As a packaging company, we recognize our responsibility to work toward sustainable solutions. We even have our own sustainability process. What makes it so special? We don’t work from A to Z, but from Z to A.
In developing environmentally friendly solutions, we rely on the Five perspectives on sustainable packaging of the Knowledge Institute for Sustainable Packaging (KIDV). By doing so, we make sure that we address the key considerations in every development project:
- The packaging and the product
- Policy and strategy
- Consumer behaviour
- Packaging in the circular economy
- Material selection and packaging process
Our four dimensions
KIDV’s five perspectives are constantly on our minds. Add to that our early involvement and knowledge of sustainability and packaging technology, and we have everything we need to put together ‘green’ product packaging combinations. Especially because we also have our own four dimensions, too:
- Reverse engineering: common practice is to design the consumer unit first and the secondary and tertiary packaging after. We do it all in reverse to minimize waste.
- Material optimization: we research what a product really needs in terms of protection, food safety, shelf life and presentation.
- Color management: new technologies lets us achieve the same result with fewer basic colors.
- Supply optimization: we’re obsessed with pallet optimization. Twelve units in a pack may be standard, but perhaps ten or sixteen would be better.
Just the other way around…
It may feel counterintuitive, but we develop sustainable solutions by starting at the end of the process and work our way back to the start. In other words, we go from pallet, to box, to consumer unit. We’ve found that mapping out the entire chain helps us cut down waste in terms of materials, logistics and storage.
The sooner, the better
When it comes to sustainability, there’s no such thing as too early. By getting involved in the process early, we can achieve better results and a quicker time to market (or time to money).