Farnell Packaging is committed to helping our partners build sustainable packaging pathways for their own businesses and customers, but our environmental sustainability efforts don’t end there. As an organization, we believe that it’s our responsibility both to improve our own processes to make them more sustainable, and to help push sustainability goals in the packaging industry as a whole.
We take this responsibility very seriously. Making our own practices more sustainable doesn’t just help us, but also benefits the companies we supply packaging to — businesses that are working with a truly sustainable packaging supplier can demonstrate to their customers that they are taking sustainability seriously.
Listen below are a few of the commitments to sustainability we’re making.
Sustainable Packaging Materials
As a flexible packaging manufacturer, one of the biggest impacts we can have is through our choice of packaging materials. At Farnell Packaging, we have helped dozens of companies transition to recyclable packaging.
But did you know simply making your packaging recyclable isn’t the final word in sustainability? We offer a variety of sustainably sourced plastic films and other materials, such as bio-based and degradable films, that are a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic.
We understand that many of our customers have specific packaging requirements, and some materials are better suited to certain purposes than others. It’s important to us that we always have a more sustainable packaging option for any of our customers that are trying to reduce their environmental footprint.
How2Recycle®
One of the biggest issues facing the sustainable packaging industry is making sure that our recyclable materials actually end up being recycled. No matter how much effort we put into new materials, it won’t have an impact if the plastic packaging we produce ends up in a landfill or the ocean instead of being properly recycled.
Research has shown that consumer confusion about how to handle recyclable materials is one of the biggest obstacles to getting more consumer packaging into recycling centers, which is why Farnell Packaging participates in the How2Recycle program. How2Recycle is an improved standardized labeling system that more clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public.
The How2Recycle labeling includes the standard recycling logo we’re all familiar with, but also tells consumers what type of material the packaging is made of, whether the material is recyclable everywhere or if consumers should check their local regulations, and provides instructions about steps that may need to be taken before the product can be recycled.
Sustainable Green Printing Partnership
The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) is a community of printing and packaging manufacturers dedicated to promoting sustainability in our industry. SGP helps members operate more responsibly and efficiently, source sustainable materials, reduce waste, and create safer, healthier workplaces.
SGP focuses on improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, and general environmental compliance. But in addition to a certain baseline of sustainable practices, SGP sets a high bar for its members, encouraging us all to strive toward a more sustainable future by setting and obtaining continuous improvement goals.
As an SGP member, we are required to set new and improved sustainability goals every year to maintain our membership. Sustainability best practices from 20 years ago are not the same as today, and tomorrow we need to be doing even better. We’re proud of the goals we’ve set and achieved as part of our SGP membership, and we are excited about what the future holds.
Carbon Disclosure Project
Farnell Packaging is a member of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). CDP is a not-for-profit charity and runs a global disclosure system that allows companies like ours to measure (and most importantly, be accountable for) our environmental impacts.
Reporting our carbon impact to CDP gives us the opportunity to directly measure the impact we are having on the environment and helps us identify areas where we can still improve. Moreover, disclosure is the essential first step in driving environmental action, and we hope that our example encourages our peers in the packaging industry and members of our community to also take these necessary steps.
Sustainability aligns with Farnell Packaging’s commitment as a family-owned company to doing the right thing and working for the greater good. My grandparents set the standard when they created Farnell in their home and passed these values on to me when I worked summers as a young boy. For brands providing the essentials of life, we care deeply about matching you with the right packaging to get your products safely into the hands of your customers. Right now, 99% or more of what we make is fully recyclable, and we’re constantly developing new ways to support customers in making more sustainable packaging decisions.
Joel Rudolph
Chief Operating Officer at Farnell Packaging
