Smurfit Kappa has created a sustainable packaging solution to transport bees for Biobest, a world leader in biological crop protection and pollination.
Biobest began back in 1987 when veterinarian Roland De Jonghe began breeding bumble bees in his garage to organically pollinate tomatoes. Tomato growers were quick to see the advantage of using bumble bees over chemical pesticides and the company flourished.
Biobest approached the packaging giant to design an insulated and weather-resistant box to replace the EPS pack it was using to transport live bumble bees. It also had to be robust enough to withstand long periods outdoors as the boxes are used for outdoor pollination of fruit and vegetables.
Smurfit Kappa looked to its Better Planet Packaging portfolio to create a solution which was made from water-resistant AquaStop paper and included hexacomb fitments inside to protect and insulate the insects. Tests were conducted to see if the new pack could survive outside for 6-8 weeks and it passed with flying colours, keeping the bees safe and ready to pollinate.
