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DS Smith opens development lab at Kemsley

Packaging company DS Smith has opened a ‘fibre and paper development laboratory’ at its Kemsley mill in Kent.

DS Smith says it invested £750,000 in the laboratory to work with its customers to optimise the circularity of their packaging

The company opened the facility yesterday (30 March) and says it invested £750,000 in the laboratory to work with its customers to optimise the circularity of their packaging.

DS Smith will use the laboratory to research technologies such as coatings and barriers, wet-end chemistries, and surface chemistries to enhance the performance and sustainability qualities of fibre-based packaging, including repulpability and recyclability.

The laboratory also advances DS Smith’s research in alternative fibres as sustainable raw material for paper and packaging products, the company says.

Last year, the company announced it was exploring the use of seaweed as an alternative source of fibre to wood, as well as a barrier coating to replace petroleum-based coatings.

Commenting on the opening of the laboratory, Nick Thompson, materials development director at DS Smith, said: “Creating products that can easily support the reduction, reuse and recycling of raw materials is a core component of how we will support our customers transition to the circular economy.

“At DS Smith, we are constantly developing innovative new thinking to help our customers with this challenge and the new fibre and paper development laboratory allows us to optimise the performance and circularity of our customers’ packaging.

“Investing in research and development projects like this is a crucial way in which we will lead the way and redefine packaging for a changing world.”

The new fibre and paper development laboratory allows us to optimise the performance and circularity of our customers’ packaging

  • Nick Thompson, materials development director at DS Smith

R&D

DS Smith says the laboratory is the latest development in its £100 million research and development programme, announced in May 2021, to accelerate its work in the circular economy.

DS Smith says the laboratory is the latest development in its £100 million research and development programme

Alan Potts, design and innovation director at DS Smith, said: “The new laboratory at Kemsley Mill will play an important part in our innovation strategy.

“By exploring new technologies and raw materials, we can expand our offering of innovative circular ready packaging solutions that have less impact on the environment and support our customers’ transition to a circular economy.”

With headquarters in London, DS Smith operates in 34 countries and employs around 30,000 people.

Originally built in 1924 to produce newsprint, the Kemsley mill has an annual production capacity of around 820,000 tonnes.

DS Smith says it is the second biggest recovered fibre-based paper operation in Europe.

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