DS Smith Alternatives: Design Agency

About DS Smith

DS Smith began in the 1940s making cardboard boxes in East London, and has since added paper mills and recycling to the business. It merged with International Paper in January 2025, and the group now operates from London, England and Memphis, Tennessee, with more than 65,000 colleagues and operations in over 30 countries.

Packaging for retail, transit and industry

The packaging range is broad: retail and shelf-ready packaging, consumer packaging, transport and transit packaging, heavy-duty and industrial packaging, fibre-based pallets, automotive standard packaging, multi-material and dangerous goods packaging, and protective e-commerce packaging. Specialist options include temperature-controlled, tamper-proof, and reusable or returnable formats, and DS Smith also works on plastic replacement and pack range optimisation.

Displays at the point of sale

A separate point-of-sale line offers countertop displays, floor and free-standing units, shelf and corrugated tray displays, modular displays, pallet boxes, dump bins and life-size experience displays.

Paper from its own mills

Its paper products cover specialty and coated papers, medium and fluting grades, and kraft, white and brown liners. The paper mills named are Kemsley, Rouen and Zarnesti.

Machinery and services

Packaging machinery runs from case and tray formers to case packers and sealers, bag-in-box systems, robotic cells and complete end-of-line solutions, with auditing, training, after-sales service and second-hand machines on offer. Supply chain services take in testing, vendor-managed inventory and analysis, and the group offers advice on making packaging circular. Recycling services include waste management and confidential shredding, as well as the collection and recycling of cardboard, paper and plastics.

Sectors served

Customers come from fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceutical and medical, industry, logistics and e-commerce, automotive, retail and the public sector. DS Smith describes its circular business model as a way to engage customers on the circular economy, and it calls itself, together with International Paper, a global leader in sustainable packaging.

TrustList summary

DS Smith makes packaging and related materials for consumer goods, retail, e-commerce and industrial customers. It began as a box-making business in East London in the 1940s and has grown to include paper making and recycling. In January 2025 it combined with International Paper.

What DS Smith offers

Packaging solutions: retail, shelf-ready, transit, heavy duty, protective and e-commerce packaging.
Point-of-sale displays: countertop, floor-standing, shelf and pallet displays.
Paper products: specialty and coated papers, plus kraft, white and brown liners from its own mills.
Recycling services: cardboard, paper and plastics recycling, confidential shredding and waste management.
Packaging machinery: case formers, case packers, sealers and end-of-line systems.
Supply chain services: testing, analysis, vendor-managed inventory and advice on circular packaging.

Who it serves

Customers come from fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and medical, automotive, retail, logistics and public-sector organisations.

Key facts

Based in: London, England, alongside a Memphis, Tennessee base for the combined group
Founded: 1940s
Team: More than 65,000 colleagues across the combined group
Reach: Operations in more than 30 countries

Summary written by TrustList from the business's own published information, Nov 2026.

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