DS Smith, an International Paper company, and Finnish fresh herb and salad producer, Famifarm Oy, have collaborated to create a recyclable fibre-based packaging solution to speed up and optimise processes on the packaging and unpacking lines.
The Famifarm products are transported from the company’s greenhouses to stores and grocery outlets across Finland, and the DS Smith packaging innovation for the brand’s transport boxes features a hatch mechanism to allow for the products to be opened speedily and with limited effort. The packaging is ergonomic and shown to be effective in speeding up the unpacking process for Famifarm customers by up to around four times, compared to previous packaging solutions. In addition, the transport boxes are easy to fold after use.
“Our customers, such as the retail chains, have really liked the new functional transport box, which saves a lot of time for their employees. We value our packaging partner’s transparency, commitment to sustainability, and reliability, and DS Smith has demonstrated an in-depth understanding of our operations which actively contributed to our joint product development. We are not looking for quick wins, but a long-term cooperation,” said Jussi Loimusalo, CEO, Famifarm Oy.
The idea for the new packaging was contributed to and developed by Jyrki Petrelius, Cluster Design Creative Specialist at DS Smith, alongside Veli-Matti Karvonen, Automation Expert and Development Manager at DS Smith in Finland.
“This packaging solution was designed for an automated packaging line and is intended to enhance the business of our customers’ customers, i.e retail stores and outlets. At the same time, the solution is versatile and suitable for large and small retail and grocery environments. The packaging protects fresh products as before, but now speeds up unpacking. The new unpacking method makes the process easier,” said Petrelius.
