DS Smith develops innovative plastic-free industrial packaging for Bosch Home Comfort Group

The fully recyclable mono material packaging solution made from corrugated cardboard saves 100,000 plastic parts and 310 tons of CO2 emissions annually while supporting sustainability goals

DS Smith has developed a plastic-free solution for a gas boiler from Bosch Home Comfort Group.

While previous packaging solutions have required two EPS (Styrofoam) elements, the innovative solution developed by DS Smith for Bosch Home Comfort Group has eliminated all plastic packaging parts. This has resulted in the removal of 100,000 plastic components and is saving a total of 310 tons of CO₂ emissions per year. The new plastic-free product innovation is also in line with the sustainability goals of Bosch Home Comfort Group, who requested that the design be fully recyclable.

The DS Smith team of expert designers used the unique DS Smith ‘Circular Design Metrics’ approach in combination with DS Smith`s Value Tool to transparently demonstrate the full lifecycle benefits of their packaging. This involved using eight different metrics to create the various 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 determined, whereby in contrast a further two categories remained identical to the initial situation.

The packaging solution consists of two corrugated cardboard side pads adapted to the product, plus two accessory boxes on top of the gas heater and an outer packaging made of corrugated cardboard. It is thus fully recyclable.

The major advantage of the plastic-free packaging solution for Bosch Home Comfort Group is based in the replacement of the EPS parts with corrugated board. The fibres of the corrugated board materials can be recycled more than twenty times over and are anticipated to remain in the functioning recycling loop for a long time.

DS Smith launched a dedicated Now and Next Sustainability Strategy outlining specific objectives to replace problem plastics, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide innovative recycling solutions as a part of a focus on circular solutions for their customers and society. The company has also set a goal to eliminate one billion pieces of problem plastics from supply chain and shelves by 2025.

The product innovation has resulted in reduced CO2 impacts, less pallets and less trucks required for transportation.

Stefan Endres, Account Manager at DS Smith Germany:

"We are helping our industry clients to become plastic-free, protecting the product right across the supply cycle and are very pleased to be working with Bosch Home Comfort Group.

After an extensive consultation with the customer, we decided that using our strong expertise in sustainable industrial packaging combined with our proven tools is a recipe for success. Our Circular Design Metrics were utilised in combination with our Value Tool in order to transparently illustrate the benefits of this fully recyclable mono-material packaging to the customer.

This project clearly shows that corrugated cardboard can score with ideal protective properties and at the same time create an improvement in sustainability, and this process can be applied to the most demanding of industrial packaging challenges.”

Jingjing Huang, Purchasing Engineering Combustion Systems, Bosch Home Comfort Group:

“We are delighted about the positive impact of this packaging optimisation by the DS Smith team and the value it brings to our businesses, but also to the environment with an improvement of more than 75% decreased CO₂ impact which equals a reduction of 310 tonnes of CO₂ every year. More than 2,350 fewer pallets have to be taken out each year, and this new approach significantly reduces the volume of trucks used for delivery logistics by almost 60%, resulting in more than 60 trucks being taken off the road each year. With the changeover to this sustainable and fully recyclable packaging solution made from corrugated cardboard, Bosch Home Comfort Group is now able to meet the versatile demand for sustainable solutions while maintaining product protection.”

The Circular Design Metrics clearly show where a packaging solution is already sustainable and in which areas there is still room for optimization. The CO2 footprint has been reduced by almost three quarters.