DS Smith equips mineral water brand with fiber-based protective box

DS Smith has supplied Alpine Water brand, Hallstein, with a fiber-based protective case for its glass water bottles. The transport box can hold up to six 750 mL glass water bottles and can be expanded to hold nine, 12, 15, or 18 bottles.

Made from corrugated cardboard, the box protects the bottles during transport for e-commerce purchases. DS Smith notes that the solution replaces Hallstein’s previous protective cases, which used a PE foam inlay and inserts.

Andreas Koch, cluster design and innovation manager at DS Smith, says: “Our packaging solution for Hallstein was subjected to rigorous and extensive safety testing, which included sending shipment consignments to the US to evaluate the impact of knocks and bumps.”

“Our challenge was to find a way to provide a sustainable protection for as wide a range of transit conditions as possible.” 

The box was created following DS Smith’s Circular Design Metrics (CDM), which compares the circularity of old and new packaging designs across eight categories, such as carbon footprint and design for reuse. 

Designing for protection

The CDM indicators were used alongside DS Smith’s Total Cost of Ownership Pack lower-cost value tool, which assesses the cost of owning, using, and maintaining the product.

Alexander Muhr, Alpine Water’s managing director, says: “The DS team has helped us create a robust, sustainable, and versatile packaging solution to protect our product and glass bottles during transportation to local and international consumers.”

“Our new transport boxes demonstrate production, cost reduction, and space-saving benefits, positively impacting the entire supply chain.”

Muhr explains that the boxes are also visually appealing and offer surface space ideal for brand logo, artwork, and graphics. 

Hallstein is naturally filtered, premium artesian water sourced from the Austrian Alps. It transports its water to the US, Europe, Switzerland, Singapore, Canada, and the Bahamas.

Recently, DS Smith equipped Famifarm Oy, a Finnish fresh herb and salad company, with a recyclable, fiber-based transportation box that can optimize packing and unpacking lines. It also supplied Minerva, a Greek apparel company, with its Tape Back box, facilitating e-commerce return processes and reducing packaging material.