Smurfit Kappa has launched a new ‘Design for Help’ portfolio of products to help alleviate some of the current challenges being experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. A team of Smurfit Kappa designers used creativity and skill to quickly produce a practical set of products. The first products that made their debut in a Smurfit Kappa plant in France were corrugated workplace dividers. These were used to protect people who work closely alongside each other so they can maintain a safe distance while carrying out their jobs.

The simplicity and effectiveness of the dividers has led to them being sought after for use in many other locations and workplaces including a designated emergency area within the Hospital Complex of Navarra in Spain where they are used to separate patients’ beds for hygiene and privacy.

Other products in Smurfit Kappa’s ‘Design for Help’ portfolio include:

• Corrugated beds for temporary hospitals and isolation spaces
• A range of protective face masks
• Temporary furniture including shelves and tables

“We are all seeing the media reports about the various product shortages and the need for a rapid response," said Arco Berkenbosch, Smurfit Kappa VP of Innovation & Development. “I’m very proud of our designers who were so quick to rise to the challenge of creating a suite of simple but effective products which are clear proof that corrugated is the ultimate single-use hygienic material.

“The designs are all freely available for all and we will continue to add other useful solutions to our ‘Design for Help’ portfolio in the coming weeks.”

Recent studies have shown that the virus that causes Covid-19 has a shorter life span on corrugated than on other materials such as steel and plastic.[1]

Smurfit Kappa has been named as an essential service provider in government recommendations relating to business closures.