Smurfit Kappa: CNBC's The Edge: The Future of Packaging

Summary

At Smurfit Kappa's global experience center in Amsterdam, the company is pioneering paper-based packaging solutions to significantly reduce plastic use. Innovations include compostable 'firm as paper' for agriculture, a back in box solution for ketchup bottles, and a slope integrator for detergent packaging. Smurfit Kappa is also developing recyclable coatings to enhance paper's functionality, capitalizing on the growing trend towards sustainable packaging as attitudes towards plastic change.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Smurfette Kappa, one of the world's largest packaging companies, is innovating paper-based packaging solutions to reduce plastic use globally.
• 🌱 The company's 'firm as he called ago paper' is 100% compostable, recyclable, and used in agriculture, particularly in Spain, and is being rolled out across Europe.
• 🚜 This paper can be plowed into the ground as a fertilizer, replacing 720,000 tons of polyethylene that was previously used.
• 📦 Smurfette Kappa is developing 'back in box' solutions to replace plastic packaging with 60% less plastic, such as for ketchup bottles.
• 🧴 For detergent packaging, a slope integrator inside the box allows the product to be dispensed by gravity, reducing the need for plastic.
• 🛍️ E-commerce packaging solutions involve gluing paper inside boxes to wrap products, eliminating the need for bubble plastic and promoting a 100% paper-based solution.
• 🔄 The company is focusing on engineering waterproof and protective coatings for cardboard to mimic plastic properties, ensuring recyclability.
• 🛠️ Innovation at Smurfette Kappa includes examining production processes, raw materials, and applying different ingredients and fiber types to enhance paper functionality.
• 🌾 They are exploring coatings based on renewable resources like corn or wheat to make paper more versatile for various applications while maintaining sustainability.
• 💼 Smurfette Kappa's CEO, Tony Smurf, sees a great opportunity for business growth as sustainability becomes a priority and attitudes towards plastic change.
• 🌐 The macro trends favor the company, with senior executives embracing sustainability and seeking to replace unsustainable materials.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Smurfette Kappa's global experience center in Amsterdam?

The main focus is on developing paper-based packaging solutions to reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging for clients worldwide.

Who is Arco Birkin Bosch and what is his role at Smurfette Kappa?

Arco Birkin Bosch is the Vice President of Innovation and Development at Smurfette Kappa, where he introduces and discusses the latest product designs created by the team.

What is the significance of the 'firm as ago paper' mentioned in the script?

The 'firm as ago paper' is a 100% compostable and recyclable paper product used in agriculture, particularly in Spain, which helps replace polyethylene and serves as a fertilizer for the soil.

How does Smurfette Kappa address the challenge of replacing plastic bottles for ketchup with paper?

They invented a 'back in box' solution that incorporates a plastic back and a corrugated box, reducing the amount of plastic by 60% without compromising the barrier properties needed.

What is the 'slope integrator' and how does it contribute to sustainability?

The 'slope integrator' is a design feature inside a box for detergent that allows the plastic bottle filled with detergent to sit on a slope, enabling gravity to push the last piece of detergent out, thus reducing the need for additional packaging.

Can you explain the e-commerce channel solution developed by Smurfette Kappa?

The e-commerce channel solution involves gluing paper inside a box to wrap around the product, eliminating the need for bubble plastic and providing a 100% paper-based alternative for packaging.

What is the 'nor gap' and how does it improve sustainability in packaging?

The 'nor gap' is a paper-based packaging solution for bottles that is convenient to handle and 100% recyclable, replacing the unsustainable practice of using plastic bands to hold bottles together.

Why is it important for Smurfette Kappa to develop waterproof and protective coatings for cardboard?

Developing such coatings is crucial to mimic the properties of plastic and make cardboard a viable alternative for packaging, especially in areas requiring moisture and durability.

What kind of coatings is Smurfette Kappa looking to develop for their paper products?

They are developing coatings that are based on renewable resources, such as corn or wheat starch, that can dissolve in the paper recycling system without creating additional waste.

How does Smurfette Kappa's CEO, Tony Smurf, view the current trends in sustainability?

Tony Smurf sees it as a very exciting time for the business, with macro trends and people's attitudes, especially of senior executives, moving in favor of sustainability and the replacement of unsustainable materials.

What is the ultimate goal of Smurfette Kappa's innovation in paper packaging?

The ultimate goal is to innovate and stretch the functionality of paper, especially in terms of moisture and durability, to create packaging solutions that are sustainable, recyclable, and can replace plastic in various applications.