DS Smith partners with Fantasy Forts to build a sustainable future for play

UK – Packaging leader DS Smith has partnered with Fantasy Forts, the Dutch maker of children’s DIY construction play kits, to design sustainable packaging and structural components that merge creativity with environmental responsibility.

The collaboration focused on reimagining the design and composition of Fantasy Forts’ kits, with DS Smith’s experts refining folding mechanisms, die-cutting techniques, and accessory integration to improve usability and reduce material waste.

Produced entirely from recyclable corrugated cardboard, the redesigned kits eliminate corrugated plastic while enhancing durability, flexibility, and scalability.

A new click-system feature allows the forts to connect seamlessly with household furniture or outdoor setups, expanding play possibilities while ensuring easy recycling after use.

“Thanks to the technical expertise of our designers, the corrugated cardboard elements are not only inventive in design but remarkably durable, vital for withstanding the many creative reinventions children come up with,” said Remko Berkhout, Marketing and Communications Manager at DS Smith Benelux.

Fantasy Forts’ play kits are produced locally in the Netherlands and assembled at a social workplace managed by Social Work Netherlands (ESN), ensuring that sustainability also extends to social impact.

Founder Marco van den Berg praised the partnership, saying, “The concept seemed simple, but the technical execution required a lot of thought.

“We needed a partner who could translate our creative vision into a product that was sustainable, easy to manufacture, and scalable. From day one, our new packaging was extremely well received, especially by parents.”

The collaboration was initiated through DS Smith’s PackRight Centre, part of the company’s network dedicated to co-developing customer-specific packaging solutions.

Through this partnership, DS Smith and Fantasy Forts demonstrate how sustainability, innovation, and play can coexist, transforming packaging into a key component of both product function and environmental progress.

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