ABB S.p.A. | Best Packaging 2023

Ekip Up+ Packaging

What it is. A new packaging solution that focuses strongly on sustainability, designed for the product Ekip Up+. It uses corrugated cardboard that is 100% recycled from waste produced at ABB's Smart Power plant in Frosinone, Italy, through a partnership between Eco.Ren, Cartesar and the Sada Group and the '100% Campania' network for sustainable packaging. This has made it possible to create an EPD-compliant packaging solution that adequately protects the product contained in line with ISTA standards. The redesign has extended the life cycle of the post-consumer rPET blister pack, allowing it to be reused as a container for small parts.

Materials. GreenboxX® in corrugated cardboard; blister in rPET

Technology. Die-cutting for parts in corrugated cardboard and injection moulding for the blister pack.

End product and target market. Electrification technology. Ekip UP+ is an external low-voltage multifunctional relay that allows the monitoring, protection and control of electrical installations in digital microgrids, thus enabling the management and control of resources in terms of productivity and energy costs.

Design and/or communication. The elimination of the handle present in the previous version and its replacement with openings made directly on the main box, combined with the replacement of the internal foam filler with corrugated cardboard provided with tear-off parts capable of accommodating all possible configurations of accompanying accessories, has greatly helped to streamline the handling of packaging materials.

Sustainability. This packaging solution is an example of circular economy. The reuse of waste, an emphasis on sourcing from local suppliers, the use of corrugated cardboard and rPET, the reduction of weight, the elimination of certain elements (adhesive tape and handle) combined with a significant improvement in logistical flows all lead to one result: the reduction of CO2 emissions.