Lifeplus Europe: a fully kerbside-recyclable packaging solution with PaperWave®

The challenge

Lifeplus Europe, a long-standing customer of Barton Jones Packaging, has always placed environmental responsibility high on its agenda.

With a business-to-consumer model shipping in excess of 60,000 parcels every month throughout Europe, packaging represents a significant part of its operation. The challenge was to find a protective packaging solution that could deliver the speed and performance required by a high-volume despatch operation while also making recycling as straightforward as possible for Lifeplus customers.

Ian Price, Supply Chain Manager at Lifeplus Europe, was interested in PaperWave® as an alternative to conventional void-fill materials and approached Barton Jones Packaging to undertake a trial.

The trial

Before making a change on this scale, Lifeplus wanted to be confident that the new packaging would perform operationally and, importantly, be well received by its customers.

PaperWave® was therefore trialled alongside other void-fill solutions, with customer feedback forming an important part of the evaluation.

The results were unanimous in favour of PaperWave®. The combination of protection, presentation and straightforward disposal made it the preferred solution over the other void-fill options tested.

Why PaperWave®?

PaperWave® is an innovative paper air-cushion system designed to provide effective protection while offering a straightforward recycling route.

The material is manufactured from 100% recycled paper and is FSC® certified. An ultra-thin, starch-based compostable sealing layer enables the paper to be inflated into protective air cushions without preventing its recycling through the waste-paper stream.

PaperWave® has been independently assessed by the Paper Technology Foundation (PTS) and classified as recyclable within the paper industry.

For Lifeplus, this meant it could be combined with its recycled corrugated cartons and paper packaging tape to create a complete pack designed so that the principal packaging components can be disposed of together through the paper and cardboard recycling stream.

For the customer, there is no need to separate conventional plastic void fill from the carton. The complete pack can simply be flattened and placed into the appropriate household paper and cardboard recycling collection.

The installation

Sustainability was only one part of the requirement. With more than 60,000 parcels leaving the operation each month, the system also needed to be fast, reliable and easy for the Lifeplus packing team to use.

Barton Jones Packaging developed an integrated solution incorporating AirWave2 machines processing 750-metre Jumbo PaperWave® rolls, custom printed with the Lifeplus branding.

The PaperWave® material is inflated on demand and supplied directly into large inline hoppers positioned for the packing operation.

This provides packers with a continuous supply of lightweight protective cushioning immediately where it is required, helping to create an extremely fast, clean and efficient packing process while avoiding the storage and handling associated with bulky pre-produced void-fill materials.

The result

From the initial trials and customer feedback through to installation and ongoing distribution, the project has been a resounding success.

Lifeplus now has a packaging system capable of supporting the demands of an operation shipping more than 60,000 parcels per month across Europe, while providing customers with a much simpler end-of-life recycling solution.

The project demonstrates what can be achieved when packaging materials, machinery and pack design are considered together rather than in isolation.

For Barton Jones Packaging, the objective was not simply to supply a different void-fill material. It was to develop a complete packaging solution that combined sustainability, operational efficiency, customer experience and product protection.

At a glance

Recycling arrangements vary by country and local authority. PaperWave® has been independently assessed as recyclable within the paper recycling stream.