Selected among the 11 Zero Waste Products of 2025 and awarded overall joint winner, the new solution confirms the value of the collaboration between the two companies and its concrete contribution to developing more sustainable fish packaging.
Brescia, 1 December 2025 – Qwarzo S.p.A. and DS Smith, an International Paper Company, announce the development of the first fish box made of paperboard coated with Qwarzo® technology — a jointly patented solution that brings a sustainable alternative to traditional polystyrene crates into the seafood sector. Selected among the 11 Zero Waste Products of 2025 and awarded overall joint winner, the new box is made of FSC certified paperboard and treated with an invisible mineral coating that provides resistance to water, humidity, grease, and thermal shocks, while maintaining full recyclability within the paper stream.
The collaboration stems from the combination of Qwarzo’s know-how in mineral-based coating chemistry and DS Smith’s, an International Paper Company, industrial leadership in sustainable fiber-based packaging. DS Smith, an International Paper Company, one of the global leaders in the sector, contributed its production capabilities and extensive experience in paper conversion, making it possible to deliver a solution that is industrially scalable and compliant with cold-chain requirements.
The goal is to offer seafood supply-chain operators a packaging solution that meets the needs of fresh-product protection, logistics challenges, and the growing regulatory requirements regarding food-contact material safety and plastic reduction. The box — already tested in pilot phase by customers in the main relevant segments — has demonstrated performance aligned with industry needs, eliminating the plastic and PFAS typically found in traditional coatings.
The new solution simplifies end-of-life management and reduces the environmental impact of containers used for transporting fresh fish, a sector that today relies heavily on expanded polystyrene, a material that is difficult to manage in post-consumption stages.
“This collaboration represents a strategic step for the entire food-packaging industry. With DS Smith, an International Paper Company, we share the belief that innovation must be concrete, scalable, and capable of generating an immediate impact on production chains. Our mineral technology was created to overcome the limitations of traditional plastic coatings, giving fiber-based materials protective barrier properties previously achievable only through solutions containing plastic or PFAS. Applying it to a complex application like the fish box demonstrates its industrial maturity and its ability to replace polystyrene in a sector where safety, performance, and circularity must coexist without compromise. ” declares Luca Panzeri, CTO and Founder of Qwarzo.
“This collaboration with Qwarzo represents a decisive step towards the sustainable transformation of food packaging. As a global leader in fiber-based solutions, we believe that innovation must combine performance, safety, and circularity. The new fish box demonstrates that it is possible to replace polystyrene with a recyclable cardboard alternative without compromising the protection of fresh products or compliance with cold chain standards. Our commitment is to continue developing solutions that help our customers reduce their environmental impact and meet growing regulatory demands, contributing concretely to a waste-free future. ” says Matteo Saini, Innovation Manager, International Paper Cluster at DS Smith, an International Paper Company.
Qwarzo and DS Smith, an International Paper Company presented the project and the new product during the award ceremony held at the Zero Waste Research Center. The box was officially selected as one of the 11 Zero Waste Products of 2025 and recognized as overall joint winner, confirming the value of the collaboration between the two companies and the effectiveness of the developed solution in promoting circular economy principles and sustainable alternatives within the fish-packaging sector.
Company Profile
Qwarzo
Qwarzo is an Italian SME based in Brescia (Italy), focused on innovation and sustainable, high-performance alternatives to plastic coatings. Its core technology — a silica-based mineral coating — can be applied to paper, textiles, metals, and other materials, making them resistant to water, grease, and heat without compromising recyclability or compostability. The coating is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Qwarzo® enhances FSC® and PEFC® certified paper by giving it barrier properties. The company has received numerous national and international awards for its ability to innovate sustainably. It was a finalist at the 2024 Avant-Garde Awards in the Innovative Materials category (Packaging Première & PCD Milan) and won the Innovation Award at SIGEP 2024 — in collaboration with Gondola Packaging — for Qup, the first mineral-coated paper ice-cream cup. In September 2024, it won the Tocco Future Material Award in the “Future Materials Visionary” category for its pioneering approach and contribution to materials circularity. Among recent recognitions are the “Innovation Leaders 2025” award from Corriere della Sera and Statista, as well as the S.E.M.I. Innovation Award and the Zero Waste Product of the Year for its mineral-coated paper hook for agriculture. In previous years, Zero Waste Italy and the Zero Waste Research Center named Qwarzo® “Product of the Year” in 2022 and 2023 for its coffee stirrers and paper cutlery. In 2019, the company received the prestigious Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge promoted by National Geographic and Sky Ocean Ventures for its contribution to reducing single-use plastics globally. Most recently, on 5 November 2025, Qwarzo was recognized at Ecomondo as one of the 10 most virtuous Italian companies in promoting sustainable development in the circular economy sector, receiving the Sustainable Development Award in the SME – Circular Economy category.
Website: https://www.qwarzo.com/
DS Smith, an International Paper Company
DS Smith
DS Smith, an International Paper company, is a leading global provider of sustainable fibre-based packaging, which is supported by recycling and papermaking operations. The company plays a central role in the value chain across sectors including e-commerce, fast moving consumer goods, food and beverage, and industrials. It has a target-led sustainability strategy, Redefining Packaging for a Changing World, and is committed to leading an industry-wide transition to a circular economy while delivering sustainable circular solutions for customers. As a part of this mandate, there is a focus on replacing plastics, taking carbon out of supply chains, providing recycling solutions, innovation and significant investment into Research & Development including alternative materials and fibres. The company has a progressive approach to the service and optimization of sustainable supply chains, a well-known and bespoke ‘Box-to-Box’ in fourteen days operational model and a unique Circular Design Metrics approach. It is a proactive member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and the original DS Smith box-making business was started by the London based Smith family in the 1940s. Additional information can be found by visiting www.dssmith.com/
International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP; LSE: IPC) is the global leader in sustainable packaging solutions. With company headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) headquarters in London, UK, we employ more than 65,000 team members and serve customers around the world with operations in more than thirty countries. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Net sales for 2024 were $18.6 billion. In 2025, International Paper acquired DS Smith creating an industry leader focused on the attractive and growing North American and EMEA regions. Additional information can be found by visiting http://www.internationalpaper.com
