DS Smith partners with Danish organic egg producer for plastic-free packaging

DS Smith has partnered with egg producer Niels & Grete to eliminate plastic from its packaging. The packaging solution involves placing eggs into one molded pulp tray that can be slotted into a fully recyclable corrugated cardboard pack.

Niels & Grete produce organic eggs focusing on natural agriculture and the quality of life of hens. Previously, the company’s eggs were packaged in two molded pulp trays and fixed in place with plastic wrapping.

Adele Cunningham Mikkelsen, account manager at DS Smith, says: “We wanted to replace the original plastic trays and instead introduce corrugated cardboard and a fully fiber-based packaging solution for Niels & Grete. Our design was intended to make the packing process faster and more efficient, and using our unique Circular Design Metrics tool, we wanted to reduce the materials used in the overall packaging solution.”

The DS Smith design includes holes in the bottom and side of the pack to accommodate different egg sizes and can be packed from the bottom or top. The corrugated board reduces the volume of materials, making the packaging process faster. 

Niels Riis, CEO of Niels & Grete, says: “We are committed to providing our customers with a natural and fresh product, and these sustainable trays can be packed in a clever and compact way while protecting our eggs during transit. The trays also make our product look fantastic, as we can print our design and logo directly on the cardboard.”

DS Smith used its Circular Design Metrics tools to measure sustainability performance across eight key indicators at different stages of the creation process. These include carbon footprint, reuse, supply chain optimization, recyclability, material utilization, and recycled content.

DS Smith recently implemented corrugated cardboard packaging solutions when it partnered with Greece-based juice producer Fresh Spitiko to develop fiber-based e-commerce packaging for three sets of glass-bottled juices. The new packaging features a corrugated cardboard casing that replaces wooden trays, using polystyrene foam or air cushions to protect glass bottles during transport.