DS Smith slashes Well Water’s carbon footprint with fiber bag-in-box solution
03 Mar 2022 --- Well Water and DS Smith have created an environmentally efficient water packing line for producing a new bag-in-box solution. The packaging solution removes the need for returnable plastic bottles, achieving a 60% reduction in truck transportation and associated carbon emissions.
The bag-in-box solution is taint-free, meaning it does not change the water’s taste. Additionally, it is more hygienic than plastic alternatives, with each bag having its own freshwater tap.
“By using a fiber-based OTOR material, we were able to create a more visually attractive and reduced plastic product that is more [environmentally] sustainable. Moving to a fiber-based solution also addressed the impact on consumers’ health, as current coolers that are made from polycarbonate are often not BPA-free,” Adam Platts, sales, marketing and innovation director at DS Smith UK & Ireland tells PackagingInsights.
Well Water has invested in DS Smith’s OTOR packing machinery line to ensure that optimum levels of materials are used, and any unnecessary material is eliminated. The machinery also uses virgin board grade, supporting the re-use of fibers.
The bag-in-box solution does not change the water’s taste and is more hygienic than plastic alternatives, the company says.Bag-in-box for water
Platts says a key challenge for the bag-in-box solution was “coming up with a product that was fit for purpose to replace polycarbonate water coolers commonly used in offices with a more [environmentally] sustainable and healthier option.”
“The previous solution that Well Water had been using was prone to bowing due to the pressure of the contents, as well as being poorly printed,” he adds.
The solution is provided in 6, 10 and 12.75 L formats to address different customer needs. The 6 L solution fits in the fridge and encourages users not to drink from small handheld bottles of water, which are known to pollute UK beaches.
For example, one of Well Water’s current customers estimates that their switch from single-use plastic bottles to Purely Scottish Natural Mineral Water in a Box, coupled with a smart reusable aluminum 500 ml bottle, will remove 680,000 small plastic bottles per annum from their supply chain.
The fiber-based bag-in-box solution provides several tangible benefits for customers. The bag does not change the water’s taste and offers a hygienic solution, with each bag-in-box coming with its own freshwater tap.
Furthermore, the boxes are easier to store than plastic bottles and are also lighter and easier to lift, says Well Water.
Farewell to plastic
Moving to a fiber-based solution also addresses the impact on consumer health, as current coolers made from polycarbonate are not BPA-free, says Platts.
The company purchased a natural mineral water plant in Scotland in 2018. Within a year the company decided to close the plant’s plastic bottle line to move their operations to a more considered long-term solution that aligned with their environmental sustainability ambitions.
Platts says for water coolers, the use of plastic returnable bottles is an “outdated flawed” model as it requires avoidable transportation. “Compared to the old water cooler model, which would typically require 22 visits per year for cleaning and replacement bottles, our new bag-in-box solution reduces visits to a total of six per year.”
“Our circular design metrics, comparing the performance of a packaging design across a range of indicators, demonstrate that the new bag-in-box product has 96% material utilization – significantly reducing the amount of waste naturally occurring in the production process,” he says.
He adds that 98% of the solution is recyclable and 96% of materials used have derived from renewable sources.
By Natalie Schwertheim
