DS Smith, a provider of packaging solutions, has invested more than €25m ($26m) in its existing facilities in Poland.
The company invested in its production lines and machinery parks in Kielce, Bełchatów, and Sosnowiec.
The bulk of the investment, totalling €22m, is being allocated to the expansion of the Kielce packaging facility.
DS Smith will deploy new machines at the site, including a BOBST Masterline 2.1 die-cutter, which it says will increase automation and precision within its Flexography segment.
In addition, DS Smith has launched a new production line for its Easy Bowl solution for fresh food at the Belchatów facility.
Meanwhile, the Sosnowiec site has seen investment in machinery for producing sustainable paper bags tailored for the e-commerce sector.
DS Smith Eastern Europe packaging division regional managing director Reinier Schlatmann said: “By enhancing our production capabilities, we are able to provide our customers, leading fast-moving consumer goods brands, major retailers, e-commerce entities, and industrial companies, with increased options for recyclable and circular solutions that will help them to achieve their sustainability targets and support consumer demand for sustainable change.
“In line with this, at DS Smith, we have recently reached a key sustainability milestone by replacing more than one billion pieces of plastic in partnership with our customers in advance of our Now & Next sustainability strategy target that was set for 2025.”
This investment is part of the company’s growth strategy in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
It also underscores DS Smith’s commitment towards the industry-wide transition to sustainable and fibre-based packaging solutions in the region.
The company expects this move to significantly boost its annual packaging production capacity in Poland by approximately 25 million square metres, and glued box capacity by 7.5 million square metres.
In September this year, DS Smith completed a €17.6m investment in its box plant in Korinthos, Greece.
