DS Smith and Alpine Water Produktions- und Vertriebsgesellschaft m.b.H have teamed up on a project to create an innovative packaging solution for the artesian mineral water brand, Hallstein.
The new transport box has been designed to protect Hallstein’s glass bottle consignments during transportation to e-commerce customers. Comprised of corrugated cardboard, they are intended to replace the brand’s previous packaging solution, which was dependant on polyethylene.
Each individual DS Smith transport box has capacity to hold six 750ml glass mineral water bottles. Where required, the packaging capacity can be increased and combined with outer casing in a variety of sizes – to hold nine, 12, 15, or 18 additional bottles.
The DS Smith design team applied its Circular Design Metrics (CDM) tools to rate and compare the circularity of the old and new packaging design across eight different categories, ranging from carbon footprint and design for reuse, to supply chain optimisation, materials utilisation, and recyclability.
The CDM indicators were used in conjunction with the DS Smith TCO Pack – Lower Cost –Value Tool, to understand and reduce the total cost of ownership of the packaging solution, and the costs associated with owning, using, and maintaining the product, alongside its full lifecycle benefits.
As a part of their research, DS Smith revealed the design team discovered that twice as many Hallstein transport boxes can be constructed and packed on the production line within the same timeframe as the previous packaging solution. The new packaging has also been found to be ‘fast and easy’ to construct with pre-glued elements.
Alexander Muhr, MD, Alpine Water Gmbh/Hallstein, said, “We are delighted with the result of our collaboration with DS Smith. Their expert team has helped us to create a robust, sustainable, and versatile packaging solution to protect our product and glass bottles during transportation to local and international consumers.
“Our new transport boxes are demonstrating production, cost reduction, and space saving benefits, with positive impacts on the entire supply chain. They also look great and feature our recognisable branding on their outer casing, making it easy for our customers to identify with the product and sustainability credentials.”
The transport box design is also described as simple for the end consumer to access and fold away or recycle within domestic schemes, while the external surface area is suitable for placing brand logos, artwork, or graphics.
Andreas Koch, cluster design & innovation manager, DS Smith, added, “Our packaging solution for Hallstein was subjected to rigorous and extensive safety testing and this included sending shipment consignments to the USA to evaluate the impact of knocks and bumps. Hallstein is known for its premium mineral water product in glass bottles and our challenge was to find a way to provide a sustainable protection for as wide a range of transit conditions as possible.
“We are committed to supporting our customers in finding fibre-based packaging solutions and in helping them to move towards the circular economy.”
