Antalis Packaging is one of Europe’s’ leading packaging experts. This expertise helps businesses to optimise their packaging process and space, overcome sustainability challenges, reduce costs, minimise transit damage and enhance the customer experience.
Antalis Packaging offers solutions for packing, protecting, storing, dispatching and transporting.
John Garner, Head of Innovation and Design at Antalis Packaging speaks to Warehouse & Logistics News.
What are your best-known products/solutions/services?
Antalis Packaging offers packaging solutions to a wide range of challenges, across the UK, whether it is a bespoke pack design, new packaging, or machinery. We are also known for our range of specialist packaging products – from boxes and boards, void fill, tapes, shrink and stretch films to strapping and automated equipment.
We have an unrivalled machinery sales team and engineers, who can offer support selecting the best equipment and provide installation, training and maintenance services. We also offer a free consultation service where we identify when machinery or a new packaging solution can provide improvements.
Which industry sectors are your customers in and which ones are growing fastest?
We can work with anyone who wants help with packing, protecting, storing, dispatching or transporting goods.
The surge in general packaging and online sales, coupled with the need to reduce environmental impact, means that businesses need to put measures in place to make sure their packaging and dispatch process is as efficient as possible. The answer often lies in making every part of your operation work hard. One of the most efficient ways to increase efficiency is automation. At Antalis we can recommend and provide machinery, materials and real solutions.
What are your most recent product innovations?
The Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) came into force in April. The biggest source of plastic packaging use for most logistics businesses is stretch film and, often, companies are using more than they need to. Through our stretchCONSULT assessment, we have helped customers to reduce their film usage by up to 70%, not only creating savings in terms of material costs but, now the PPT has been introduced, it can help reduce the impact of the £200-per-tonne tax, too. In addition, Antalis has recently introduced a PPT-exempt film containing a minimum of 30% recycled plastic.
Antalis Packaging has also introduced several other new products that contain at least 30% recycled plastic, the threshold that makes them exempt from the PPT including, mailing bags, bubble liner, hand stretch film, loosefill and air bags.
What are the major trends and developments affecting your category and your customers, and how are you responding?
Adapting to the new packaging challenges companies might be experiencing, for example, rising prices and shortages of material and labour will be key to staying competitive and keeping up with demand. For example, by using the services of Antalis’ Smart Packaging Centre we can review a package design and give advice on how to remove non-recyclable material, increase protection or reduce the overall use of materials. Our StretchCONSULT Film review can make recommendations on how to reduce stretch material usage and cost.
Sustainability remains high on the agenda and we have expanded our range of ‘green’ packaging essentials and our environmental services such as carbon offsetting. For example, ALL packaging materials purchased from Antalis Packaging can now be carbon offset.
Can you tell us about any recent customer contracts and how you helped the customer meet their challenges?
Antalis has created a bespoke packaging design for the protection of delicate, custom-made truck lamps. This reusable packaging comprises laser-cut foam and a corrugated outer carton, providing protection to the lighting, while ensuring minimum contact to avoid breakages. The lamps had previously been packed into polythene bags and placed loose into a box, resulting in damages at a rate of 30-40%. The benefits of the new bespoke packaging are that the lights are now easy to pack, there has been a significant reduction in damages and in materials used, and the packaging is reusable.
The Antalis team has created a 100% recyclable alternative to wooden crates. The customer wanted packaging to withstand lengthy journeys and be easy to recycle. The solution was a bespoke shipping carton manufactured from PALLITE®, a lightweight, paper-based material reinforced with a honeycomb cell design. It is made from more than 80% recycled material and is 100% recyclable. The PALLITE® cartons are up to 83% lighter than wooden shipping crates, offering a considerable saving in shipping costs, but with a capacity to hold up to 750kgs.
How does business in 2022 compare to previous years? What’s your strategy for succeeding in the current climate?
2020-22 has been challenging for us all. For us at Antalis Packaging this has led to new opportunities as clients are coming to us to find solutions. We will continue to invest in new products, people, innovation and new solutions.
What’s the latest news from your company?
Earlier this year we launched a tailored box-making service giving customers time-crucial access to corrugated wrap or box orders within three days. The introduction of the box-making service comes in response to growing demand from customers who have increasingly asked for smaller order quantities to ensure they can fulfil orders when demand spikes or to respond quickly to client-specific requests. Customers can now order in styles and sizes specific to each job, as and when they are required. Right-sizing the packaging materials used also reduces waste, and it helps to increase efficiency in terms of reduced stockholding for the customer and decreases the use of void-fill. The service offers a wide range of corrugated wrap and box styles, available in order quantities as low as 100.
Can you tell us about any areas where you’re currently making technical advances eg safety, sustainability, environment?
Our new Smart Packaging Centre (SPC) features a demonstration suite for packaging automation and a dedicated packaging design studio. Its new location opened its doors in January 2022, to provide customers with the opportunity to discuss their packaging requirements. The latest developments in packaging automation, including on-demand carton and bag machinery, are showcased in the new demonstration suite.
Customers can also have demonstrations of a range of in-the-box systems in air cushion and paper technology that wrap, cushion and protect products. Systems on display, include those from Lantech, Sealed Air, Ranpak and Pregis. The new design studio offers innovative packaging design as well as artwork design. Once a packaging solution has been developed on screen, samples can be created – and printed. The ability to create fully printed samples is proving very popular with customers.
Are you investing in staff training and skills development?
Antalis Packaging has recently appointed several new regional experts to support the entire UK. One recent appointment is Tom Reid to the role of National Sales Manager for Stretch Film. Tom’s aim is to help all stretch film users understand the importance of having the correct solution in place when it comes to pallet wrapping. Tom will help users make pallet wrapping improvements via film and machine optimisation, alternative films or by using new equipment.
Antalis Packaging
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