DS Smith boosts circular economy transition and packaging innovations with multi-million investment

British packaging giant DS Smith is investing €25 million (US$27 million) in its production lines and machinery parks in Poland. We speak to the company about the sustainability and development aims of the investment.

“DS Smith is committed to a purpose of Redefining Packaging for a Changing World for future generations and consumers and to a companywide Now & Next sustainability strategy. We want to provide our customers with the best-in-class sustainable solutions,” Reinier Schlatmann, regional managing director of the Packaging Division of DS Smith Eastern Europe, tells Packaging Insights.

“With this new investment, we will be able to produce even more sustainable fiber-based packaging solutions that will enhance the transition toward a circular economy.”

DS Smith has invested in machinery at its manufacturing facilities in the Polish towns of Kielce, Bełchatów and Sosnowiec, including a new die-cutter Bobst Masterline 2.1 machine for the FMCG sector, an Easy Bowl solution for fresh food and fiber-based paper bag packaging solutions. 

“Thanks to the new machinery, we will be able to provide our customers with sustainable fiber-based packaging solutions, and we will be maintaining top quality, precision and efficiency. Also, as a result of automation, we hope to increase our annual packaging production by 25 million square meters.”

Sustainability considerations 

Discussing how customer demands for sustainable packaging are driving DS Smith’s production, Schlatmann says: “Sustainability is a topic widely discussed in Europe, and it is strongly connected with climate change and new regulations and legislation across Europe.”

Sustainability in Europe is strongly connected with climate change and new EU regulations and legislation.“Regardless of sector — food, FMCG, other goods — customers look for products and services that meet certain standards and reflect care for sustainability. Companies that want to be perceived as sustainable and attractive are looking to implement changes to meet their own clients’ expectations. Sustainable packaging is particularly important in the value chain.”

DS Smith says it collaborates with its customers to create packaging that meets sustainability and functional needs.

“Our priority is to provide quality, sustainable packaging solutions that address the challenges of a fast-changing world. We cooperate closely with our customers while creating packaging and use a pioneering tool called Circular Design Metrics, which helps us to create sustainable fiber-based packaging that is fit for the circular economy,” says Schlatmann.

“All our actions are driven by our purpose, ‘Redefining Packaging for a Changing World,’ and our sustainability strategy, ‘Now and Next.’ We think and plan from a long-term perspective so that our goals remain the same and can be measured,” they add.

“We want to lead the transition toward a circular economy and provide our clients with innovative packaging solutions that will help them meet their clients’ expectations and needs and, in doing so, achieve their sustainability goals.”

Driving innovation 

Schlatmann says that Poland is a strategic market when it comes to the development of the company and its operations in Europe. 

“DS Smith has eight factories and five customer service centers, and it employs almost 1,500 people in Poland. The new investment is a continuation of our development in this market and another major investment that we made in recent years after the facility in Bełchatów, which was opened in 2022. This new investment reflects our commitment to provide even more sustainable packaging for our customers.”

Poland is a strategic market when it comes to the development of DS Smith and its operations in Europe.According to Schlatmann the new paper bag production line in Poland responds to industry trend records.

“Since COVID-19, we’ve been observing the rapid growth of the e-commerce sector, and this is strictly connected to the new habits of customers who got used to the convenience of e-shopping. Our new production line is a response to the growing demand from e-commerce sellers who want to provide their customers with more sustainable and made-to-measure packaging.”

“We are very proud of these developments and the way that we collaborate with our clients in Poland and in the Eastern region, including Carlberg Polska. We also, by means of example, worked closely with Carlsberg on the DS Smith Round Wrap packaging solution for their selected product lines.”

Schlatmann concludes: “We are very satisfied with our process and the implementation of new machinery and production lines across this region. Innovation is driving our development, and we are continually working on new solutions in Poland that we can offer to our clients worldwide.”