Ensure the ethical production of your sustainable packaging by asking your suppliers these 4 important questions, enabling you to make informed choices that align with your values and contribute to a socially responsible supply chain.
Great products with sustainable packaging has been the goal for consumers and brands for several years now. Packaging makes up a significant part of the entire product’s environmental impact. It is one of the first things customers notice and a factor in their purchase decision. In part 1, we tackled the important questions you must ask your supplier about what goes into packaging your products.
Today, more and more customers are going beyond just what the packaging is made of. They are also concerned about how it is being made.
“Are factories being ethically responsible?”
“Are workers being paid fair wages?”
“Are the raw materials ethically sourced?”
It is important to know the ethical production process of your packaging supplier so that your company can be transparent about the product’s ecological impact and you can communicate the same to your customers. Besides this, there are many other advantages to ethical packaging.
We’ve compiled a list of questions you must ask your supplier when estimating if they are ethically responsible.
Companies that source their materials locally help support their communities with jobs, reduce the transportation of raw materials over long distances, and help save the environment.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification ensures suppliers and businesses are seeking, buying, and using materials that come from well-managed forests and recycled sources. Some of the world’s largest organisations are a part of the FSC network and it certainly raises the standards for any business. It also vastly reduces the risk of being confronted with illegal materials. Due to the Chain-of-Custody certification process, every business that wants to produce or outsource an FSC-certified product or package must also be FSC. Generally, the certification process is expensive. As an alternative, you can opt for material made of post-consumer content.
Similarly, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) ensures sustainable forest management and raw material production in the United States. It also has a chain of custody certification that tracks forest materials through the production process to the end product.
The European Union launched the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation to address the use of chemical substances and their impacts on human health and the environment. Suppliers are required to communicate the use of any such chemicals in the supply chain to the European Chemical Agency. Make sure you ask your European suppliers if any potentially harmful chemicals are going into the production process, whether these chemicals have been reported, and if their use is being monitored.
We mentioned in part 1 that inks require a minimum of 6% soy to qualify as soy-based. The SoySeal certification program by the American Soybean Association (ASA) allows any soy-based ink user to print the SoySeal trademark if they have complied with the necessary requirements.
Ethical working conditions include fair wages, appropriate working hours, and a safe working environment. The SA8000 standard by Social Accountability International is the leading certification that measures social performance in eight areas that are important to social accountability in workplaces. It supports national labor laws around the world, and also sets standards for remuneration management, child labour, discrimination, etc.
A fair wage is a living wage that is necessary and sufficient for workers to meet their basic needs. Fair wages are beneficial to society, the supplier, and the companies associated with the supplier, such as yours. 75% of businesses that pair fair wages have said that it has positively impacted the retention and motivation of employees. This is guaranteed to drive the supplier’s business and indirectly benefit yours.
The Living Wage Foundation in the United Kingdom recognizes and celebrates businesses that pay their employees fair wages. Similarly, many cities in the United States are also laying down living wage ordinances to support factory workers. Additionally, international agreements such as the American Declaration on Rights and Duties of Man and the UN Convention on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights also advocate fair wages.
Ensure you ask your packaging partner if they have taken a pledge to provide fair wages or if by any other means they are taking responsibility to remedy the problem of insufficient wages.
3. In what ways do they dispose of the waste they produce?
It’s not enough to ethically source raw materials but the waste produced in the process must be sustainably disposed of as well. Waste management systems require factories to segregate waste into plastic, paper, metals, organic, etc; efficiently collect the segregated waste and ensure effective disposal without landfilling or dumping the waste in the oceans. If there is a need for recycling, it must be done cost-effectively.
TRUE Zero Waste certification issued in the United States by the Green Business Certification Incorporated is designed to help companies reduce waste through the standards set as a part of the certification. TRUE certified spaces are environmentally responsible, more resource efficient, and help turn waste into savings and additional income streams.
For suppliers that provide compostable packaging in the United States, the general trend is that their materials comply with industrial composting conditions set by ASTM International. For example, ASTM D5975 standard tests the way for determining the stability of compost by measuring oxygen consumption.
Similarly, the ISO 14001 provides a structured approach to handling waste. The ISO 14001 certification maps out how the company can manage their environmental management system. These standards can be applied to any organization, around the world, regardless of size. The certification ensures companies comply with the legal requirements as well as their own standards for environmental management.
Research on the impact of ISO 14001 on the supply chain showed that it helped reduce waste, increase cost efficiency, facilitate better employee and worker health, and ultimately lead to a higher ROI. This not only benefits the supplier but also indirectly benefits your brand.
You also have a part to play in this process. One way to reduce waste is to use less material, size it appropriately, and minimize packaging weight. You can start by making the packaging design efficient and light-weight. For example, skip wooden or plastic pellets and excess packaging unless absolutely necessary. This allows for more boxes to be transported at once and helps reduce carbon emissions in transport.
Besides responsible packaging, ask your supplier if there are other ways the company is doing good. Some packaging firms frequently donate a part of their profits towards community improvement as a part of their corporate social responsibility. Others donate a quantity of money to charities for each product sold using their packaging. Many even focus on the people that are a part of the company and aim to provide more than just remuneration by giving them self-development opportunities and access to resources. PackMojo has partnered with EcoMatcher to plant 1 tree for every 200 boxes you order and gift the tree to you.
Sustainable packaging translates to both eco-friendly materials and ethical production. When packaging items, every effort must be made to ensure it is diminishing the negative impact on the environment. At the same time, the focus must also be on improving the quality of life for everyone from the communities supplying the raw, to the factory workers, and even your customers.
Learn more about our sustainability initiatives and get in touch to see how we can help you with your packaging today.
Whether you are a manufacturer of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, pet supplies, or some other form of packaged goods, you know full well how important high-quality packaging is for both providing your consumers with a superior product and marketing your products to a specific demographic.
The flexible packaging industry has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, as manufacturers have recognized the valuable benefits of flexible packaging, over more traditional packaging solutions like cardboard, metal, and glass.
If you have not already hopped on board the flexible packaging trend, then the time to do so is now!
However, before you make the decision to partner with a particular flexible packaging manufacturer, make sure to ask them these six important questions. Their answers to these questions will help you to determine if they are the right partner for your business.
Plus, since you are already here, we’ll just go ahead and answer these questions for you!
Flexible packaging has a wide selection of shapes; sizes and attribute features; flexible packaging is usually made with plastics, but other non-rigid materials like foil and paper can be used as well. The flexible packaging market has roots back to the 1950s and has seen significant growth in recent years, thanks to continued innovation efforts, efficiency, customizability, and sustainability focus.
Before you decide to partner with a flexible packaging manufacturer over a rigid packaging manufacturer, make sure you understand the opportunities that flexible packaging makes available to you. Below we have listed some of the reasons why flexible packaging provides value over rigid packaging.
Flexible packaging can not only be customized in its visual design but in its functionality as well. We offer services; such as PreMedia and a Packaging Engineer team to make sure the packaging is designed with the products endgame in mind. The Plastic Packaging Technologies’ Thrive line of sustainable packaging solutions can be leveraged to provide you an environmentally friendly packaging solution.
We have a toolbox of add-on features to apply to your packaging format to afford you complete control over consumer accessibility, functionality, and usability of your packages. The lightweight nature of flexible packaging reduces transportation costs and the likelihood of breakage to maximize consumer convenience. In addition, consumers appreciate the size of flexible packaging over rigid containers like glass jars.
Flexible packaging materials can also be used to extend the shelf life of your products. They protect products from moisture, UV rays, mold, dust, and other environmental contaminants that can harm your products.
Plastic Packaging Technologies has several different packaging solutions to offer you. If you don’t see what you are looking for, partner with our packaging engineer team to develop a solution.
Our stand-up pouches are one of our most popular packaging solutions. They offer a variety of display options to offer a flexible in-store presence, extend shelf life, and improve the consumer experience with convenient features such as handles, reclosable zippers and sliders, and pour spouts. They offer the best strength and performance.
From pet treats to snack food, high-quality rollstock is one of the most important elements to produce reliable flexible packaging. It enables increased production efficiency and reduces scrap and waste; add superior graphics and engineered specifications to meet your individual needs.
Flat-bottom box pouches are becoming an increasingly popular choice for packaging companies due to their versatility. Flat-bottom box pouches increase the number of facings on the retail shelf, allow for secure placement, and have an increased printing area for brand promotion.
Pinch-bottom box pouches are similar to their flat-bottom counterparts, but they can be produced in all shapes in sizes to increase the amount of volume they can hold. At Plastic Packaging Technologies, we also offer our pinch-bottom box pouches with ultrasonic sealing capabilities.
Single-web quad bags are the ideal choice for products that are typically sold in large quantities, including, but not limited to, pet food and industrial, lawn, and gardening products. They are engineered to deliver the best solution for your products and can accommodate the extra weight that these types of products can bring to the table.
These pouches are sealed on all three sides to increase product protection, and they deliver enhanced consumer convenience due to re-closable feature options. 3-side seal pouches also offer increased run-speeds with Form, Fill, and Seal machines.
A great flexible packaging company needs to be able to accommodate the specific needs and requirements of its partners and their products.
Is your product designed for kids and needs to be easy to access? Does it need to be resealed after the initial opening? Or is it a single serving with a tear opening? Solutions need to be designed to solve your packaging needs.
To this end, Plastic Packaging Technologies offers more than a dozen additional features to make your packaging more customizable and accessible.
These are just a handful of the additional features we have to offer. These add-on features help your products stand out from the rest, and consumers will appreciate the features that increase accessibility and usability.
If eco-friendliness and sustainable packaging are important to you, then this is a question you will definitely want to have an answer to before agreeing to partner with a flexible packaging manufacturer.
Our team here at Plastic Packaging Technologies prides itself on our sustainable packaging solutions, and we take the effects of waste very seriously.
We take pride in our extensive industry partnerships to stay informed and in front of the best sustainable alternatives and processes. We make an effort to capitalize on any opportunity we have to recycle, limit our energy consumption, or minimize waste inside our plants.
The ability to recycle packaging is something that many consumers are conscientious about, and it is often a contributing factor when they are making a final purchasing decision. Even if eco-friendliness isn’t your focus, it is likely very important to your consumer.!
Alas, what is probably the most important question of them all: why should you choose one flexible packaging manufacturer over the other?
While we cannot speak for other companies, Plastic Packaging Technologies is the best choice for your flexible plastic packaging needs. Not only do we offer state-of-the-art packaging solutions that are head and shoulders above the competition, but we also have a commitment to our craft that is unrivaled in the industry.
Our mission is to enrich people’s lives and the products they use through purposeful, powerful packaging, and we work to accomplish that mission each and every day. Plastic Packaging Technologies has a strong dedication to sustainability, offers innovative solutions, and delivers consistent and reliable product quality.
Our talented team not only offers fast, responsive service, but we are also experienced industry professionals that provide in-depth knowledge and expertise beyond just taking orders. We take pride in our high-level of unparalleled personal service and the partnerships it allows us to develop with our clients.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of transparent shampoo bottle factory, shampoo and conditioner bottles, custom mini shampoo bottles. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.