DS Smith equips Bosch with cardboard-based gas boiler packaging

01 Feb 2024 --- DS Smith has developed a plastic-free solution for a gas boiler from Bosch Home Comfort Group. The innovation has reportedly resulted in the removal of 100,000 plastic components and is saving 310 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.

The paper packaging giant has eliminated all plastic parts in its new solution, whereas previous packaging solutions required two expanded polystyrene (styrofoam) elements. 

Stefan Endres, account manager at DS Smith, Germany, says: “This project shows that corrugated cardboard can score with ideal protective properties and improve sustainability, and this process can be applied to the most demanding industrial packaging challenges.” 

The new plastic-free product innovation is also in line with the sustainability goals of Bosch Home Comfort Group, who requested the design to be fully recyclable.

Lifecycle benefits 
The DS Smith team of designers used the company’s “Circular Design Metrics” approach in combination with the company’s Value Tool to demonstrate the full lifecycle benefits of its packaging. 

The process uses eight metrics to create the various aspects of a packaging solution for environmental sustainability and recyclability in a standardized and quantifiable way. For example, within five categories related to the plastic-free Bosch Home Comfort Group, an improvement could be determined.The Circular Design Metrics show where a packaging solution is already sustainable and in which areas there is still room for optimization.“We are helping our industry clients to become plastic-free, protecting the product right across the supply cycle and are very pleased to be working with Bosch Home Comfort Group,” says Endres.

“After an extensive consultation with the customer, we decided that using our expertise in sustainable industrial packaging combined with our proven tools is a recipe for success. Our Circular Design Metrics were utilized in combination with our Value Tool in order to transparently illustrate the benefits of this fully recyclable monomaterial packaging to the customer.”

Improving delivery logistics 
The fibers of the corrugated board materials can be recycled more than 20 times and are anticipated to remain in the recycling loop.

Jingjing Huang at the Purchasing Engineering Combustion Systems department at Bosch Home Comfort Group, says: “We are delighted about the positive impact of this packaging optimization by the DS Smith team and the value it brings to our businesses, but also to the environment with an improvement of more than 75% decreased CO2 impact which equals a reduction of 310 tons of CO2 every year.”

“More than 2,350 fewer pallets have to be taken out each year, and this new approach significantly reduces the volume of trucks used for delivery logistics by almost 60%, resulting in more than 60 trucks being taken off the road annually.”

“With the changeover to this sustainable and fully recyclable packaging solution made from corrugated cardboard, Bosch Home Comfort Group is now able to meet the versatile demand for sustainable solutions while maintaining product protection,” concludes Huang.

Edited by Natalie Schwertheim