Summary
Upsters Energy, a German company specialising in energy mints, was looking to improve their e-commerce packaging solution with a cost-effective, efficient, and more sustainable alternative to their existing offering. Their goal for the new and improved packaging was to ensure it was easy to handle, quick to pack, and used less material overall, thereby reducing any unnecessary packaging waste.
The Challenge
Upsters, a German based company who specialise in performance-enhancing energy mints, approached us with the aim of replacing their current e-commerce packaging solution with more cost-effective, production efficient, and sustainable alternative. Additionally, they also wanted a faster packaging process with this solution, whilst also cutting down on their use of packaging materials overall.
Louis Baier, Upsters Founder & Chief Energy Officer, emphasised the significance of these requirements: "Achieving sustainable shipping packaging and enhancing production efficiency were top priorities for us from the beginning."
The Approach
Working closely with Upsters, Smurfit Kappa (now Smurfit Westrock) set out to develop a tailor-made e-commerce packaging solution that would meet all of the key requirements outlined by Upsters. The new corrugated solution was created to be smaller in size than it's predecessor, easier to assemble during the packaging process, and was sturdy enough to ensure product protection. Furthermore, our team of design experts also aimed to create a sleek packaging design which would enhance product presentation and ultimately increase customer satisfaction.
The Result
The new e-commerce packaging boasts an attractive aesthetic, enhancing product visibility. Additionally, this new and improved solution has elevated the overall packaging experience, offering multiple advantages that align perfectly with Upsters' brief:
- Handling times during the packaging process were reduced by 57%.
- Material waste was reduced by 34%.
- Productivity increased by 66%.
- Product damage due to printing was reduced by 18%.
- Machine utilisation is now at 96%.
"Sustainability along the entire supply chain was important to us and our customers. With the new design, we have developed packaging that covers all aspects. Not only do we now use significantly less material, but we have also been able to reduce handling times." explained Stefan Lukowics, Area Sales Manager at Smurfit Kappa (now Smurfit Westrock).
