February 1, 2024 (press release) –
DS Smith developed a plastic-free solution for gas boilers from Bosch Home Comfort Group. While previous packaging solutions required two EPS (Styrofoam) elements, the innovative solution eliminates the need for plastic packaging components. This has led to the elimination of 100,000 plastic parts, saving a total of 310 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
The fully recyclable packaging solution consists of two corrugated cardboard side panels tailored to the product with two associated cardboard buffers on top of the gas boiler and an outer corrugated cardboard packaging.
Circular Design Metrics
The DS Smith team of designers used the unique 'Circular Design Metrics' approach in combination with DS Smith's Value Tool to transparently demonstrate the full lifecycle benefits of their packaging, supporting Bosch Home Comfort Group's sustainability goals, which called for the design fully recyclable.
The circular design metric clearly shows where a packaging solution is already sustainable and in which areas there is still room for optimization. In this project the CO2 footprint was reduced by almost three quarters.
The project used the eight different metrics to create the different aspects of a packaging solution for sustainability and recyclability in a standardized and quantifiable way. For example, within five categories related to the plastic-free Bosch Home Comfort Group, an improvement could be observed, while in contrast two more categories remained identical to the original situation.
Optimization of the packaging supports the sustainability goals of both companies
“We are excited about the positive impact of this packaging optimization by the DS Smith team and the value it adds to our businesses, but also to the environment with an improvement of more than 75% in reduced CO2 impact, equivalent to a reduction of 310 tons of CO2 per year. More than 2,350 fewer pallets need to be carried every year, and this new approach reduces the volume of trucks used for logistics deliveries by almost 60%, resulting in more than 60 trucks that are taken off the road every year. With the switch to this sustainable and fully recyclable packaging solution made from corrugated cardboard, Bosch Home Comfort Group can now meet the multifaceted demand for sustainable solutions while maintaining product protection." Jingjing Huang, Purchasing Engineering Combustion Systems, Bosch Home Comfort Group.
The main advantage of the plastic-free packaging solution for Bosch Home Comfort Group is based on the replacement of the EPS parts with corrugated cardboard. The paper fibers from the corrugated materials can be recycled more than twenty times and are expected to remain in the functioning recycling loop for a long time.
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