This month's newsletter, you can find:

Eco Spotlight - Is sustainable packaging a smart financial choice for your business?
Packaging Heroes - Dr. Bronner’s: Be Soap-er clean with Green Packaging
Proud to be B - B Corp of the Month - Scooping Responsibly with Ben & Jerry's
Brighten Your Day - M&S leads the way to enhancing recycling processes in the UK
Join the Conversation - Explore the B Corp movement at The Foundry and gain industry insights at Environmental Packaging Live 2024.

Eco Spotlight

The buzz around sustainability is prompting individuals and businesses to reconsider their environmental impact, including their packaging choices. While there's a common misconception that sustainable packaging is more expensive, the reality is that it can be cost-effective.

Sustainable packaging often uses lighter materials, reducing transportation costs and encouraging efficient design to save money. For example, Ikea saved €1.2 million annually by optimising packaging dimensions. Additionally, lighter and more compact packaging can cut freight costs. Environmentally friendly materials may have hidden costs, such as plastic's significant environmental toll, which can lead to fines or lost customers as regulations tighten.

Sustainable packaging options like FSC-certified paper products, corrugated cardboard, gummed tape, and pulp products are not only eco-friendly but also cost-effective. These materials are recyclable and help reduce waste. The shift to sustainable packaging is beneficial long-term, despite the apparent lower cost of traditional materials like plastic, which has substantial environmental and societal costs.

Policies like the UK's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) shift waste management costs to producers, encouraging sustainable practices. Companies prioritising ESG principles can gain cost-saving benefits, improve efficiency, and enhance brand reputation. Bulk ordering and optimising packaging design can further reduce costs, making sustainable packaging a smart choice for businesses.

Packaging Heroes

Dr. Bronner’s has been committed to environmentally friendly practices for over a decade. Their innovative approach to packaging centres around 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) polyethylene (PET) plastic bottles for their liquid and pump soaps. This commitment extends beyond mere recycling; Dr. Bronner’s ensures that their used plastic bottles are transformed into new bottles, rather than ending up in landfills. By adopting this “bottle-to-bottle” recycling process, they conserve virgin resources, reduce landfill waste, and minimise greenhouse gas emissions.

CarbonLite, a resin made from plastic sourced from curbside pick-ups in California, constitutes approximately half of Dr. Bronner’s PCR PET bottles. Some of these bottles may even contain recycled plastic from old Dr. Bronner’s bottles, creating a circular economy. Additionally, the company keeps a close eye on bioplastics research, which uses renewable resources like plants and bacteria to create plastic. Although this technology is still in its early stages, it holds promise for a more sustainable future.

To further reduce plastic waste, the brand offers ultra-concentrated soap refills in cartons, using 82% less plastic than their PCR 32 oz bottles. Customers can refill their existing bottles, contributing to a more sustainable solution. Overall, Dr. Bronner’s exemplifies how a commitment to sustainable packaging can drive positive change in the personal care industry.

Proud to be B - B Corp of the Month

Ben & Jerry’s, the beloved ice cream company founded in 1978, is not just known for its delectable flavours but also for its unwavering commitment to social and environmental justice. As a certified B Corp, they incorporate sustainable practices and ethical standards into every aspect of its business. The company sources Fairtrade-certified ingredients, ensuring that farmers receive fair compensation while promoting environmentally friendly farming practices. Their commitment to reducing their footprint is evident in their efforts to use sustainable packaging and improve energy efficiency in their production facilities.

Beyond their environmental initiatives, Ben & Jerry’s actively engages in advocacy and activism on critical social issues. By leveraging their brand and platform, Ben & Jerry's educates and mobilises their customers, demonstrating that businesses can be a powerful force for good in society.

Brighten Your Day

Polytag has announced M&S as a founding member of its Polytag Ecotrace Programme, which aims to trace and recycle single-use plastic packaging using Invisible UV Tag detection. This initiative encourages other businesses to join and help meet the demand for recycled PET from FMCG brand owners.

Polytag’s technology involves applying Invisible UV Tags to packaging labels during production. These tags are detected by UV Tag Readers at recycling centres, ensuring accurate sorting and cleaner feedstock for recycled PET. The equipment will be installed in key recycling centres, providing granular data on over 50% of the UK’s household waste recycling stream.

M&S will gain real-time insights into the location, time, and amount of its plastic packaging collected and sorted at UK recycling centres. This detailed data serves as a benchmark for the retailer’s recycling rates. Polytag CEO Alice Rackley highlights the program’s role in enhancing transparency and accountability for FMCG brands under upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility Legislation.

Polytag invites other businesses to join the program, benefiting from a subscription to the Polytag dashboard, which offers live life cycle data on plastic packaging. The initiative follows successful trials with Aldi and collaborations with the DDRS Alliance to develop a Digital DRS system. Polytag’s recent Series A seed funding will support the broader deployment of its UV Tag readers across Europe.

Join the Conversation

B Curious at the Foundry

Join us at "B Curious at The Foundry" for an in-person event designed for certified B Corps™ and local businesses interested in learning about the B Corp movement.

Hosted at the Foundry Brewery and Distillery, the event includes a tour of the brewery, a panel discussion with current B Corps, and a fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded businesses.

Environmental Packaging Live 2024

Prepare to explore the innovations and market trends that will shape your business. The Environmental Packaging Summit brings together key industry influencers to debate and discuss the pressing issues, from packaging material choices to the latest legislation affecting your customers. Featuring speakers from across the entire packaging supply chain - brands, retailers, industry bodies, and government departments - the Summit provides you with the insights and tools needed to make informed decisions.