— Edwin Goffard , COO Corrugated Europe , Smurfit Kappa

– the conversation is broader than that .

“ 10 years ago it would have been hard to imagine having marketing , sales , and business unit managers around the same table as procurement and supply chain teams , but now they fly in from far and wide to discuss market strategies in packaging . We know , with all our experience , what works and doesn ’ t work with regard to the consumer experience , and we give our customers the tools to make the right decisions . It ’ s very satisfying when we see them make a change – it ’ s an exciting part of my job .”

In terms of the trends affecting packaging choices , sustainability is the main one – particularly in the UK and Europe , where there is a major drive towards going green . Plastic packaging has a worse reputation than ever , making Smurfit Kappa – a paper specialist – an even more appealing option for its customers . While Goffard is realistic that there will always be some packaging wastage that doesn ’ t get recycled no matter how good the recycling system is , at least with paper the impact is much less severe as it naturally breaks down in a short amount of time . With plastic , “ you might consume something in the space of minutes , and it seems completely out of proportion that the packaging of that lies around for 100 years or more , impacting nature ,” says Goffard . “ We need to be much smarter in that regard .”

With all its expertise as an innovator Smurfit Kappa is , above all else , a business partner . It has the benefit of seeing the industry from the perspective of multiple cultures , countries and supply chains , and it has been around

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