Choosing the right packaging is an opportunity for brands, manufacturers and retailers to decrease their environmental footprint. But vague sustainability claims can make that decision overwhelming. At PakTech, we understand that businesses want to make well-informed decisions. That is why we have put together the Pak-Check – a checklist to help you choose the right packaging for your organisation. Does the packaging provider you are considering tick the boxes or a hard pass?
Pak-Check 1: Responsible Manufacturing
To evaluate a packaging’s sustainability performance, the environmental impact of its manufacturing process must be examined. As manufacturing procedures are complex processes, evaluating their environmental impact may seem like a daunting exercise. However, a simplified criteria can guide you with where to look and enable you to ask the right questions. Make sure to address the following points to evaluate the environmental footprint of a packaging’s manufacturing process:
- Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
- Ozone depletion
- Water resource depletion
- Water contamination
- Energy source
- Energy consumption
Ask the packaging provider you are considering if they have the data related to the above aspects – it will show you how serious they are to their sustainability commitments while also allowing you to see how their solutions compare with alternatives available on the market.
Pak-Check 2: Alignment with the Circular Economy
Businesses looking to choose the most sustainable packaging solution must also consider how the packaging of their choice performs from a circular economy point of view. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the circular economy is a “systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution.” In a nutshell, designing packaging in a way consistent with the circular economy enables us to transition from a “use and waste” linear model to one where no material becomes waste by remaining in circulation while allowing nature to regenerate.
So, which questions should you be asking when gauging the level of circularity of the packaging in consideration?
- Does it use recycled content?
- Is it reusable to elongate its current useful life?
- Is it recyclable through household waste recycling?
- Is it infinitely recyclable to ensure a waste-free future?
You can be rest assured that the packaging solution shows high alignment with circular economy principles if it ticks all the above requirements.
Pak-Check 3: Designed for Sustainability
Perhaps you are browsing through packaging catalogues and before you start reaching out, you want to assess if the packaging in question meets your sustainability expectations at a glance. In such cases, assess whether the packaging under evaluation is designed for sustainability:
- Does it use lightweight material to minimise energy use, material production and improve transportation efficiency?
- Is the material durable to reduce waste generation during transportation and in storage?
- Is the design minimalist in format to minimise resource use and reduce volume for transportation efficiency?
- Is it designed to enable a circular economy?
If the packaging under consideration does not pass this initial test, you may want to consider an alternative solution.
Does PakTech Pass the Pak-Check?: A Resounding Yes!
Businesses and consumers both strive to make more environmentally responsible choices when it comes to packaging but the volume of sustainability claims made can be overwhelming and create confusion.
As the Pak-Check demonstrate, there are a myriad of dimensions that determine the sustainability of a packaging solution, making clear criteria important to make robust evaluations.
At PakTech, we are proud our holistic approach to the environment by embodying responsible manufacturing practices, principles of the circular economy and designing our products with sustainability on top of mind:
- By manufacturing with 100% recycled HDPE, PakTech generates 78% less greenhouse gases, uses 90% less energy and reduces demand for virgin petroleum.
- PakTech handles are 100% recycled, reusable and infinitely recyclable to be perfectly aligned with the circular economy.
- 80% of energy used at PakTech’s production facility in Eurgene comes from 80% carbon-free hydroelectric energy.
- Minimalist, lightweight, durable and circular, PakTech handles are designed to eliminate waste generation while maximising transportation, energy and resource efficiency.
We have also set ambitious sustainability objectives to continually evolve when it comes to our commitment to the environment.
With PakTech handles, you will be rest assured that your business is choosing the best in class when it comes to the most sustainable secondary packaging solutions.
Reach out to our sales team at handlesales@paktech-opi.com today.
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