Although times are changing rapidly at the retail end of the corrugated packaging market, it’s very rare to be able to talk about a major breakthrough, but our new R-Flute® deserves that description.

R-Flute® is a new type of corrugated fluting designed to help customers sell more, reduce supply chain costs and operate sustainably.

A meticulous development process has resulted in a profile in which the flutes are smaller and closer together than B-Flute, whilst optimising board strength. It is suited to many sectors and ideal for fast moving consumer goods. Compared with the widely used B-Flute, R-Flute® delivers better printing, better appearance, machine line efficiencies and dramatic savings in logistics, whilst continuing to offer the necessary protection.

Following an intensive trial period across numerous applications R-Flute® usage has accelerated very quickly. It is already the second most popular type of fluting bought by DS Smith Packaging’s customers and many more are keen to benefit.

Some practical examples show how R-Flute® has proved itself in very different circumstances.

A range of wine packs for Constellation Europe has taken full advantage of R-Flute®’s superb printing characteristics to increase brand appeal at the point of sale. With significant focus on operational and commercial improvements, R-Flute® delivers supply chain optimisation characteristics. For example, 35% more product can be put onto a pallet inbound. This supports Constellation Europe's commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.

When launching its award winning innovative bake-in-bag product, The Saucy Fish Company turned to DS Smith Packaging Louth for the retail ready pack. DS Smith used R-Flute®’s superior performance in both print and pack construction to develop a RRP pack that perfectly complements the shaped inner cartons, holding them securely and in a way that presents the full face of the primary pack to the consumer. Additionally, because there is so much more packaging being delivered on every pallet, the result is 20% fewer vehicles on the road.

Ardagh Glass, a leading producer of glass jars and bottles, used the crush resistance of R-Flute® to bring their annual packaging weight down by 160 tonnes. This translates into a reduction of 142 tonnes of CO2 emissions. 1700 pallets have been taken out of the supply chain and 68 fewer trucks are needed for deliveries.