DS Smith launches fiber-reduced Light Wrap to slash CO2 emissions

02 Jun 2023 --- DS Smith has released the Ligjht Wrap, a light wrap packaging solution that creates a 19% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to “traditional solutions.”

The Light Wrap has been manufactured as a classic wraparound for bricks. The company says its design uses less fiber, creating a reduction in CO2 emissions thought to be equivalent to 1,831 flights between Madrid and Lisbon.

“We can reduce the fiber content and, in consequence, the CO2 emissions due to the clever structural design that hides the deformation of the wraparounds in semi-self-supported primary products,” Iago Candal, design and innovation manager of Southern Europe packaging at DS Smith, tells PackagingInsights.

“We created this solution to solve the problem for customers because their wraparound was not strong enough.”

Reducing fiber and emissions
The wrap was created to ensure that the packaging would work effectively to support the weight of packs stacked on top of each other in transportation and point of sale without damage or deformation.

Regarding how the manufacturing process of the Light Wrap reduces emissions, Candal tells us that it “does not need additional manufacturing processes. That reduces the emissions but doesn’t increase it with special or additional processes.”

“The wraparound is designed to group primary products, not to support the load. We thought if we create a hole in the bottom of the box and put a crease in the bottom, we could hide the box deformation, and as we said, reduce the fiber and emissions.”

Light Wrap reduces CO2 emissions by 19% when compared to alternative solutions. DS Smith designers say they took inspiration from compression and fastening in contemporary automobiles when creating the wrap. The company continues that the packaging solution is ideal for brands adapting their carton caps to the EU’s Waste and Contaminated Land Act.

“Brands also are adapting their carton caps, according to the EU’s Waste and Contaminated Land Act – as of July 2024. This is the best time for companies to redefine the packaging of their cartons and start using Light Wrap, benefiting from all its advantages,” says Luis Serrano, sales, marketing and innovation director at DS Smith, Iberia.

Investment in the future of packaging
The Light Wrap patent is one of many products resulting from the €116 million (US$124.8 million) investment in R&D and innovation by DS Smith in mid-2021 to support the company’s work around the circular economy.

The five-year investment includes creating a new technology center in the UK, developing new materials to replace plastics and a pilot project to calibrate the impact of g-force on packaging for home deliveries.

The investment also supports the company’s sustainability strategy marked by the circular economy, which aims to offer all customers 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2023 and replace one billion plastic items in supermarkets and e-commerce channels by 2025.

DS Smith has developed Circular Design Metrics for packaging as a tool used to rate and compare the circularity of packaging designs through eight different indicators, such as recyclability, renewable content and supply chain optimization. This tool enables the innovation and design teams to obtain a clear view of circularity and areas for improvement.

“Our company is committed to collaborative design and working hand in hand with our customers to develop packaging ideas that help them achieve their objectives through a range of innovative tools and facilities, including our Innovation Hubs and PackRight Centers, where we hold collaborative and interactive sessions to design and develop packaging solutions together,” concludes Serrano.

By Sabine Waldeck

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