Smurfit Kappa has revealed TOPPSafe, a sustainable new alternative for the heavy wooden, chipboard and plastic boards that are used to protect palletised products during transport and storage.
TOPPSafe is made from 100% paper-based material and is crafted from Hexacomb material which is lightweight and strong due to its honeycomb structure.
A team of Smurfit Kappa designers in its Hexacomb operations collaborated to identify a food-safe and innovative solution that would be suitable for a range of sectors including those which have stringent hygiene regulations.
Transformative Effect
Wim Peeters, MD of Smurfit Kappa Hexacomb, said, "We are very excited about launching TOPPSafe because it has the potential to have a transformative effect on the supply chain. The feedback from the customers who have been using it already has been unanimously positive.
“At Smurfit Kappa, we aim to come up with solutions that score highly when it comes to safety, sustainability, and innovation.”
The invention comes as a number of Smurfit Kappa’s supplier has struggled with the weight and inflexibility of the more traditional wooden, chipboard and plastic pallet tops that are currently used in supply chains.
There is also a concern over the risk of injury as the more traditional pallet tops are often dropped.
TOPPSafe will be significantly lighter and much easier to handle, making it more suitable for manual handling.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
