Dyhrberg focuses on sustainability for fresh produce shipping

The best, exquisite quality and no mass-produced goods - these are the core values and philosophy of the Dyhrberg manufactory in Balsthal. One hour west of Zurich, salmon has been smoked in a wood-fired oven for more than 50 years. Customers include gourmet restaurants in Switzerland as well as discerning amateur chefs, who can order the specialties from the online store. The aim is for them to arrive fresh and intact at the customer's home. At present, there are still few functioning packaging systems that meet the requirements of food shipping.

"Our customers expect us to handle the product sustainably. This particularly includes the packaging, which is often the first physical contact with the customer," says Ralf Weidkuhn, Head of Marketing & Sales, summarizing his requirements for the right Dyhrberg packaging. He is not alone in this: according to a recent survey by the E-Commerce Center Cologne, 36% of consumers demand environmentally friendly packaging.

Excellent insulation

The 170-year-old family business Dinkhauser Kartonagen developed the foodmailer in 2015 and has already received several international awards for it. The highlight: the foodmailer is made of 100% corrugated cardboard, making it 100% recyclable and still achieves the same insulation as conventional polystyrene boxes with a 60% reduction in volume. An argument that is becoming increasingly important in view of the predicted 2,000 % growth in e-food over the next five years. The inner components are made of special food-grade paper. Weidkuhn describes the handling as simple, but "what ultimately convinced us was the ability to adapt both the format and printing to our individual needs".

Dinkhauser Kartonagen GmbH

1848: Josef Dinkhauser founds the Dinkhauser bookbindery in Innsbruck. In 1951, the owner's two daughters take over the management. The bookbindery subsequently develops into a modern cardboard packaging company. In 1981, the company headquarters are built and in 1995 Paul Schäfer takes over the management. Together with partner companies packit! in Upper Austria, Germany and Switzerland, the group of companies today achieves a turnover of around 80 million euros. The product range extends from transport and shipping cartons to sales and presentation packaging, shelf trays and displays.

And so, in close collaboration with Luis Flores, Sales Manager at Dinkhauser Kartonagen Swiss AG, an attractively designed insulated packaging was created, which is sealed with an integrated self-adhesive closure for safety reasons. At the same time, the internal packaging and shipping processes were adapted to this new solution, ensuring a smooth market launch. "Food shipping is still a young and sensitive topic in the market. Close cooperation with the customer during the introduction phase is therefore extremely important in order to minimize the risk," says Luis Flores, summarizing the joint project.

www.dinkhauser.at