2025 – Year in Review

The company continued to progress towards our vison of being a world class manufacturer and distributor of high-quality, sustainable industrial packaging, through a combination of strategic investments and forward-thinking initiatives.

Sustainability Milestones

2024 marked a transformative year in our sustainability journey, particularly in light of the forthcoming European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). This landmark legislation signals a fundamental shift in packaging practices across the EU, with requirements that all packaging must be recyclable by 2030. We need to consider the full lifecycle of packaging and move towards the reuse and recycling of drums and all packaging products.

Through our partnership with CurTec, we’ve made significant strides in plant-based packaging solutions. A notable example is CurTec’s collaboration with Laboratoires Audevard, which successfully transitioned to biobased drums for their equine healthcare products. This innovation addresses a crucial industry challenge: meeting food-grade standards with sustainable materials, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector where recycled plastics often fall short of regulatory requirements.

The biobased drums, manufactured from sugarcane ethanol-derived HDPE, demonstrate that sustainability need not compromise functionality or aesthetics. These containers offer robust moisture protection, user-friendly features like ergonomic handgrips, and full recyclability—all while reducing CO2 emissions and fossil fuel dependency.

Our Environmental Management System, certified to ISO 14001:2015 since 2012, continued to undergo rigorous annual assessments by Certification Europe, maintaining our high standards across all four specialised divisions. This commitment to environmental stewardship has positioned us well for the upcoming PPWR requirements, which include:

• • Mandatory recyclability for all packaging by 2030

• • Ambitious recycling targets scaling up by 2035

• • Requirements for reusable and refillable packaging options by 2030-2040

• • Targets for recycled content in plastic packaging (10-35% by 2030, increasing to 50-65% by 2040)

• • A targeted 15% reduction in packaging waste per capita by 2040 compared to 2018 levels

This regulatory evolution, combined with our proactive approach to sustainable innovation, has strengthened our position as an industry leader in environmental responsibility. Our participation in global initiatives and commitment to eco-friendly solutions ensures we are well-prepared to meet and exceed these new standards while supporting our clients in their sustainability journeys.

Infrastructure and Expansion

A major highlight of 2024 was the opening of our new state-of-the-art warehouse facility in Greystones, Co Wicklow. This expansion, part of the Industrial Packaging Investment Programme, significantly enhanced our operational capabilities and customer service offerings.

The new facility has delivered multiple benefits:

• • Enhanced inventory capacity allowing us to maintain larger stock levels

• • Minimised lead times through improved stock availability

• • Advanced logistics capabilities for both in-house manufactured products and trusted partner brands

• • Increased flexibility in inventory management and scalability

• • Optimised customer service through personalised support

This expansion represents a cornerstone of our continuous investment programme over the past decade, alongside our machinery upgrades and sustainability initiatives such as solar panel planning. The Greystones facility has proven particularly valuable in supporting our European supply chain partnerships, enabling us to maintain robust stock levels of imported products while reducing potential logistical challenges.

Technological Advancement

2024 marked a year of significant machinery investments for Industrial Packaging, with two major installations enhancing our manufacturing capabilities. In September, our Cores and Tubes division was strengthened by the addition of a high-speed multiknife core winder from Eberle, reinforcing our position as Ireland’s foremost supplier in this sector.

Later in the year, we further expanded our capabilities with the installation of a cutting-edge tube winding machine. This impressive machinery required extensive planning and preparation, with the components arriving in four 40-foot containers. The factory floor underwent a complete reconfiguration to accommodate the new equipment, involving a complex relocation of existing machinery and stock.

A specialist team of engineers from France oversaw the commissioning process of the tube winding machine, ensuring optimal performance from day one. The machine is now operated by a dedicated team of four highly trained specialists who maintain its daily operations. These technological investments have revolutionised our production processes, offering:

• • Increased production rates and reduced lead times

• • Enhanced precision and consistency in tube winding

• • Broader spectrum of tube sizes and materials

• • Capability to serve more diverse market requirements

The machine’s advanced technology particularly benefits clients in the food, packaging, pharmaceutical, and medical device sectors, where precision and quality are paramount. Additionally, its optimised design and intelligent control systems contribute to our sustainability goals by minimising material waste during the winding process.

The investment reinforces our position as Ireland’s foremost supplier of Cores and Tubes, whilst providing improved logistical advantages to our local client base.

Customer Experience and Service Excellence

This year saw the implementation of a comprehensive customer experience survey, conducted by AlphaRainbow. The initiative, part of our journey from “good to great,” provided valuable insights into customer satisfaction levels and areas for improvement. The quantitative research employed a 10-point scale methodology, complemented by open-ended questions to gather detailed feedback.

In response to the survey findings, we’ve placed increased emphasis on highlighting the human element of our operations. Every interaction—from email communications to deliveries—is now recognised as an opportunity to showcase the expertise and dedication of our team members.

Building Relationships Through People and Excellence

2024 marked a significant shift in how we connect with our clients, emphasising the human element that makes Industrial Packaging unique.

Throughout the year, we introduced several key team members who drive our success, including:

Bridget Byrne, our Finance Manager & Cost Accountant, who joined in 2022, shared valuable insights into managing financial challenges and maintaining robust cost control measures during a period of global economic uncertainty. Her expertise has been crucial in supporting strategic decision-making across all departments.

Cillian Doyle, our Engineering Project Manager, offered a fascinating glimpse into our technical operations, including his work on groundbreaking robotics projects. His emphasis on communication and cross-departmental collaboration has helped streamline our engineering solutions.

Ibrahim Darwish, our HSEQ Manager who joined in late 2022, demonstrated our commitment to transparency by detailing our quality control processes, particularly in radial crush testing for cores and tubes. His expertise, backed by professional memberships with the Institution of Engineers of Ireland and Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, has strengthened our quality assurance protocols.

By bringing forward the expertise and personalities behind our operations, we’ve demonstrated our commitment to building lasting relationships with our clients.

Community Engagement and Charitable Initiatives

Industrial Packaging maintained its commitment to social responsibility through various charitable endeavours. Throughout 2024, we proudly supported:

The Year Ahead

The new year begins with an exciting return to in-person events as Industrial Packaging prepares to participate in the BioPharma & Life Sciences Connected Live conference and exhibition on 23rd January 2025 at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Cork.

This marks our first major industry event since the Covid-19 pandemic, where we’ll be showcasing our innovations at Stand 62. The conference, featuring over 75 expert speakers including distinguished professionals from Eli Lilly and AbbVie, promises to be a pivotal gathering for the sector. With topics ranging from automation and vaccine manufacturing to digitalisation and Industry 4.0, this event perfectly aligns with our commitment to staying at the forefront of industry developments.

For 2025, customers will be able to see our full, updated product range at a glance, with the recent launch of a new comprehensive brochure for industrial containers.

This updated guide showcases our expanding range of UN-certified sustainable packaging solutions and features an enhanced, user-friendly layout to help customers navigate our diverse product offerings more efficiently. The brochure includes detailed information about our sustainability strategy, practical guidance on UN packaging numbers for dangerous goods transport, and introduces our expert team of packaging specialists.

We will continue to build upon our seven-decade legacy in the Irish packaging manufacturing sector. Our focus remains on sustainable innovation, technological advancement, and excellence in customer service, all while maintaining our position as an industry leader in environmental responsibility.

We are committed to remaining at the forefront of the packaging industry, whilst minimising our environmental impact.