The first of the 100,000 blue series containers were delivered at the end of April. With a size of 600x400x211 mm, they form the basis for the future container family. These dimensions have been chosen so that they make full use of the EUL loading heights of 1.20 m and 2.40 m, thus enabling optimum transport and storage capacity utilization. As a pooling partner, IPP is responsible for the distribution of the reusable plastic box, which is designed for the circular economy. "With the start of series production, the GS1 Smart Box project has reached another important milestone towards more efficient and sustainable supply networks," says Leonard Thomas, Head of Customer Logistics, Henkel Beauty Care, Supply Chain Retail Germany.

Go-live in the supply chain network between industry and trade

In the test run, the grey-colored prototype, the so-called 0 series, was tested for performance in automated processes and smooth identification using applied GS1 barcodes, among other things. Industry and retail sent a total of 500 containers through their production and packaging processes. For example, they put the process in the distribution center under the microscope. On the industrial side, Beiersdorf, Cosnova, Henkel, Kao, L'Oréal and Procter & Gamble took part. On the retail side, dm-drogerie markt, Edeka, Müller and Rossmann took part in the tests. "The test container has already demonstrated many of its advantages for retail logistics, such as increased efficiency and optimum environmental compatibility. These include, for example, reduced material usage, as the GS1 Smart Box can cover the entire logistics cycle from the supplier's production to our stores. We are therefore all the more pleased that the standardized reusable container is now being put into regular operation with series production," explains Boris Haltof, Head of Small Order Picking at dm-drogerie markt.

GS1 calls on other companies from the consumer goods industry to participate

The GS1 Smart Box will initially be used in the drugstore segment. Later, it will also accompany other consumer goods - such as clothing or confectionery - from production to the point of sale in a product-, environmentally friendly and process-friendly manner, thus enabling more automation in the supply networks. The aim is to offer the container in an open pool in order to promote cross-company and later cross-border exchange. "The GS1 Smart Box has its first 'foreign deployment' in Austria in cooperation with GS1 Austria," says Matthias Haubenreißer, Senior Manager Competence Center Supply Chain Management/ CC Reusable Transport Packaging at GS1 Germany. In order to structure open pooling on the basis of a set of rules and GS1 standards, the project group is developing a new GS1 recommendation for action. "Even in the current phase, companies are called upon and invited to participate and benefit from the GS1 Smart Box, especially now at the start and commissioning of the real logistics processes," explains Haubenreißer.