How co-packing automation allowed us to replace plastic with cardboard on a mass scale?
BIC is a global leader in the production of office supplies, lighters, and razors. The company is known for its focus on quality, accessibility, and sustainability in its products. Advanced technologies and innovative solutions are therefore essential in all aspacets of manufacturing and logistics operations.
The project involved replacing plastic packaging for bulk products with cardboard packaging.
Another challenge was maintaining the existing scale of operations while changing the packaging technology simultaneously. Fifty percent of the annual co-packing volume was processed in just four months. Our priority was to maintain operational continuity and existing efficiency.
The project therefore required changes to the co-packing process and technology, which had to meet stringent environmental standards while maintaining the existing supply chain efficiency.
The warehouse has implemented a new co-packing technology based on an automated cartoning line. This system automatically forms cardboard packaging, which replaces the plastic previously used. Combined with flow-pack technology and intelligent feeding systems, we have achieved high efficiency and process consistency. We have also implemented semi-automated display assembly. To ensure smooth operations we have integrated the WMS and PMS systems, which guarantees precise data flow and eliminates the risk of errors in labeling or packaging. Rregional operations management and the Sered platform team were responsible for executing and supervising the implementation.
The line began operations in April 2025, meeting its production targets within the first three months. By 16 July 2025, the team had produced over 3 million cartons containing more than 51 million ballpoint pens. The technology was adopted rapidly, with the first million packages produced just two months after the machine was delivered to the platform.
Implementing this technology has yielded significant benefits, including faster time-to-market, increased operational efficiency and reliable product availability. Thanks to the technology and intelligent planning, the team has been able to minimise errors, increase precision and respond efficiently to high demand during sales peaks. The innovative co-packing technology reduces plastic waste in logistics processes and directly supports the achievement of the sustainability goals outlined in the client’s strategy.
Want to scale up your supply chain or optimise your packaging operations? Discover our latest co-packing solutions.
FAQ
Automating the cartoning process allowed us to produce over three million packages in a short space of time. The previous process involved combining cardboard and plastic. Changing the process allowed us to achieve two goals: increased efficiency and the introduction of sustainable, fully recyclable solutions on a large scale.
The automation we implemented for BIC enables a significant increase in throughput (up to several thousand products per hour) without proportionally increasing staffing levels. Consequently, the unit cost of packaging a product remains stable and predictable, and the company avoids the high costs associated with recruiting and training seasonal workers at short notice.
BIC’s implementation example shows that modern packaging lines can virtually eliminate the use of plastic in favour of cardboard. Automation enables the precise dosing of raw materials, reducing production waste by several percent compared to manual packaging.
In our model, the WMS communicates with the PMS in real time. This provides customers with full visibility of component and finished assembly inventory levels, eliminating line downtime and labelling errors — significant obstacles in manual data management.
Automating the cartoning process allowed us to produce over three million packages in a short space of time. The previous process involved combining cardboard and plastic. Changing the process allowed us to achieve two goals: increased efficiency and the introduction of sustainable, fully recyclable solutions on a large scale.
The automation we implemented for BIC enables a significant increase in throughput (up to several thousand products per hour) without proportionally increasing staffing levels. Consequently, the unit cost of packaging a product remains stable and predictable, and the company avoids the high costs associated with recruiting and training seasonal workers at short notice.
BIC’s implementation example shows that modern packaging lines can virtually eliminate the use of plastic in favour of cardboard. Automation enables the precise dosing of raw materials, reducing production waste by several percent compared to manual packaging.
In our model, the WMS communicates with the PMS in real time. This provides customers with full visibility of component and finished assembly inventory levels, eliminating line downtime and labelling errors — significant obstacles in manual data management.
Using automated blister and flow-pack lines ensures that every product leaving the warehouse looks identical. These machines operate with the same level of precision around the clock, eliminating the risk of human error caused by fatigue during monotonous promotional packaging processes.
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