DS Smith and Carlsberg Britvic roll out upgraded OTOR8 Bag-in-Box to cut emissions and boost supply chain efficiency
DS Smith has partnered with Carlsberg Britvic to launch an enhanced Bag-in-Box format that reduces carbon emissions and improves distribution efficiency across the UK.
The new OTOR8 design replaces the previous four-sided OTOR4 model with an eight-sided structure that enhances durability and pallet utilisation. According to the companies, the redesigned packaging enables an average of 25% more boxes per pallet, reducing the number of pallets and trucks required to move products between Carlsberg Britvic’s manufacturing site in Leeds and its distribution centre in Lutterworth. The optimisation is expected to eliminate more than 50 tonnes of CO₂ annually from transport.
Additional operational benefits include improved warehouse space efficiency, greater stability during handling, and reduced risk of leaks, particularly relevant for soft drink supply to pubs, bars, and restaurants.
Liz Manuvelpillai, Sales, Marketing, and Innovation Director at DS Smith, said: “We’re thrilled to have delivered an effective packaging solution in collaboration with Carlsberg Britvic. Our innovation will see fewer consignment vehicles on the road, lower transport emissions, and contribute to supply chain efficiency.”
Carlsberg Britvic’s Sustainability Director, Tom Fiennes, underlined the wider significance of the initiative: the company produces over 25 million litres of soft drinks each year, including Pepsi MAX, 7UP, Tango and R. White’s lemonade. He added that the OTOR8 format offers customers sturdier packaging and represents “another step toward net zero emissions.”
The company has invested more than US$12 million in emissions-cutting technologies at its UK plants over the past three years. About 75% of the grid electricity powering its factories is now sourced from solar energy.
For DS Smith, the launch comes amid its own strategic shift. The group was acquired by International Paper on 31 January 2025 in a US$7.2 billion transaction, creating a major fibre-based packaging player across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America. To gain regulatory approval, several European plants were divested, with the combined business now focused on sustainable growth.
