Paper and packaging company Smurfit Kappa is opening a new International Safe Transfer Association (ISTA) certified lab at its e-commerce facility in Northampton in the UK.
The new lab is certified to the standard required by online selling platforms such as Amazon, Alibaba and eBay.
From its ISTA lab in the Netherlands, Smurfit Kappa has over 14 years of experience and data from testing new and innovative packaging solutions to ensure they are fit for purpose and meet the challenges of the e-commerce supply chain.
Most recently, Smurfit Kappa was the first to secure Amazon's "Frustration-Free Packaging" pre-certification for a three litre Bag-in-Box solution.
The company said that all this expertise is now also extended into the UK market.
Smurfit Kappa said its team of experts work with customers to develop new packaging solutions to minimise and prevent product damage occurring during distribution.
It said the prototype designs are then rigorously tested to ensure that the required performance standards concerning compression, drop and vibration are met to secure certification.
Following certification, the packaging solutions are then put into production for customers.
Eddie Fellows, Smurfit Kappa's CEO UK & Ireland said the company's customers need innovative and sustainable packaging solutions to meet growing demand from online sales.
Mr Fellows said the new lab is an ideal environment for us to work with customers to develop new packaging in real time.
"Whether our customers are moving to online retail to increase their customer base, or introducing new packaging solutions, by securing the necessary certifications in our lab they have a clear path to develop solutions quickly that are resilient to supply chain damage," he added.
