DS Smith To Launch Virus Resistant Packaging
such as MRSA and E. coli. “While it can never replace good hygiene best practic- es and procedures, this 100 percent recyclable technolo- gy has the potential to bring a real and proven additional layer of protection to our customers and their consumers as packaging moves through the supply chain,” said Mel- anie Galloway, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and In- novation for Packaging at DS Smith North America. “This partnership with Touchguard enables us to innovate while maintaining the sustainability of our products.” DS Smith is looking to use the technology across its op- erations in North America and Europe. As more shoppers flock online for their holiday shopping, this proven tech- nology will further build consumers’ confidence around handling packaging in their homes. “Our partnership with DS Smith provides us with an opportunity to bring our patented Touchguard technology to the market at scale through its sustainable packaging offer,” said Julian Dugdale, the inventor and CEO of Touch- guard, based in the UK. “With its manufacturing reach across Europe and the U.S. and an extensive e-commerce and fast-moving consumer goods customer base, we will be able to offer a range of solutions to support changing consumer habits,” The new range promises to support the sustainable packaging market with potential scope across a variety of areas, including e-commerce and food packaging, while still being 100 percent recyclable.
Atlanta, Georgia based DS Smith has announced an exclu- sive partnership with the company Touchguard to develop a new range of sustainable cardboard packaging to pro- tect consumers against potentially harmful bacteria. While there is no evidence of virus transfer from cor- rugated or cardboard, Touchguard’s patented technology is effective against a number of bacteria and viruses, in- cluding envelope viruses, of which COVID-19 is a member. The coating can be applied at scale across a range of ap- plications, providing an additional layer of protection for consumers and workers throughout the supply chain. Surveys by DS Smith have found growing retail and consumer interest in products with hygienic packaging, es- pecially amid the pandemic that has boosted e-commerce nationwide and increased demand for shipping boxes. The product has not been tested on COVID-19 cultures at this stage, but on feline coronavirus, part of the same family of viruses as COVID-19 in which its outermost layer and spikes attach and replicate to host cells. Touchguard disrupts the envelope to prevent the virus from replicating, effectively mitigating the risk of person-to-person transfer. It has a proven kill rate of 99.5 percent in under 15 minutes on bacteria types and envelope viruses and elim- inates the risk of person-to-person transfer of infections,
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www.boardconvertingnews.com
December 21, 2020
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