Boxes and experiences

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2025/10.

The „unboxing” experience

Attila Kisfali
subregional SMI director
DS Smith

DS Smith is a leading supplier of sustainable, paper-based packaging solutions, designing, manufacturing and delivering a wide range of protective and shock-absorbing solutions for the e-commerce and consumer markets. Their distinctive, high-quality packaging designs enhance the unboxing experience, conveying a premium brand experience in the consumer’s home.

“Our goal is to help partners reach the next level: we satisfy e-commerce needs with personalised support, continuous innovation and a broad portfolio”,

says Attila Kisfali, subregional SMI director at DS Smith.

Currently the company is focusing on optimising operational technologies.

A distinctive, high-quality packaging elevates even the moment of unboxing

Zoltán Szőnyi
sales director
Dunapack

Dunapack Packaging operates with strong vertical integration: the Hamburger Hungária paper mill in Dunaújváros produces exclusively recycled paper, using modern technology. This not only offers logistics and sustainability advantages, but also ensures that the requirements of the circular economy are met. In a specially equipped innovation space created at the Dunavarsány plant, the DIVE (Dunapack’s Innovative Virtual Environment) digital development system uses 3D scanning and augmented reality.

“We created the DIVE environment so that our partners could arrive at their final concepts without having to produce prototypes”,

explains Zoltán Szőnyi, sales director of Dunapack Kft..

Sustainability is centered around high recycled material content, weight reduction, and closed-loop recycling

Capacity expansion and personalisation

VPK Packaging Nagyszalonta’s corrugated cardboard solutions provide reliable protection even in the most complex supply chains, while optimising logistics and costs. Sustainability is at the heart of the company’s approach, with a focus on high recycled content, weight reduction and closed-loop recycling.

Bart Dobbelaere
business unit manager
VPK

 “We are expanding our capacity and doubling our warehouse space, so that we can respond quickly and reliably to rapidly changing demand. With our customised solutions, we provide stable protection and efficient logistics even in the most complex supply chains”,

notes Bart Dobbelaere, VPK’s business unit manager.

The constant growth in the number of parcels goes hand in hand with an increase in the use of packaging materials, which puts great environmental burden on the market. This brings sustainable alternatives into the picture.

Designing online packaging often takes place amid conflicting expectations

Sustainable design

Zsolt Miklós
managing director
Rondo

Rondo offers comprehensive packaging design and manufacturing services: the company serves partners by modifying existing designs or creating completely new solutions, always with cost-effective manufacturing and environmental considerations in mind.

“We are also committed to sustainability in e-commerce packaging: we focus on clean, simple prints, brown raw materials and efficient production”,

reports Zsolt Miklós, managing director of Rondo Hullámkartongyártó Kft.

Economical material use and weight reduction are the main priorities in production. Designing packaging for products ordered online often involves conflicting expectations: the design must be tamper-proof and resealable, lightweight yet strong.

High-level brand building

For Smurfit packaging is a key tool for communicating brand equity in the online space. The company does its best to ensure that its innovations improve the customer experience, strengthen brand identity and encourage loyalty.

Gyula Mazan
innovation manager
Smurfit Westrock

“For us packaging isn’t just protection, but also something that carriers brand history and values that can be presented in online content and create an emotional connection”,

notes Gyula Mazan, innovation manager at Smurfit Westrock.

Demand for sustainable solutions is growing steadily, but the price-sensitivity of consumers is slowing down their conquest. Manufacturers are also affected by fluctuations in raw material prices and stricter EU regulations, e.g. the EU’s draft PPWR regulation and the Single-Use Plastics Directive.

Zöld logisztika: a vásárló kipakolja az árut, a dobozt visszaadja a futárnak, majd a doboz tisztítás után ismét forgalomba kerül

Balázs Sipos
business development manager
Sipospack

Sipospack supports partners with digital printing, rapid prototyping and advice on sustainable shrink wraps. The company offers a complex service: everything from graphic design to the production of shrink film packaging is done in-house.

 “For us shrink wrap packaging is the primary protection for food products and the key to brand building: we also offer QR codes and interactive elements with digital printing”,

informs Balázs Sipos, business development manager at Sipospack Kft.

Packaging-free delivery

Technology and sustainability are shaping the packaging of the future together. AI and automation optimise design, reduce material usage, speed up customisation and increase manufacturing efficiency. Sensor technology and digital tools enable product condition monitoring and shipment tracking. Smart options such a QR codes, NFC and RFID tags create a digital connection with the consumer.

Attila Jávor
parcel delivery team lead
Trans-Sped

Trans-Sped assists customers in all areas of logistics, from expert advice on setting up an e-commerce system to delivery, order picking and packaging – and even returns handling. Their environmentally friendly service, called ZERO, offers packaging-free delivery: products are placed in their original packaging in lockable, washable and reusable crates. The customer unpacks the goods and returns the box to the courier, which is then cleaned and put back into circulation

“With ZERO crates we save several tonnes of paper and nearly 40,000kg of packaging material annually, while also involving our partners in waste reduction”,

comments Attila Jávor, Trans-Sped’s parcel delivery team lead.