DS Smith, a British packaging manufacturer, is testing new and innovative materials for its paper and packaging making process which includes straw, daisies, hemp, cocoa shells and seaweed.
The company is currently trialling a range of alternative fibres as part of its 100 million pounds R&D and innovation plan to accelerate its work in the circular economy. The programme will look at the fibre potential and plastic replacement capabilities of a number of materials in order to diversify the range of sources it uses for packaging.
DS Smith is also exploring the use of annual plants (plants which can accomplish their life cycle throughout a year or a few number of seasons; the last development period is devoted to the multiplication because plants produce seeds which will allow to spread the species in the following year) such as daisies and agricultural wastes for their fibre properties and potential paper performance. Industry-first trials have been undertaken exploring how seaweed may be used as a raw material to design out problem plastics from carton, paper wrap and cardboard tray packaging.
Now, the company’s innovation team is experimenting with cocoa shells for carton board in chocolate packaging and is looking at other materials with a good environmental profile. For example, agricultural waste in the form of straw, and annual plants like hemp or miscanthus, which in some cases might require significantly less energy and water to produce than some traditional paper-making materials.
