Smurfit Kappa releases new lightweight pallet topper

Smurfit Kappa has invented a sustainable new alternative for the heavy wooden, chipboard and plastic boards that are used to protect palletised products during transport and storage, it announced on Thursday.

The FTSE 100 packaging giant said a team of Smurfit Kappa designers in its Hexacomb operations had 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.

It said ‘TOPPSafe’ is made from 100% paper-based material, and crafted from Hexacomb which it described as lightweight and strong due to its honeycomb structure.

A number of Smurfit Kappa’s customers were reportedly struggling with the weight and inflexibility of the more traditional wooden, chipboard and plastic pallet tops that were currently used in supply chains, and were often dropped causing a risk of injury.

As TOPPSafe was significantly lighter, it was described by Smurfit Kappa as easier to handle, making it more suitable for manual handling.

The TOPPSafe pallet top offered a number of benefits, the Smurfit Kappa board said, including the fact that it was supplied flat to reduce storage space, and the material was fully recyclable.

“We are very excited about launching TOPPSafe because it has the potential to have a transformative effect on the supply chain,” said Wim Peeters, managing director of Smurfit Kappa Hexacomb.

“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.”