Paper-based packaging offers a range of qualities that are hard to match. This is demonstrated by the solutions developed by the multinational company, which is increasingly taking on the role of a consultant for its clients. The goal: to be efficient, sustainable, and compliant with new European regulations
Behind a simple corrugated cardboard box lie specific expertise, cutting-edge tools, and innovations in both product and process. Packaging is evolving, from being a simple container for goods into a distinctive element capable of influencing consumer choices and making one brand stand out over another. Today, even a simple box can tell a story. In this evolutionary process, Smurfit Westrock Italia plays a leading role. The company is not only a player in the circular economy, thanks to an integrated supply chain covering the entire production cycle from paper mills to recovery facilities, but is also increasingly becoming a consultant for its clients, offering not just products but services as well.
“Being a leader in our sector brings new responsibilities”, explains Gianluca Castellini, Smurfit Westrock Italy CEO. “This journey began a few years ago with the launch of the Better Planet Packaging project, aimed at replacing plastic and polystyrene packaging with paper-based materials whenever possible, thus fostering a new green awareness among our clients. It continued during the Covid period, when we never halted operations at any of our plants, ensuring daily box supplies to logistics operators at a time when eCommerce reached exceptional peaks. And it continues today with a new mission: supporting companies in meeting the requirements of the new European regulation known as PPWR”.
Values recognized by CONAI
Designers working at Experience Centre in Pastrengo and the new Solution Centre in Asti focus primarily on mono-material solutions, reducing empty space, and minimizing the amount of material that becomes waste. A concrete example? “The recent top CONAI Ecodesign Award we won for the solution developed for ReeR, a benchmark in automation and a global leader in optoelectronic safety sensors. Through a complete redesign of their packaging, we reduced the CONAI weight by 43% and increased pallet loading capacity by 78%, going from 28 to 50 units. We also replaced the sealing band from polypropylene to paper, and reduced the label size, achieving a 55% weight reduction per item”.
Functionality is another key driver in developing innovative, low-impact solutions. This is the case with Fresko Box, a high-performance corrugated cardboard kit (patent pending) designed for shipping premium products at controlled temperatures. It consists of a base with a lid and a dedicated space for eutectic plates, cold accumulators and can maintain contents for up to 120 hours within a temperature range of 2 to 8°C, avoiding the use of polystyrene. Particularly suitable for food transport, it may soon be used for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and potentially even for frozen goods.
Unlimited creativity
When discussing paper-based packaging, the focus is often on sustainability and functionality, overlooking its versatility and creative potential. How far can it go? Can a work of art be created from corrugated cardboard? The challenge launched by the CEO of Smurfit Westrock Italia was embraced by dozens of designers across different plants, who unleashed their imagination to prove that this material has no limits. From the Pantheon to the Doni Tondo by Michelangelo, from Florence Cathedral to works inspired by Banksy, from the surrealism of René Magritte to the provocations of Maurizio Cattelan. These creations formed an exhibition held during the year-end meeting in Florence, dedicated to the “Art of Packaging”.
“In the end, every box is the result of our art”, Castellini concludes. “The art of turning an idea into packaging by listening to our clients, leveraging the creativity of our designers, and delivering a product of outstanding precision and quality. It’s an art we also put at the service of the communities where we operate. With these works, we organized an internal auction, and the proceeds were donated to the Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence. For us, sustainability is a philosophy that concretely guides all our activities: economic, environmental, and social”.
