Any business hoping to make itself truly sustainable needs to ensure the same is true of its supply chains. After all, this is what governs the first stage of a product’s life-cycle.
Businesses aiming for sustainability need to consider every stage in a product’s life cycle – from raw materials and manufacturing to distribution and the end-of-life stage – replacing fossil-fuel derived plastics (particularly single-use plastic) with renewable materials wherever possible. This is sometimes referred to as circular design.
The Sustainability Consortium, a global nonprofit organisation working to help the consumer goods industry deliver more sustainable products, recently highlighted the financial benefits of switching to more sustainable supply chains. “Improving sustainability can reduce production costs, lower unexpected costs by lowering supply chain risks, and increase revenue and growth by opening up new markets for greener, better, and more innovative products,” it states in its 2020 annual report.
One of the easiest things to change is the packaging – whether of the product itself or its component parts and raw materials. Although it may only account a small fraction of a product’s overall environmental impact, collectively packaging is a huge problem, accounting for 40% of the global demand for plastics, according to a report from the Center for International Environment Law.
Switching to packaging made from renewable materials can therefore have a big impact. While new materials are emerging all the time, the mass-market options available now include wood-based fibres suitable for a range of applications.
Whatever the goods being packaged, there’s often a paper or paperboard solution that will work. For instance, the EcoFishBox is a sustainable solution for fish packaging produced by Stora Enso, the renewable materials company. Made from coated corrugated board, rather than traditional polystyrene, it is still waterproof and leakproof.
One of the most obvious benefits of paper-based packaging is its recyclability, the infrastructure for which is already in place. In Europe, paper and cardboard packaging has the highest recycling rate at almost 85%, according to Eurostat. Plus, paper was reused and recycled on average 3.6 times in 2019. This compares with only once or twice for most types of plastic. Furthermore, at the end of its usable life, paper and other renewable materials will biodegrade – a cardboard box will decompose in as little as a few months.
Underlying all of these eco benefits is the inherently renewable nature of wood. Trees grow back, so when they are sourced from a sustainably-managed forest, the supply is replenished.
One way to ensure that wood-based products are from a sustainably managed site is to look for certifications that appear on packaging – for example, the PEFC or FSC logo. Awarded by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification and the Forest Stewardship Council respectively, these logos communicate that measures have been taken to preserve biodiversity.
All wood used by Stora Enso – whether certified or not – comes from sustainable sources and the company has third-party verified traceability systems in place covering 100% of its wood supply.
The FSC logo also highlights another consideration for businesses that are striving for more sustainable supply chains: the importance of communicating to consumers that you’ve chosen materials with environmental credentials. After all, a company’s choice of packaging sends a strong signal to consumers about its commitment to sustainability. According to research by Stora Enso, 89% of eco-conscious consumers say they consider packaging material when making a purchase decision.
In the absence of a universally-recognised system of sustainability symbols, however, this can be difficult to achieve.
“Credible sustainability evidence is based on latest standards, robust and transparent testing methods, life cycle assessments and certification where relevant,” explains Tiina Pursula, vice president for sustainability of packaging materials at Stora Enso.
Stora Enso, a member of the FSC, has a range of “eco icons” to communicate the benefits of renewable packaging. Each of its five symbols represents a different eco benefit: a renewable and bio-based icon, for example, shows that the materials are made from sustainable bio-based resources, while a plastic-free icon means no plastic parts, such as plastic coating on paperboard or windows on packaging.
The biodegradable or certified compostable icon demonstrates that packaging is suitable for composting at the end of its life, either in an industrial or domestic setting. The lower carbon footprint icon confirms that emissions are smaller than those of comparable products. Finally, the recyclable icon signals that Stora Enso has tested the product’s recyclability and the availability of the necessary recycling infrastructure.
As Pursula notes: “The combination of eco icons and underlying robust sustainability assessment allows us to communicate the benefits of replacing plastics with renewable packaging materials.”
Who to talk to?
Visit storaenso.com/who-to-talk-to to find out
