DS Smith Allots €34 Million to Develop Plastic Substitutes and Sustainable Packaging

Image credit: DS Smith Hellas

DS Smith's Greek branch has declared that €33.9m will be put into three locations for the next two years, aiming to advance sustainable packaging.

DS Smith Hellas announced it intends to purchase up-to-date equipment to deliver fresh packaging solutions to its Greek operations while expanding its capacity.

The organization, headquartered in London and performing activities in 34 countries, declared that the procurement would augment its plastic replacement endeavours across its portfolio and sustain clients attempting to achieve environmental objectives.

The Ierapetra Box Plant, an essential part of Crete's food industry, is where the company detailed its plans to install new equipment to expedite the development of environmentally friendly packaging for vegetables sold throughout Europe.

DS Smith Hellas has dedicated investments into their operations in Ancient Corinth and Thessaloniki to expand their capacity, modernize equipment, and reduce raw material waste. According to the company, this will give customers the freedom to try out more sustainable designs.

Reinier Schlatmann, the regional managing director of DS Smith East Europe, declared that the recently announced funding is part of DS Smith's increased attention to the region.

He noted that most customers are striving to decrease their plastic consumption and tend to pick businesses that share this goal. He added that they take pride in their investments in advanced technology that helps them create opportunities for curtailing plastic waste with their clients.

Our capacity will be significantly increased, and we can offer Greece's most advanced and innovative packaging solutions. This demonstrates the country's importance in our strategy for regional expansion.

Our mission is to collaborate with customers who have the same vision as us and develop revolutionary packaging alternatives for a more environmentally friendly future.

The firm's managing director for Southeast Europe, Antonis Kantzelis, stated that the decision to include sustainable packaging solutions in their environmental strategy for customers demonstrates the value they place on sustainability.

He pointed out that providing the best quality and circular-ready packaging solutions relies on our personnel, constant innovation, and cutting-edge technology at all three manufacturing plants.

In 2020, an investment of £100m was made by DS Smith into research, development, and innovation initiatives. This was done to investigate the potential use of different materials for packaging, such as straw, daisies, hemp, cocoa shells, and seaweed, as a substitute for traditional plastic and paper.