DS Smith works with appliance maker on paperboard packaging option

DS Smith PLC, a United Kingdom-based producer of paperboard and packaging, has developed a packaging option for a gas boiler made by Bosch Home Comfort Group that uses paperboard rather than any plastic materials.

“The fully recyclable mono-material packaging solution made from corrugated cardboard saves 100,000 plastic parts and 310 tons of CO₂ emissions annually while supporting sustainability goals,” according to DS Smith.

The recycled-content paperboard maker says Bosch's previous packaging required two expanded polystyrene (EPS) types of material. The option developed by DS Smith for Bosch Home Comfort Group, which is a subsidiary of Germany-based subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, has eliminated all plastic packaging parts.

The new paperboard packaging is in line with the sustainability goals of Bosch Home Comfort Group, which requested any new design be fully recyclable, according to the packaging firm.

DS Smith designers used the company’s Circular Design Metrics approach in combination with its Value Tool to “transparently demonstrate the full life cycle benefits” of the packaging.

The process involved using eight different metrics to create the packaging option ultimately chosen by Bosch. DS Smith says in five categories an improvement could be determined tied to the paperboard option created for Bosch Home Comfort Group.

“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 Stefan Endres, a Germany-based account manager with DS Smith.

“After an extensive consultation with the customer, we decided that using our strong expertise in sustainable industrial packaging combined with our proven tools is a recipe for success. This project clearly shows that corrugated cardboard can score with ideal protective properties and at the same time create an improvement in sustainability, and this process can be applied to the most demanding of industrial packaging challenges.”

DS Smith says the fibers of the corrugated board materials being used can be recycled more than 20 times and are anticipated to remain in the functioning recycling loop for a long time.

“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 percent decreased CO₂ impact," says Jingjing Huang, a purchasing engineer with Bosch Home Comfort Group.

“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 percent, resulting in more than 60 trucks being taken off the road each year. 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.”

DS Smith has set as a goal to eliminate 1 billion pieces of potentially difficult to recycle plastic from the global supply chain and retail shelves by 2025. The company has outlined specific objectives to replace plastic, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide innovative recycling solutions as a part of a focus on circular solutions for its customers.