D. S. Smith is investigating new materials for your paper manufacturing process and packaging solutions, including straw, daisies, hemp, cocoa shells, or seaweed.
The company is testing a series of alternative fibers as part of its R+D+i plan of 117 million euros to accelerate its work in the circular economy. The program will study the potential of fibers and the capacity of these materials to replace plastic in order to diversify the range of sources used for packaging.
DS Smith is investigating the use of plants, such as daisies, due to its fiber content and its potential to be transformed into paper. Additionally, the company has carried out the first tests in the sector in which the possible use of the seaweed as a raw material to eliminate problematic plastics by replacing them with cardboard containers, paper wrappers and cardboard trays.
DS Smith's innovation department is also experimenting with cocoa shells for the cardboard for chocolate packaging and is studying other materials with a good environmental profile. For example, the agricultural waste in the form of straw and plants such as hemp or miscanthus which, in some cases, could require much less energy and water to produce than some materials traditionally used for papermaking.
Thomas Ferge, Director of Paper and Board Development at DS Smith, He states: “With the pressure on the planet more evident than ever, our research has the potential to decrease reliance on forests and protect the planet's natural resources. In addition to studying how to optimize the standard recycled paper fibers we already use, we are excited about the possibility of using other resources such as miscanthus, hemp, agricultural waste and seaweed in the next generation of packaging solutions. This is all part of our goal to get the most out of all the fibers we use by 2030.”
DS Smith has been testing these new materials in association with research laboratories. In an innovative pilot program, DS Smith and the Research Institute of Sweden (RISE) explored how the properties of straw and seaweed could work as a packaging product compared to more traditional materials such as recycled hardwood and softwood.
