Antalis Packaging has developed an easy-to-recycle honeycomb cell design which can be an alternative to wooden shipping crates, offering enhanced protection for a company that requested sustainable crates for the transportation of heavy, fragile goods overseas.
According to the company, the product was designed for a customer who wanted the packaging to withstand long journeys and that was easy to recycle to support the company’s sustainability objectives and reduce the inconvenience for the end recipient.
The solution includes a custom made shipping carton made from PALLITE, a lightweight, paper-based material reinforced with a 25mm honeycomb cell design. It’s allegedly made from more than 80% recycled materials and is 100% recyclable.
Antalis adds that, “to avoid the food hot-holding units from puncturing the cardboard, the base of the box is die-cut to create a structure that will support the underneath of the unit, taking the weight off the legs”.
The PALLITE cartons can hold up to 750kgs, all while being 83% lighter than wooden shipping crates, which offers “considerable” savings in shipping costs. The packaging has now been used to successfully transport the hot-holding units to the USA and to a customer in Australia.
Andy Miles, key account manager at Antalis Packaging, comments: “Transporting heavy, fragile goods long distances demands really robust packaging which is why timber has traditionally been used. However, we are seeing increased demand for environmentally friendly packaging of all kinds, including shipping crates. PALLITE is the ideal solution for any business looking to ship overseas in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way.”
Other companies are also adopting a honeycomb structure to enhance product protection, including Smurfit Kappa, which developed a Thermo Box for Patani Global Food that combines Hexacomb and corrugated cardboard to maintain the temperature of frozen foods during international shipping. The company also claims that this solution is “100% recyclable”.
Meanwhile, Flexi-Hex’s honeycomb structure “acts like an armour which forms and moulds around objects”, according to Sam Boex, one of its founders. Macfarlane Packaging launched wine bottle packaging for e-commerce with Flexi-Hex technology, which it says is made from recycled materials and is biodegradable.
