Smurfit Kappa’s TOPPSafe™ adds a new sustainability dimension to the supply chain

Smurfit Kappa has invented a sustainable new alternative for the heavy wooden, chipboard and plastic boards that are used to protect palletised products during transport and storage.

A team of Smurfit Kappa designers in its Hexacomb operations collaborated to identify a food-safe and innovative solution that would be suitable for a range of sectors including those which have stringent hygiene regulations.

Made from 100% paper-based material, the innovative TOPPSafe™ is crafted from Hexacomb material which is lightweight and strong due to its honeycomb structure.

A number of Smurfit Kappa’s customers were struggling with the weight and inflexibility of the more traditional wooden, chipboard and plastic pallet tops that are currently used in supply chains and often dropped causing risk of injury. As TOPPSafe™ is significantly lighter, it is easier to handle making it more suitable for manual handling.

The TOPPSafe™ pallet top offers a number of benefits, including the fact that it is supplied flat to reduce storage space and the material is fully recyclable.

Wim Peeters, MD of Smurfit Kappa Hexacomb, said: "We are very excited about launching TOPPSafe™ because it has the potential to have a transformative effect on the supply chain. The feedback from the customers who have been using it already has been unanimously positive.

“At Smurfit Kappa, we aim to come up with solutions that score highly when it comes to safety, sustainability and innovation.”

Smurfit Kappa’s SupplySmart service has gathered insights from over 60,000 supply chains which it uses to identify opportunities to make sustainable changes.