shipping costs but with a capacity to hold up to 750 kg. The packaging has been used to successfully transport the hot-holding units to the US and a customer in Australia.
“Transporting heavy, fragile goods long distances demands robust packaging, which is why timber has traditionally been used. However, we are seeing increased demand for environmentally friendly packaging of all kinds, including shipping crates,” says Andy Miles, key account manager at Antalis.
“Pallite is the ideal solution for any business looking to ship overseas in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way.”
In similar innovation, HexcelPack has produced a honeycomb-based paper-based wrapping system for product shipping as a cost-effective alternative to bubble wrap.
Antalis announcements
In other news, Antalis extended its range of e-commerce solutions to include efficient, easy-to-use and environmentally sustainable packaging options. With the UK’s e-commerce industry continuing to grow, sourcing packaging materials that meet the three-fold requirements of efficiency, ease-of-use and environmental sustainability is vital for business success and reputation, the company says.
The french-headquartered company also revealed it is opening a new smart packaging center in the UK. The center features a demonstration suite for packaging automation and a dedicated packaging design studio.
PackagingInsights sat down with John Garner, head of innovation and design at Antalis last year for an in-depth discussion. With the UK struggling with labor and material shortages, he warned planning for peak packaging season has never been more critical.
By Joshua Poole
