The plan involves the improved usage of natural resources by reducing consumption, improving recycling and enhancing waste disposal, while simultaneously reducing air and water emissions and controlling industrial hazards related to the company’s production process.
The company says that these targets form an integral part of the three principles that have helped shape the company.
Responsible industrial leadership
“We believe more than ever that responsible industrial leadership should generate economic growth in lasting harmony with the environment and in keeping with the notion of corporate citizenship,” said Bruno du Plessix, Sleever International marketing manager.
The issue of sustainability has become an integral part of the business strategies of key packaging players in the cosmetics industry, due to the fact that environmental concerns and pressure from consumers means that the manufacturing process now has to be much more accountable.
In line with this, the company says that the environmental impact of both its manufacturing process and the finished packaging means that sustainable development is now an objective for all its business operations.
This has led the company to encourage recyclability and biodegradability, resulting in the development of its Biosleeve solution, which is made from PLA, manufactured from raw plant materials. This material is also ISO 14855-2:2007 certified.
TPE-G, developed from low density materials
Likewise the recent launch of the TPE-G film has also revolutionised the recycling properties of PET bottles, the company claims, because the sleeves have been developed from low density materials, enabling the material to be recycled as food grade PET using a gravity separation technique.
The company has also developed new inks that are said to minimise the impact of printed packaging on the environment, while being specifically formulated for heat-shrink films with solvent-free printing technologies.
Finally the company has enhanced its supply chain by launching a programme to cut the volume of transported goods by reducing film thickness by 30 per cent – a measure that helps increase transportation efficiencies considerably.
Other supply chain efficiencies include deploying reusable packaging, cutting the volume of reusable and recyclable packaging, on top of further investments in new technologies that can help improve the manufacturing process and further reduce the carbon footprint.