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Suppliers Help Meet Sustainability Initiatives
September 1, 2007 By: Stephanie Skernivitz Paperboard PackagingNow that Wal-Mart, one of the world's biggest revenue-generating corporations, has turned a brighter shade of green with its recent sustainability initiatives, expect even the smallest of retailers, packaging manufacturers, and the like to eventually follow suit.
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Defining "sustainability," Wal-Mart says it is a commitment to better long-term business performance through improved social, economic, and environmental practices. Consequently, in recent years, Wal-Mart has begun beefing up its environmental vision by launching broad-based sustainability efforts to be threaded throughout its supply chain nationwide.
A slice of that vision entails assessing its 60,000 worldwide suppliers on their ability to develop packaging that conserves natural resources. This packaging-related initiative, to begin full force in 2008, is expected to reduce overall packaging by 5 percent. To meet the mark, suppliers must demonstrate use of less packaging, more effective packaging materials, and sourcing materials more efficiently through packaging scorecards.
But Wal-Mart's not the only champion of a greener package. On its website, the Paperboard Packaging Council devotes a fact sheet to the "Sustainability Advantage of Paperboard Packaging," citing areas where converters and suppliers can improve such as materials sourcing, physical design, clean production, effective recovery, and waste management.
Likewise, groups such as the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC) have defined what it means to offer sustainable packaging to the industry — even, in AICC's case, going so far to offer committees and seminars devoted to the topic.
Are board converting suppliers ramped up and ready to respond? The answer may surprise: Many would already bet their businesses they're up to the charge.
What Are the Suppliers Doing?
In the case of Bobst Group North America, they're delighted that U.S. big business is catching on to the phenomenon that its European division has embraced for years.
"Keep in mind that our manufacturing plants are in Europe where the 'green' movement has been strong for a great number of years, so the Bobst Group is already culturally well aligned with sustainability initiatives," says Michael D'Angelo, vice president, corrugated products, Bobst Group North America.
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Bobst has maintained an "Environment" section in its annual report for several years now. In fact, the mission statement of the Bobst Group worldwide has four tenets, the first three of which are completely consistent with sustainability initiatives, according to D'Angelo, who cites the mission: "To help our customers worldwide to supply safe, cost-efficient, environmentally friendly and appealing packaging."
But missions and visions mean little without action, and Bobst is not skirting that point. To date, D'Angelo says its greatest contribution to the sustainability movement is that of waste reduction in the production process.
"We have been providing higher efficiency, time-saving, quick set-up and changeover-based machines for years, well before sustainability came into vogue," D'Angelo explains. "Having machines of this type was merely excellent business practice.
"Given the number of jobs and tonnage that the average converter produces yearly, even a small reduction in the percentage of materials, time, and energy to transition from one job to another results in a huge savings financially to the converter — and from a consumption standpoint for the sustainability," he continues.
On the ink side, David Callif, president of Cincinnati-based BCM Inks, says his company has responded to the sustainability initiative in several ways.
One way is by introducing an Eco ink line, which uses renewable raw materials, has low to zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and is packaged in reground plastic pails, according to Callif. Additionally, the company developed an ink rework program.
"This allows customers to turn leftover press ink or old ink inventory into reusable ink. We reduce waste and increase profitability," he says.
The company also has initiated a sustainable education program to help customers achieve "green" certification.
For suppliers not yet on the bandwagon, or seeking ways to help fellow converters, look no further than the AICC Sustainable Business Committee, which recently presented methods for converters to see whether sustainability goals measure up. The committee, according to member Ted Hartka, devised a checklist for converters especially to conduct audits. Some categories are:
- 1. Raw materials: Evaluate your linerboard and sheet content. Where are you with regard to energy efficiency? Alternative fuels?
- 2. Equipment and machinery: Talk to machinery suppliers and find out energy consumption ratings on specific parts.
- 3. Plant and maintenance: Think lean manufacturing.
- 4. Shipping and delivery: One option may include electric vehicles.
At Cascades Boxboard Group, which operates in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, sustainability initiatives span an array of categories. Here's a snapshot, according to Tony Corsillo, director of sales and packaging system solutions, of categories where sustainability has impacted the company: graphics and packaging style; board selection process; manufacturing and energy/waste reductions, and packaging innovations.
Norwalk, Conn.-based M-real USA Corp., too, has split its approach to sustainability into segments, such as certifications, emissions, product safety, availability of environmental information, and sustainable paperboard packaging products.
Karen Jaramillo, M-real marketing/public relations specialist, highlights sustainable packaging efforts. "Some of our products have an improvement in consistency, which provides less waste in the converting and packaging processes," she says. "Some have a high yield advantage, reducing the packaging material for goods produced. And some have a lightweighting characteristic, which reduces the total weight throughout the supply chain and lessens the amount of transport material."
Basing its strategy on the definition of sustainability from the SPC (www.sustainablepackaging.org/pdf/definition%20First%20Page.pdf), Sun Chemical, Parsippany, N.J., offers ink products that help minimize VOC emissions, reduce reliance on petroleum-based raw materials, and increase the use of natural or bio-based ink components, reports Martin Spatz, marketing manager, Sun Chemical North American Packaging. Environmental stewardship, which in part defines Sun Chemical's sustainability solutions, is at the "heart of Sun Chemical's daily work and strategic direction."
"Sun Chemical continues to investigate and develop new ink systems that use a greater level of materials that are based on renewable resources, reduce emissions and conserve energy," Spatz adds.
So if Wal-Mart's packaging scorecard were passed out to these suppliers, it appears all would make a passing grade.
