Klingenberg’s reusable, tape-free e-commerce box, Nomadbox, won in the Pre-Commercialized Driving the Circular Economy category in this year’s Sustainability Awards. We asked the company a few questions to find out more about this entry.
You’re a winner in the Sustainability Awards 2025. Congratulations! Could you summarize your entry, in less than 50 words?
The Nomadbox is a reusable e-commerce box made of cardboard. Thanks to its patented Monozip - which functions like a zipper for paper and cardboard - the Nomadbox is completely tape-free and scores high in user-friendliness: it opens in less than a second and closes in 5!
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 were impressed by the Nomadbox’s minimalist design with maximum impact. The patented Monozip has the ‘obvious in hindsight’ quality, where people wonder why it hadn’t been invented earlier. Instead of adding more elements to gain more functionality, we eliminated a crucial one: tape.
The interlocking Monozip that replaces it brings three advantages: more stability, flexibility and user friendliness. Since it is tape-free, it is also easy to recycle in the paper waste stream at the end of its lifetime.
The Nomadbox is designed with equal care for all steps in the packaging journey, meaning that it also facilitates an easy and well protected return transport in its folded-flat-condition. It fits through any letterbox slot - which is handy in times where standard return systems are not yet established.
What also sets the Nomadbox apart is that it sidesteps the ongoing debate between the pro-recycling and pro-reuse camps. Since this discussion can sometimes slow down real progress, the Nomadbox shows that a solution can be both reusable and recyclable. The future of packaging lies not in choosing sides, but in moving forward with innovations that combine the best of both worlds.
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 Nomadbox has been very well received, including a feature in The Pack Hub’s Innovation Zone. We are improving the product constantly and are currently working with a packaging company and a manufacturer of converting machinery to get the Nomadbox ready for large-scale production.
At the same time, it is a disruptive innovation that would reshape the market as it is today. PPWR regulations and harmonized European rules could strongly support adoption by the industry.
Until there are standardized return systems, we see the Nomadbox primarily as a B2B solution. We welcome pilot projects with partners who want to be early adopters of a truly sustainable e-commerce packaging solution.
Next year’s Sustainability Awards will take place during the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht, Netherlands, 10-12th November 2026. You can find out more here.
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