DS Smith has opened a box manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Indiana, that can produce more than 17 million square feet of lightweight recyclable packaging a day.
The facility has been built to keep pace with increasing demands by consumers and retailers for fully recyclable boxes and fit-to-product packaging.
Made with the lightest possible materials, the Indiana-produced boxes will utilise “30% to 40% less fibre” than what is traditionally used in the US, DS Smith said. These boxes will enable brands to meet growing consumer calls for more sustainable packaging and a reduction of shipping costs across the US.
“Our new facility in Indiana is unique to the US market,” said Miles Roberts, group CEO of DS Smith. “With our innovative packaging design and focus on sustainable materials, we can support our customers’ needs in a changing world, no matter how sophisticated their requirements.
“We look forward to serving many of the global brands we work with in Europe, as well as a range of new customers, with their US-based packaging.”
The location of the facility, a strategic decision based on existing and future customer growth, will serve customers and brands with distribution centres in markets such as Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Nashville.
“Our new box plant stands apart from the rest in the industry and is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and machinery that relies on fully automated operations,” said Mark Ushpol, managing director of packaging for DS Smith in North America.
“Our talent and teams are free to focus on working directly with customers designing custom packaging that reduces system waste, drives sustainability and provides immediate value to the supply chain.”
Last June, London-headquartered DS Smith opened a new office building in Atlanta, Georgia, to further expand its presence in North America.