Sustainable packaging: Dolphin Pack’s commitment to greener packaging, cutting-edge solutions for a more sustainable future and a lower environmental impact
The packaging industry has often been the subject of debate due to the widespread use of plastics and materials that are difficult to recycle, which can contribute to waste accumulation and environmental impact. Growing environmental awareness among consumers and businesses has placed the reduction of environmental impact at the centre of global priorities. Faced with this reality, taking concrete action has become essential.
Aware of this need, Dolphin Pack has long been committed to making its production processes and packaging machines more sustainable. Limiting CO₂ emissions, reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, selecting more sustainable packaging materials and manufacturing responsibly have become shared objectives. Our company is actively contributing to this vision by offering practical solutions for a greener future.
How can packaging be made more sustainable?
Making packaging more sustainable has become a key objective for Dolphin Pack. Our ongoing commitment to research and innovation has enabled us to achieve important milestones, particularly since 2022.
That year, we introduced the option of using paper as a packaging material on our automatic mattress packaging line. Paper has a significantly lower environmental impact than conventional polyethylene (PE).
Our technical team worked to ensure that the packaging machine could process this material efficiently without compromising performance or reliability.
During the initial packaging stage-the compression of the mattress-we use PE-coated paper, composed of 95% paper and 5% of a thin polyethylene layer. This combination allows the material to be sealed using our standard sealing bars without requiring structural modifications to the machine.
During the rolling stage, we use 100% paper. Rather than being heat-sealed, the material is closed by applying hot-melt adhesive with a dedicated gun. Developed in-house, this system provides a clean, waste-free process with a reliable and long-lasting seal.
This development led to the creation of the Etesian Smart Hybrid line, which packages, compresses, folds and rolls mattresses using either plastic or paper in a single solution. Wherever possible, we also develop customized solutions to introduce paper packaging on mattress packaging lines already installed at our customers’ facilities, allowing existing systems to be upgraded with more environmentally friendly technologies.
The option of using paper as a packaging material has also been extended to polyurethane foam blocks. This led to the development of Burian Green, a machine designed to compress and roll blocks up to four metres long.
Burian Green stands out for its ability to compress the product and proceed directly to the rolling stage, without requiring an initial flat-packaging process. It uses paper packaging material only during the rolling stage. The paper is then sealed with hot-melt adhesive, ensuring an efficient and sustainable process with a durable seal.
Energy efficiency: a commitment built into Dolphin Pack machines
In addition to using innovative materials, the sustainability of our packaging machines is enhanced by advanced systems that optimize energy consumption.
Among these technologies, our patented cold sealing-bar system significantly reduces the need for continuous heating, lowering energy consumption. The use of servo pumps on selected lines ensures that energy consumption is proportional to the actual workload, avoiding unnecessary waste.
Finally, Start & Stop mode allows the machines to operate only when necessary, minimizing energy consumption during idle periods and maximizing overall efficiency.
Packaging innovations that reduce CO₂ emissions
Another key area on which Dolphin Pack has focused its efforts is the reduction of transported product volume. This achievement has been made possible by years of research and the development of innovative machines capable of compressing products without damaging them.
Cutting-edge machines such as Levante BL and Burian for polyurethane foam blocks, along with the Etesian Smart Hybrid for mattresses, can package compressible products and reduce their volume by up to 80%.
This optimization directly reduces the number of journeys required to transport products, resulting in a substantial reduction in logistics-related CO₂ emissions.
Compression makes it possible to load significantly more products in each shipment-for example, increasing the number of blocks transported per truck from 12 to approximately 40-42. This efficiency not only delivers cost savings of 70-75%, but also enables a reduction of more than two tonnes of CO₂ emissions for every 1,000 kilometres travelled, as explained in our article about solutions for reducing costs and environmental impact in polyurethane foam packaging.
Dolphin Pack’s commitment to making packaging more efficient not only helps protect the environment but also provides companies with a direct economic advantage.
The energy of the future: Dolphin Pack’s commitment to renewable sources
Dolphin Pack’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond machinery and material innovation. The company recognizes that a genuine transition towards a greener future also requires reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.
For this reason, we have taken a significant step by installing photovoltaic panels on the roof of our production facility. This strategic choice allows us to generate a considerable share of the energy required for our operations from renewable sources, reducing the carbon emissions associated with energy consumption and strengthening our role as a leading sustainable packaging company.
At Dolphin Pack, we will continue to invest in research and development to make our machines and processes increasingly sustainable, paving the way towards a greener future.
If your company also wants to make a difference through genuinely sustainable packaging, contact us to discover our innovative solutions.
