Olivia Van Hauwermeiren (Corplex): “With our reusable packaging, we help companies in their transition to circular logistics”

5 minutes reading time

In the transition to circular logistics, reusable packaging solutions play a crucial role. European regulations such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation PPWR) encourage this evolution. LogiVille is therefore pleased to welcome Corplex, a top European player in sustainable packaging, as an Innovation Partner. Olivia Van Hauwermeiren, business development manager for Benelux, introduces the company to us.

French-American group Corplex has been a leading European producer of sustainable plastic solutions for 60 years, specialising in polypropylene and polycarbonate extrusion. We are a market leader in customised reusable packaging solutions. Corplex has 650 employees and six production sites (three in France, one in the UK, one in Spain and one in Slovakia). Thanks to a team of 20 designers, we design, develop and produce customised reusable packaging solutions that remain in circulation for as long as possible.

We support companies from sectors such as automotive, electronics, retail, e-commerce, pharma and food/beverages in their transition to circular logistics.

Incidentally, we do more than produce: we close the ‘loop’, because we design our products with reusability and recycling in mind. We go so far as to fully recycle them at the end of their useful life. This means that we collect them and reuse them as raw materials. Furthermore, we are the first in the market who can ‘de-ink’. Ink ‘contaminates’ the raw material during the recycling process. By de-inking, we obtain a pure and high-quality mono material.

What transport and logistics operations does Corplex offer?

As I said, they are all custom designed and made. One can divide them into four ‘families’:

reusable transport packaging (such as containers, crates, boxes)

storage systems (such as storage or picking solutions)

polypropylene sheets (for partitions or pallet layers)

and ‘fittings’ (protective pieces, dividers, filling material).

The focus is on maximum reusability: our products last more than ten years. Robustness is thus a core value, as is the principle of ‘design for recycling’. All our products are easily recyclable, thanks to the use of mono-material. Even in applications where packaging should only be used once – such as pharma – we design them to be easily recyclable. In addition, because containers and boxes are collapsible, we reduce the transport of air during return shipments.

How long has Corplex been operating in Belgium?

We have been commercially active in Belgium for years, but since January we have also had our own entity. This allows us to better respond to local needs – especially now with the impending Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. The PPWR has triggered a large-scale movement: until now, many companies had been waiting to see what the cat would do, but now that European rules are in place, interest in reusable packaging is particularly high. I would even dare say we are experiencing a tsunami of applications.

So the PPWR caused a cranking effect?

Without a doubt. The PPWR makes the rules more uniform and transparent, but at the same time more complex. It mandates that 100% of transport packaging be reusable between sites with the same ownership, and that 40% be reusable for ‘intercompany’ trade. Given the current reliance on single-use packaging, this seems like a big challenge. Companies therefore count on us to provide them with the right packaging solutions to stay compliant.

Another aspect of the PPWR is the impact on producers and users of packaging materials through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). They now become responsible for the full life cycle of their packaging – including end-of-life waste management. Associated with the EPR are ‘fees’, fees that producers and first users of packaging have to pay to EPR organisations or waste management systems (e.g. Fost Plus and Valipac in Belgium) to cover the costs of collection, sorting and recycling.

Reusable or easily recyclable packaging is expected to be subject to lower fees, while single-use or difficult-to-recycle packaging will have to pay significantly higher fees. Those fees will be passed on to users. Reusable, recyclable solutions with a high recycled material content, such as Corplex’s, therefore have a clear advantage here.

However, the organisation of return flows remains a challenge.

That is an ‘issue’, yes.

At Corplex, we do not manage these return flows directly, but work with experienced logistics partners who specialise in handling reusable packaging. Today, collection, bundling and transport can already be organised efficiently, especially when the right network is in place. Reusable packaging is also particularly suitable for logistics within the same organisation. These flows are predictable and manageable, making reuse feasible and cost-efficient.

However, for smaller players with a broad European distribution network – for example, a Belgian biscuit manufacturer exporting to all corners of Europe – this is less obvious.

We therefore expect new logistics service providers to emerge that will bundle and manage international return flows of diverse packaging brands for different customers; and that will also offer additional services, such as cleaning or return shipping for recovery and/or recycling.

One thing is clear: the PPWR and EPR will drive new, innovative business models.

Why did Corplex become a partner of LogiVille?

Initially, we joined VIL. Producers and users of packaging, as mentioned, face tough challenges: they need to innovate to set up sustainable and ‘future proof’ packaging systems. This is precisely why we participate in VIL projects such as STRAP. These projects bring us into contact with other innovative players in the logistics chain, with the aim of creating reusable alternatives that are at least as functional and affordable as classic single-use packaging.

So it was through VIL that you came into contact with LogiVille.

Precisely. When we learned about the upcoming Theme Tours on circular supply chains – the core of our activities – would take place in September, the decision was quickly made: we are in. More than that, Corplex is stepping in as an Innovation Partner. After all, LogiVille offers not only a platform to showcase our solutions to visitors, but also the chance to build valuable collaborations with other partners.

Innovation is in our DNA. LogiVille opens doors to the development of new products that meet the needs of companies. At the same time, we want to actively think with other partners about solutions that do not yet exist today. We strongly believe in co-creation as an engine for progress and sustainable innovation.