Carlsberg has introduced a new premium cardboard multipack with rounded corners, developed together with DS Smith and KHS using SCA’s patented Arcwise® technology.

The new packaging format is launching first in Poland, with additional market rollouts already under consideration.

Packaging Designed for Shelf Impact and Sustainability

Carlsberg says the project focused heavily on consumer attention and shelf visibility.

According to the company, supermarket shoppers pass hundreds of products every minute, making packaging design critical for brand recognition.

The new DS Smith Round Wrap® format was developed to deliver three major advantages:

• stronger shelf presence and visual differentiation
• lower material usage and carbon footprint
• compatibility with existing packaging machinery

Scientific studies referenced by the project team suggest rounded shapes are perceived as more attractive than traditional square-edged packaging.

Sustainable Packaging Without Major Machine Investment

One of the most important commercial advantages is that the rounded packs can run on existing wrap-around packaging systems with only minor modifications.

Carlsberg’s Polish operation already used a KHS Innopack Kisters WP Advanced machine, allowing implementation without major capital replacement.

KHS engineers mainly adjusted:

• folding tools
• machine guides
• setup precision in folding areas

This helped maintain high production stability and throughput.

Material Engineering Was Critical

Rounded corners created major technical challenges for corrugated material performance.

DS Smith spent years testing combinations of:

• paper grades
• corrugation types
• adhesives
• machine parameters

The final structure combines:

• a stronger outer liner for curve stability
• a lighter inner liner for smooth forming

The result reduced creasing and tearing while maintaining structural strength.

Lower Material Use and Carbon Savings

The new design reportedly delivers:

• up to 20% lower material usage
• up to 24% lower CO2e emissions depending on comparison baseline

Carlsberg Poland estimates annual savings of roughly 224 metric tons.

Additional logistics benefits include:

• better pallet stability
• reduced stretch film consumption
• lower transport damage risk

Industry Insight

This project reflects a broader packaging industry shift:

sustainability alone is no longer enough.

Packaging now needs to combine:

• sustainability
• operational efficiency
• machine compatibility
• stronger consumer experience

The strongest innovations increasingly come from collaboration across the full packaging value chain rather than from a single supplier.

Final Thought

The rounded multipack is not just a packaging redesign.

It represents how modern fibre-based packaging innovation works today:
materials science, machinery engineering, branding and sustainability all integrated into one scalable commercial system.

Last Updated on 11/05/2026 by Jota Machinery