DS Smith, an International Paper company and Raymarine, a manufacturer of navigation systems and electronics for the commercial marine and recreational boating sector, have collaborated to create an alternative solution to single-use plastic in the company’s radar product line packaging.
The DS Smith design team have used fibre-based corrugated cardboard materials to replace Expanded Polyethylene (EPE foam) in Raymarine’s previous solution. They can ensure that the radar products are provided with a maximum protection against vibrations, unforeseeable physical impacts, and knocks, during their transit and transportation to local and international customers.
“When assessing a new packaging design our process and development research consider the type of materials used, production, transportation, distribution, and supply chain optimisation. This packaging for Raymarine is made from 84% recycled content versus 40% in previous packaging and it is 100% recyclable at end of life. We have successfully replaced EPE, and we can support manufacturers in both consumer and industrial sectors,” said Levente Szabó, Cluster Director, DS Smith, Hungary.
DS Smith designers apply the Circular Design Metrics (CDM) approach when assessing packaging solutions, and this pioneering tool gives a clear identification of a packaging design’s sustainability performance and on where to focus attention. The CDM help to rate and compare the circularity of a packaging design across eight different indicators, ranging from recyclability, renewable content, and materials utilisation to carbon footprint and supply chain optimisation.
“One of our objectives is to eliminate single-use plastics from our packaging, and thanks to our collaboration with DS Smith we are making positive progress towards that goal. The new packaging ensures that products from our radar range are well-protected during transit while also meeting the demands of diverse climatic conditions and long-haul international shipping,” said Andrew Smith, Vice President, Supply Chain, Raymarine.
