BeFC was created in 2020 with a vision to replace batteries with biofuel cells. Since then, the company said it “has advanced its work in developing digital printed solutions, which are cost effective and fully recyclable”.
DS Smith’s involvement forms part of the company’s £100m R&D and innovation investment announced in 2021 to accelerate work in the circular economy and offer packaging that has less impact on the environment.
Together the companies will investigate smart packaging made from recyclable paper, aiming to reduce waste, monitor quality, and ensure supply chain efficiency during distribution and transportation.
Magnus Renman, group R&D director at DS Smith, said: “Corrugated packaging together with smart tech has a huge potential to reduce waste across the supply chain but we’re not quite yet where we need to be.
“We need more smart solutions that tackle inefficiency, cost and, most importantly, carbon emissions. We’re excited to be addressing this challenge head-on with BeFC through innovative, circular solutions designed to slash losses and improve sustainability.”
Dr Jules Hammond, CEO and co-founder of BeFC, added: “The DS Smith [and] BeFC collaboration is a great example of combining shared expertise and resources to tackle inefficiencies and reduce waste and carbon emissions in supply chains whilst also understanding and validating compatibility with relevant recycling streams.
“We’re proud to announce this partnership as we work together towards more cost-effective supply chain management and it’s our belief that smart packaging solutions offer limitless possibilities to industry.”
