Packaging manufacturer Free Pack Net (Gallarte / Italy; www.freepacknet.com) has developed a reusable industrial packaging system for white goods. Its first customer is the Italian business of the US domestic appliance manufacturer Whirlpool, which now packs its products into the containers made of self-supporting, deformable polypropylene. According to Free Pack Net the packaging is resistant to horizontal and vertical loads up to 1,200 kg.

"The packs we have developed can be reused up to 20 times," says production manager Massimo De Santis. The system has cost advantages for producers and distributors, who benefit from additional quality assurance, while consumers do not have to dispose of the packaging. The packs are rented by the producer and, after delivering the product, are reused again at the nearest production plant. There are additional cost-saving effects in transport, the company claims.

"Up to 2012, we expect 50m of these packs to be in use a year," adds De Santis. Over the next five years, Free Pack Net expects to create 700 new jobs throughout Europe.