Sustainable packaging solution provider DS Smith has invested €6m ($6.43m) in new production machinery at its La Chevrolière packaging facility in France. 

The investment includes a BOBST MASTERCUT 2.1 die-cutting machine and a dedicated 2,500m² workshop for the production of Kaypal cardboard pallets. 

The new workshop boasts a capacity of 250,000 units and has the potential to produce up to 1.5 million pallets annually.  

Kaypal pallets are fully recyclable and weigh only 3.5kg. 

In addition, they are reusable, hygienic, and economical, with the potential to cut carbon emissions during transportation. 

The pallets are suitable for air transportation of products, floor and point-of-sale displays, or order preparation for retail logistics centres. 

DS Smith made the investment to address the growing customer demand for corrugated cardboard in the region.  

The investment will expand production space at the facility by an additional 4,000m².  

The La Chevroliere facility is located near the city of Nantes in western France. 

DS Smith France regional managing director Thibault Laumonier said: “The opening of our new Kaypal cardboard pallet production workshop in La Chevrolière will help our regional customers to move towards a circular economy, and with sustainable packaging options that impact positively on the reduction of CO₂ [carbon dioxide] throughout the entire supply chain.  

“We are setting new industry standards in sustainable packaging and building a future that is more respectful of the environment that we live in.” 

Last month, Smith entered into a partnership with French startup Bioenzymatic Fuel Cells to expedite smart packaging solutions.