DS Smith has become the latest partner to join the SalutetheNHS.org campaign effort – developing, producing and delivering boxes to ship personal care packs to frontline NHS staff over the course of the past week.
The boxes include personal care products donated by Unilever and will be delivered by Yodel to Government-designated Covid-19 hospitals and self-isolating frontline workers’ homes.
As a global leader in e-commerce packaging, DS Smith adapted the packaging from its ePack range – an arm of the business devoted to providing bespoke, recyclable packaging for small ecommerce businesses. The items it produces can be turned around in days and focus on increasing the impact of the ultimate unboxing experience through new design and digital print, while reducing fibre and ensuring that it is recycled or reused in practise, not just in theory.
Miles Roberts, DS Smith Group Chief Executive said: “We were approached by Ron to join the SalutetheNHS.org campaign just days ago and our team have worked around the clock to develop, manufacture and deliver 75,000 boxes at record speed. We’re delighted to have been able to support this initiative and hope this small token of appreciation will be enjoyed by our much-loved NHS staff.”
Ron Dennis CBE, co-founder of SalutetheNHS.org, said: “This campaign is revealing the very best of the private sector. I am overwhelmed by the support coming in from brilliant British businesses right across the country. Together, with partners including DS Smith, we have been moving fast and at scale to supply our NHS frontline with bespoke personal care packs. We hope that this new contribution goes some way to help and thank them as they do battle against this awful virus.”
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the packaging giant has focused its efforts towards providing critical support to keep goods moving across the supply chain, while also ensuring it continues to support its people and the communities within which it operates. In March, the company developed special stack and drop boxes to ensure social distancing measures could be adhered to while ensuring vulnerable individuals had access to everyday essentials.
From Kemsley to Krusevac, Tampere to Timisoara, and in over 300 locations across the world, DS Smith has also run a series of community activities ranging from donating time and expertise to raising money to support local causes. Examples include creating separators in Slovenia so postal workers can operate safely and donating corrugated items for local field hospitals in Spain.