DS Smith has joined forces with the Romanian agricultural company Serele SupeR in a sustainability-driven initiative to replace ten million single-use plastic packages with eco-friendly, fiber-based corrugated cardboard alternatives for fresh tomato products. This collaboration began with a comprehensive assessment of existing plastic packaging systems, identifying opportunities to reduce environmental impact while maintaining product quality and durability. As a result, the project led to the design and development of four innovative, fully recyclable corrugated punnets, specifically engineered to cater to different varieties of cherry tomatoes, ensuring both practicality for producers and a more sustainable solution for consumers.
Made entirely from renewable, FSC-certified fiber-based materials, the packaging is designed with sustainability in mind and can be completely recycled at the end of its life, minimizing environmental impact. According to the company, these punnets offer significant advantages on the production line, as they are quicker and easier to handle during packing, helping to streamline manufacturing processes.
In addition to their efficiency, the punnets are thoughtfully designed to maximize space utilization, reducing unused areas while still providing strong protection for the products inside. The innovative angled corner design allows the punnets to accommodate tomatoes of different sizes and shapes, ensuring that each fruit is held securely without risk of damage. To further improve their appearance and functionality in retail environments, the punnets are wrapped in a recyclable flexible film, which not only protects the tomatoes but also presents them attractively to shoppers.
Overall, this packaging solution demonstrates a careful balance between sustainability, operational efficiency, and product safety, offering benefits for both the environment and the supply chain.
Serele SupeR stated several outcomes through a three-year trial period. These comprise the removal of ten million plastic trays, a stated 46% decrease in carbon emissions compared with PET packaging, and resource consumption optimization of up to 21% without compromising product safety. The companies also stated enhanced logistical efficiency aligned with current retail necessities. The packaging was established utilizing DS Smith’s Circular Design Metrics tool, which appraises sustainability performance across indicators comprising supply chain optimization, carbon footprint, reuse, recyclability, resource utilization, and recycled content.
Christian Schmidt, Managing Director of DS Smith Packaging Romania, expressed that the collaboration showed how a circular pattern could decrease plastic usage and emissions while helping customers’ sustainability points. He added that the project could inspire wider acceptance of fiber-based packing within Romania’s horticultural sector. Silvia Răileanu, founder of Serele SupeR, expressed that the transition showed a strategic decision to decrease ecological impact while fulfilling consumer and retailer prospects. She added that sustainability values had been united across the company’s supply chain to shape long-term value over time.
The DS Smith team of skilled designers applied their exclusive and industry-first Circular Design Principles, integrating the usage of their groundbreaking and industry-first Circular Design Metrics (CDM) device to measure and quantify a packing design’s sustainability presentation across eight major indicators. The indicators vary from supply chain optimization, carbon footprint, reuse, and recyclability, through to resource utilization, and recycled content.
23 January 2026
23 January 2026
23 January 2026
23 January 2026