Sustainability

Make A Difference

Sustainability continues to be a major topic within the packaging industry. How “green” your package is can make the difference between getting your product on the retail shelf or not. Consumer demand for more environmentally friendly packaging is growing, and that means more and more major retailers are putting pressure on their suppliers to improve packaging sustainability. While cost, appearance and product security will continue to be important considerations, so will the environmental impact. That’s good news for the environment and at the same time, it puts a great responsibility on all of us to continually be innovative and pro-active with sustainable product design considerations, material choices and manufacturing techniques.

Closed Loop

While some manufacturers may consider the “cradle to grave” impact of a product’s life cycle, we believe the key to the sustainability of plastic packaging is a “closed loop” process of continual recycling that keeps plastic out of landfills. Ideally, as with aluminum cans, used plastic packages should be recovered and turned into tomorrow’s packages. But because there will always be packages that don’t make it back into the recycling stream, we also need to make sure our packages are safe for the environment no matter where they end up.

One way to foster green packaging is to avoid over-packaging. Over-packaging increases the energy used in manufacturing and the energy used in transporting a bigger and heavier package. Keeping the material used to a minimum not only lessens the environmental impact of each package, it also reduces the cost of the package. And yes, packaging can be reduced without sacrificing security.

Recycling Opportunities

Another way to promote sustainability is to make it easier for consumers to recycle a package. Here we need to think about how easily different components (plastic and paperboard) can be separated for their distinct recycling streams. We need to consider the impact adhesives and add-ons, such as stickers and coatings, will have on the recycling process. And perhaps most importantly, we need to figure out how to help consumers understand how to dispose of package components properly, so our recyclable packaging materials actually makes it to the recycling center.

Zero Waste

Recovering all of our scrap plastic for recycling fits right into the sustainability paradigm. For many years, we have been a “zero waste” manufacturer. Much of the material we use includes recycled content, and an increasing amount includes post-consumer recycled plastic. To minimize harmful emissions and foster more recycling of our packaging, we are helping and
encouraging our clients to use more PET.

We offer competitively priced post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials and processes. Already there’s plenty of high-quality PCR raw materials from which to choose. Most materials we use are between 50 – 100% PCR and include PET, HIPS, PP and PE. We then design and manufacture those materials into the blisters, club packs, clamshells, cartons, rounds, lids, towers, drums and tri-folds you need. We also use Ingeo®, a biopolymer made from dextrose (sugar) that is derived from field corn already grown for many industrial and functional end-uses.

Proactive Solutions

Demonstrating a concern for sustainability in your packaging can set you apart from your competition, create good feelings for your brand and help ensure your product’s place on the shelves of your preferred retailers. Forward-thinking manufacturers are seizing this opportunity, and we are ready and eager to create packaging solutions that are both environmentally responsible and phenomenally effective.

Get us involved from the very beginning of your packaging project, and we’ll help you create a sustainable packaging solution that will better satisfy retailers, consumers and the needs of the environment.