UK – DS Smith has initiated a new trial in collaboration with environmental research startup Nafici to fabricate packaging from “second harvest” materials.
This partnership signifies a progression within DS Smith’s Now & Next strategy, a strategic response to the growing call for a more circular approach in the company’s supply chains.
DS Smith’s research team suggests that utilizing second-harvest materials, like straw and brewers’ spent grain, could potentially conserve up to 10% of the virgin fibers typically used in the papermaking process. This offers a viable means to supplement traditional sources, according to the researchers.
Using straw remnants post-annual grain harvest provides an alternative source for manufacturing paper products instead of relying on trees.
In North America, the surplus of straw each year is substantial enough to fulfill a significant portion of the overall paper demands without causing harm to delicate forest ecosystems.
Nick Thompson, materials development director at DS Smith, emphasizes the importance of businesses adopting more circularity in their supply chains.
Finding secondary uses for what is currently considered waste materials is crucial to achieving this goal. DS Smith has built a reputation for innovation in the recycling aspect of its operation, evident in its investment in the R&D Fibre & Paper Development Lab and ongoing partnership with Nafici.
“The Now & Next Sustainability strategy propels us toward aiding the transition to a circular economy. Collaborating with customers and partners across the supply chain to keep materials in use for as long as possible is an important part of that drive,” says Thompson.
Nafici Environmental Research (NER), a West Sussex company, has developed a process to transform agricultural waste into papermaking pulp with strengthening properties.
DS Smith is utilizing its research and innovation facility in Kent, Kemsley, to explore the use of pulp developed by Nafici from previously overlooked materials in creating eco-friendly packaging products.
Florence Miremadi-Nafici, co-founder and CEO of NER, emphasizes the significance of their work with DS Smith in addressing sustainability challenges associated with the increased demand for packaging.
Through the pilot program at Kemsley, they aim to demonstrate that alternative fibers, particularly second harvest materials, can and will play a crucial role in the future of sustainable packaging.
The collaboration represents a progression within DS Smith’s Now & Next strategy initiated last year, a strategic response to the growing call for a more circular approach in the company’s supply chains.
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