Smart Packaging Solutions Loenen moves towards manufacturing lighter packaging

Demand for lighter packaging is growing. In response, Smart Packaging Solutions in Loenen has implemented a major innovation: the site now manufactures packaging with much lower grammage than before. This broadens the plant’s capabilities, allowing Smart Packaging Solutions to meet the increasing demand for sustainable and cost-efficient packaging.

There’s a growing need for lighter packaging, especially in the fruit and vegetables sector. Smart Packaging Solutions is meeting this demand by manufacturing more lightweight solid board packaging like the Repun packaging and Stackpack – a solid board top seal tray designed for fruit and vegetables. The lower grammage reduces raw material consumption, but the packaging is as robust as ever.

The lower the grammage, the lighter the packaging. Until now, the lowest grammage Loenen was able to produce was around 510 grammes of filler weight (the base material we use to make new packaging), excluding adhesive papers and glue. In the meantime, we’ve had successful test results with 480 grammes and intend to cut back even further, to 400 grammes.

The move towards lower grammages doesn’t require an investment in new machinery, only different settings and smart optimisations. We recently carried out several test runs to find the right balance in the production process. Hans Kloezeman, Production Manager at Smart Packaging Solutions in Loenen, says the tests are teaching us a lot. “The test runs went so well that we’re confident we can take the next step. The more often you do this, the better you get at it. As a production manager, you always want to work faster, better and smarter. In the coming months we plan to go on testing and optimising. Our ultimate goal is to produce packaging with a filler weight of 400 grammes on a consistent and reliable basis.”

This new development means our plant in Loenen will soon be able to manufacture lightweight solid board like our Repun packages. Which will give customers extra flexibility and certainty. As part of Smart Packaging Solutions, the Loenen site will become more important, as a back-up for our other production sites. Hans Kloezeman: “Our Oudegem site already produces packaging with a low grammage. We learn a lot from one another within the group. At the same time, we can distribute the risk more effectively and provide our customers with greater delivery reliability.”

In the near future, Smart Packaging Solutions Loenen will continue testing and optimising its processes to ensure the consistent, reliable manufacturing of lower grammage packaging.

We’ve reached this milestone thanks to the teamwork at Smart Packaging Solutions and the support of our parent company, the VPK Group. Hans Kloezeman: “It’s wonderful to see our production team work towards this goal with such dedication and drive. The fantastic collaboration with the VPK Group Paper Team is invaluable, too. The expertise and experience of Alexis Zenner and Michiel Laerenbergh are crucial in our ongoing efforts to reduce grammages even more.”