CHEP ZirConic ® has received the Red Dot Award: Product Design.
Cologne, June 27, 2024 – CHEP, the world’s leading provider of reusable pallets and containers, and Cabka, a leading provider of sustainable transport packaging, have won the Red Dot Award: Product Design in the Industrial Packaging category for the CHEP ZirConic®, foldable large load carrier. The award, which was presented on June 24 in Essen, recognizes the innovative design, functionality and sustainability of the CHEP ZirConic® container. CHEP Germany announced the win in a press release.
Revolutionary solution for the challenges of the modern supply chain
The CHEP ZirConic® foldable large load carrier was developed because CHEP recognized the need for high-quality, reusable transport packaging (RTPs) that meet current supply chain requirements. The container is the result of collaboration with Cabka, a leading expert in product design and material technology, and represents a new generation of RTPs that are characterized by excellent operational performance and environmental friendliness.
“As an industry leader, we are aware of our unique position that allows us to go beyond sustainability and make our business truly regenerative through product and market innovation,” explained Daniel López, Product Management and Innovation Director at CHEP Europe. “The ZirConic container is the first in a series of next-generation packaging solutions. Developed based on customer experience, it is intended to set the new industry standard for bulk containers at the highest level of innovation and sustainability.”
The CHEP ZirConic®: Improved Capacity and Foldability, 97% Post-Consumer Plastic
The CHEP ZirConic® container is characterized by its circular design. It is made of 97% post-consumer plastic and is fully recyclable at the end of its life. This focus on sustainability reduces waste and supports the circular economy model. The most important features of the foldable large container include:
- Modular design for longer life: Facilitates repairs and component replacement, ensuring minimal downtime and maximum utilization.
- Supply chain optimization: Offers up to 15% more internal volume and 33% more loading capacity ( from 500 kg to 750 kg), enabling efficient use of storage space and transport resources.
- Improved foldability: Allows space-saving storage and optimized truck utilization, reducing transport costs and CO2 emissions. The innovative design allows the shelf to be folded up inside the container, further optimizing space utilization and improving internal processes.
- Integrity of contents: A secure snap closure and tamper-evident designs protect the goods from contamination.
- IoT integration: Each container is serialized for accurate tracking and has a dedicated area for integrating digital devices. This enables a wide range of supply chain insights and increased transparency, enabling customers to make informed decisions.
Development and Implementation of CHEP ZirConic®
The project was launched in September 2021 with the merger of teams from CHEP and Cabka. At the Cabka Innovation Center in Valencia, Spain, the CHEP ZirConic® container was developed using methods such as finite element analysis (FEA) and full-scale prototypes. Cabka’s state-of-the-art development department is dedicated to designing customized product solutions using advanced technologies, in-depth knowledge of materials science and extensive product testing. The product was further refined through technical validation and customer feedback.
“Working with CHEP to develop CHEP ZirConic® was a valuable experience,” added Ignacio Castellano Montoro, Vice President Pooling and System Integration at Cabka. “Receiving the Red Dot Award underlines our successful partnership and confirms our commitment to developing innovative solutions for the circular economy.”
About the Red Dot Award
The Red Dot Design Award has a history spanning over 60 years since its launch in 1955. It is organized by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen (Germany) and is considered one of the largest design awards in the world. The best products each year are awarded the Red Dot Award: Product Design. Whether aesthetically pleasing, functional, intelligent or innovative – the products awarded by the Red Dot jury are united by their outstanding design quality.
About CHEP
CHEP does more than any other company in the world to move more goods, to more people, to more places. Its pallets, boxes and containers form the invisible backbone of the global supply chain. The world’s biggest brands trust CHEP to move their products more efficiently, sustainably and safely through its model of renting and reusing its load carriers, serving, in particular to the fast-moving consumer goods (e.g., dry goods, food, health and personal care products), fresh produce and beverages, retail and general manufacturing industries. The company employs approximately 11,500 people and owns around 353 million pallets, boxes and containers distributed across a network of over 750 service centers. As part of the Brambles Group, CHEP operates in 60 countries, with its largest operations in North America and Western Europe.
About Cabka
Cabka recycles plastics from post-consumer and post-industrial waste into innovative reusable pallet and bulk container solutions that improve the sustainability of the logistics chain. With its integrated approach that closes the loop from waste to recycling to production, Cabka is a leader in the industry. With its own innovation center in Valencia, the company has the industry knowledge, skills and capacity to return recycled plastics to the production cycle under attractive conditions. Cabka is able to utilize the entire value chain, from waste to the final product.
Cabka has been listed on Euronext Amsterdam since March 1, 2022, under the symbol CABKA with the international securities identification number NL00150000S7.
For more information visit www.cabka.com
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
