GREAT BRITIAN (News release) -- DS Smith, the FTSE 100 sustainable packaging company, today announced a £100m R&D and innovation package to accelerate its work in the Circular Economy. The new investment over five years includes the creation of a new breakthrough technologies hub in the UK, new materials development to replace plastics and a pilot to gauge G-force shock in home delivery packaging.
The increased investment underpins the sustainable packaging company's new Circular Economy led Sustainability strategy which pledges to offer all customers 100% recyclable packaging within two years and replace a billion pieces of supermarket and e-commerce plastic by 2025.
The R&D programme includes the following projects:
New Materials
*Accelerated investment in new materials development including new fully recyclable, translucent packaging to replace plastic windows in sandwich and ready meals packs, and new research into alternative natural fibres.
*Expansion of its barrier technologies such as its recent piloting of 'Touchguard', a packaging coating that resists the transmission of viruses.
*Applying science to fibre: In-depth analysis of different fibres in recycled paper and corrugated to optimise its strength, resilience and recyclable properties.
Designing out Waste
*Real world analysis of e-commerce home delivery supply chains, including measurement of G-force impacts on packages in transit, to reduce wastage and prevent damaged parcels.
*New trials on strengthening natural paper fibres to optimise materials in box design and manufacturing. The new technology enables excess fibre to be removed from the packaging whilst improving its overall strength and resilience.
*700 DS Smith designers trained in Circular design, in partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, so all customers have access to circular packaging and services.
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