Versuni and DS Smith craft 100% paper packaging for Philips home appliances

24 Oct 2023 --- Versuni will replace all single-use plastics inside product boxes with more “environmentally sustainable” alternatives within four years. The leading domestic appliances producer is starting with the launch of 100% recycled and recyclable paper packaging for its top-performing Philips home appliances. 

Versuni collaborated with packaging partner DS Smith to develop paper-based packaging, which will be first applied to Versuni’s top-performing Philips home appliances — including the Philips Airfryer, Espresso Machine with LatteGo, Steam Iron 3000 series, Air Purifier and Cordless Vacuum 8000 series. 

The company will then extend across the entire portfolio in the coming years.

“Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious, which impacts what they expect from brands and how they shop,” says Henk S. de Jong, chief executive officer at Versuni.

“Our purpose at Versuni is turning houses into homes. This ambition comes with a responsibility to set new standards and adopt more sustainable practices across our value chain. Introducing sustainable packaging across our Philips portfolio is an important step in our commitments to reduce our impact on the planet, our shared home.”

The new packaging is designed to be durable for transportation. It features reduced ink usage and optimized dimensions to minimize waste. Additionally, to enhance the customer experience, traditional multi-language user manuals will be replaced with QR codes on the packaging, offering access to instructional videos and FAQs.

“Versuni is taking steps to fuse more sustainable practices with its commitment to elevate the consumer experience through connected devices and digitalization,” details the company.

Versuni designs the new boxes for Phillips home appliances.The scannable QR codes printed on the product packaging aim to provide easy access to “how to get started” videos and downloadable user manuals in the customer’s preferred language. Safety instructions, warranty information and simplified start-up guides will remain in the box.

Partnering for design and production
The new packaging, made from 100% recycled paper, is said to be eco-friendly and practical. It can withstand transportation without requiring additional protection, enabling customers to affix the shipping label directly to the packaging.

Additionally, Versuni has reduced the printed area on the packaging, resulting in a 65% reduction in ink usage. The packaging’s dimensions have also been optimized to minimize empty spaces within each product box, reducing material waste.

“Looking at the entire lifecycle of a product is a key factor in our design process at Versuni,” says Calum Armstrong, head of design at Versuni. “The desire to become more sustainable in our approach challenges us to find innovative and creative solutions, from how we package and print to adopting alternative digital solutions.”

Versuni is reaffirming its purpose of “turning houses into homes” and commitment to designing products and packaging for longevity, repairability and reusability — turning waste into a resource. This transformative initiative will benefit the planet and set new standards in eco-conscious packaging for the industry.

Versuni’s partnership with DS Smith has been integral to its sustainability drive. “We have partnered with Versuni at all levels of the design and production process to optimize supply chain processes and replace plastic where possible,” Wouter van Tol, head of sustainability at DS Smith, comments regarding the collaboration.

“Our pioneering Circular Design Metrics tool, created in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, was an essential step in this. It is encouraging to see a company such as Versuni proactively work with us toward a more circular economy.”

Edited by Radhika Sikaria