How real-time IoT tracking and smart reusable packaging from Peak Technologies and Sensolus is helping Whitecroft Lighting reduce waste, improve logistics visibility and scale its circular economy ambitions.
Whitecroft Lighting, part of the Fagerhult Group, is a leading provider of smart and sustainable lighting solutions. Committed to science-based net-zero targets and circular design principles, Whitecroft is pioneering innovative approaches to reduce environmental impact across their entire value chain.
The company faced a significant challenge in its supply chain operations and needed to address the environmental impact of single-use packaging while maintaining efficient logistics across its UK operations.
There were four key issues:
- Excessive packaging waste: Thousands of cardboard cartons were being used and discarded for every major project
- High waste management costs: Single-use packaging was creating substantial disposal expenses on construction sites
- Limited visibility: No way to track reusable packaging assets across multiple project locations
- Circular economy goals: Whitecroft’s commitment to reducing virgin materials by 80% by 2030 required innovative packaging solutions
Traditional single-use packaging was not only environmentally unsustainable but also operationally inefficient, particularly for large-scale projects like the Fife Learning Campus where lighting products needed to be delivered safely while minimising environmental impact.
The solution: Geopak with integrated IoT tracking
Whitecroft Lighting partnered with Peak Technologies, Sensolus, pdr, and Cardiff Metropolitan University to develop Geopak™ – an innovative reusable packaging solution with integrated GPS location tracking.
Sensolus provided the GPS tracking hardware and connectivity that makes each Geopak unit ‘smart’, while Peak Technologies delivered the software platform, integration capabilities and ongoing managed services.
This technology-agnostic approach ensures the solution meets Whitecroft’s specific business requirements while providing scalability for future growth.
How it works
The Geopak system combines three critical elements:
Connected assets
Each one of the 310 Geopak containers is equipped with Sensolus tracking technology, transforming standard reusable packaging into smart, connected assets that provide real-time visibility throughout the supply chain. This enables Whitecroft to monitor assets across the entire 7,500km network and ensure timely delivery to active projects in Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London.
Location intelligence
Peak Technologies’ IoT platform captures continuous location data, enabling autonomous monitoring of every Geopak unit as it moves between the manufacturing floor and the delivery door. The system tracks when Geopaks arrive at customer sites, dwell times at various locations, and return journeys – providing the data needed to optimise fleet size and improve delivery planning, which directly contributed to increased customer confidence.
Actionable insights
The integrated system delivers operational intelligence through real-time dashboards showing asset locations and status and AI-powered data processing for predictive analytics.
The system tracks when Geopaks arrive at customer sites, dwell times at various locations, and return journeys – providing the data needed to optimise fleet size and improve delivery planning, which directly contributed to increased customer confidence.
Custom dashboards give Whitecroft instant visibility into asset status and location, while automated alerts notify the team of delivery events, extended dwell times, or assets that need retrieval – eliminating manual tracking processes.
Seamless WMS/ERP API-based integration with Whitecroft’s existing systems ensures packaging data flows directly into their warehouse management and planning processes, enabling the circular packaging model to operate without creating additional administrative overhead.
This integrated approach transforms simple tracker data into actionable business insights, enabling Whitecroft to optimise their circular packaging operations continuously.
Geopak: delivering results
The Geopak solution has delivered impressive results across environmental, operational, and financial dimensions:
Environmental impact
- 100,000 cardboard cartons removed from the supply chain
- 2 tonnes of packaging waste eliminated over the project lifecycle
- Significant contribution to Whitecroft’s goal of 80% virgin material reduction by 2030
Operational efficiency
- 7,500+ kilometres travelled by Geopak units across the network
- 310 active Geopak assets in circulation
- Live tracking providing improved customer confidence and management visibility
- Active deployments across Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London
Cost savings
- £6,000 saved in waste management costs at the Fife Learning Campus project alone
- Reduced logistics complexity through better asset utilisation
- Lower handling costs compared to single-use packaging
Enhanced visibility
- Complete transparency on asset location and movement
- Improved delivery planning and scheduling
- Better inventory management of reusable packaging
- Data-driven decision making for logistics optimisation
Looking forward
The success of the Geopak initiative demonstrates how innovative partnerships can drive both sustainability and operational excellence. By combining Whitecroft’s circular design expertise, Peak Technologies’ IoT platform capabilities, and Sensolus’s tracking technology, the solution proves that environmental responsibility and business efficiency are not mutually exclusive.
The Geopak initiative was shortlisted for The Sustainable Materials Award at the Supply Chain Excellence Awards 2025, recognising its measurable environmental and operational impact.
As Whitecroft continues to expand Geopak deployments across its operations, the real-time visibility and data insights provided by the integrated tracking solution will be essential for scaling the company’s circular economy model while maintaining the operational agility needed in today’s competitive lighting market.
