As part of our Finalist Interview series ahead of the Sustainability Awards, we spoke to CMC about its Super Vertical machine, said to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 30% and nominated in the Commercialized Machinery category.
You’re a finalist in the Sustainability Awards 2025. Congratulations! To start off, could you summarize your entry, in less than 50 words?
CMC Super Vertical is the world’s first ultra-compact 3D right-sized vertical bagger and auto-packer. With a 9 sqm footprint, it revolutionizes packaging by producing custom-fit, recyclable mailers and boxes on demand, cutting waste, emissions and costs while enabling plug-and-play automation for any fulfilment center, including those with space or workflow limitations.
Why do you think the judges were impressed with your entry? Tell us about what is innovative about your project and/or about its impact on packaging sustainability.
We believe the judges recognized the CMC Super Vertical’s ability to democratize sustainable packaging automation. It’s a space-saving, entry-level solution that delivers the full power of right-sized packaging – no void fill, no pre-consolidation, and up to 43% material savings per package.
It cuts CO2 emissions by up to 30% thanks to reduced parcel volume and improved truckload density, while also consuming an average of 47% less energy than traditional systems. Its one-day installation, adaptability to brownfield layouts, and use of Mondi’s heat-sealable barrier paper make it a truly unique fusion of sustainability, flexibility and speed.
Finally, can you tell us about the ongoing development of your project, e.g. how your innovation/initiative has been received by the industry, or what the next steps are in commercialization/product development?
The industry reception has been enthusiastic – especially among 3PLs and companies seeking compact, scalable automation solutions. We’ve already seen strong interest in both mailer and box configurations across Europe and North America, with the first commercial units being deployed in brownfield facilities where footprint and flexibility are critical.
Another strong point of the Super Vertical is its alignment with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), making it a crucial enabler of compliance for industry players.
This year we are planning a Life Cycle Assessment to further quantify its environmental benefits across different use cases, enhancing our real-time ROI calculator to support customers in quantifying savings in CO2, material inputs and outputs and labour.
Looking ahead, we’re also developing advanced modules to support customization for major e-commerce players with high throughput, multi-format packaging requirements. Print-on-pack capabilities for branding (our Packvertizing technology), dynamic ERP/API integration, and market-specific adaptations are also part of our 2025 development roadmap, cementing the CMC Super Vertical as a versatile platform for circular packaging transformation.
The winners of the Sustainability Awards 2025 will be announced at the Sustainable Packaging Summit, taking place in Utrecht on 10-12 November. The Summit mobilizes leaders of the FMCG value chain, policymakers, NGOs, recyclers and investors to collaborate, remove barriers and identify opportunities on the road to sustainable transformation.
To learn more or register, visit: https://www.packagingsummit.earth/2025
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