Colpac is a SME specialising in the design and manufacturing/production of paperboard foodservice disposables, and the distribution of specialised, complementary sealing and forming machinery, exporting to some 40 countries world-wide. We spoke with Neil Goldman, Managing Director/CEO, about how his company is making packaging a sustainable business.
Q: How has Colpac been building a sustainable business, particularly in relation to CSR guidelines but other ways?
A: The company has targeted its growth and CSR goals towards two markets: a) foodservice distribution of disposable packaging and b) the food production supply chain into supermarkets. The company itself is part of the paperboard industry supply chain which of itself is inherently self-sustaining. Trees are harvested and replenished in much the same way as crops are. Self-interest dictates that the supply chain is in healthy order and sustainable.
Q: Can you tell us a bit more about how you target specifically the green/CSR side?
A: Our products have always been at the higher end of the price range with regard to other food service packaging and disposables materials, such as plastics or foil. In the past, such a price factor meant that the cheaper, less environmentally friendly products dominated most of the global foodservice markets. Around the year 2000, there was a remarkable sea-change , brought about predominantly by British supermarkets and food retailers, such as Marks and Spencer, who announced their own CSR strategies and their intention to rid themselves, as far as possible, of environmentally unfriendly products, plastics in particular, in favour of biodegradable packaging options, ideally with a lower carbon footprint (not necessarily the same thing!)
The standards sets by the British supermarkets have gradually cascaded down not only to their own smaller competitors and suppliers in the UK market, but have also set bench marks in other major global markets, such as France, USA, Canada, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Germany, where the UK’s best practices and innovation have been noted and replicated.
Colpac has taken up the challenge with gusto. We have been working with our raw material suppliers, the paper and board mills, as well as polymer and film producers, inks and glues suppliers, to develop ever more sophisticated materials to conserve and preserve food contents within packaging, whilst maintaining biodegradability and eco- credentials. Although we have not yet won award for CSR issues/sustainability, we have won awards for product innovation.
In terms of the product itself, we have concentrated on providing a product range in its own right, ie. food containers, rather than secondary packaging, the need for which is often questioned. We try to build novelty and innovation into the design and construction of our product range.
We complement our product development strategy with a philosophy which is geared towards ensuring that our employees understand the bigger corporate and environmental issues, through regular in-house briefings and presentations. We also support a local woodlands charity and a school –building project in Nepal which hopefully underlines our belief in education leading to self-help for all.
We are in a fortunate position. Unlike large multinationals like BP or MacDonalds who perhaps have to work hard at their social responsibility and green credentials, (in order, cynics might say, to divert attention away from their core activities), we at Colpac are in a naturally ‘green’ business environment, well- supported by our major customers, with a product range that is both necessary and demanded on a world-wide basis.
Q: What are the main challenges you see in the next 5-10 years in terms of ethical, social, and especially ecological aspects of sustainability?
A: The challenge for the next 5-10 years will be the supply of raw materials to cater for an increasing global population. Socially, will people continue to buy into such a green philosophy if times are hard? If food prices continue to rise, downward pressure on packaging prices will put huge pressure on green products ability to compete profitably. Ethically, and ecologically, will people still want packaging that puts such demand on renewable resources? The answer will depend on how the supply chain reacts, and what resources individual countries put towards such targets, perhaps in conflict with other demands for land to grow food, for example.
Q: What is the opportunity you see for companies like yours to go beyond CSR to become an "no footprint" ecologically minded business? What kind of actions would you recommend following?
A: To go beyond CSR to a ‘no footprint’ status is going to be extremely hard. The paperboard industry, whilst sustainable, self-sustaining and green, is a big user of energy. Producer/converters like Colpac would have to be re-sited next to the forests ( impractical, politically doubtful) in order to try to reduce carbon footprint, but then, extra energy would be consumed in getting the products to market. The products themselves are recyclable as well as biodegradable, so there is some wastage in new production that can be cut out. I doubt however that the industry can ever be carbon neutral. This is an extremely specialised area in which I cannot claim expert knowledge.
Q: Which company (international or UK) is your 'role model' in terms of doing greener business?
A: Given my previous comments, it is not easy to answer this question. I don’t think there is a ‘green’ idol! We just continue to improve our methods and products and processes, and see how far we can go!
Q: If you could say one inspiring thing to the world (clients, manufacturers, suppliers, innovators) about your vision of the future of packaging, what would you say?
A: ‘The medium is the message. So don’t shoot the messenger!’ The industry knows what has to be done. The key for a successful future in packaging is to be able to do the most with the least’.
-maximise product features and benefits
-maximise product efficiency
-maximise material utilisation
-maximise waste utilisation
-maximise personnel creative and technical expertise via training
-maximise personnel awareness of global issues such as the environment, and raw materials scarcity, as well as application, and how they affect long term sustainability.
-maximise appreciation of such issues in schools.
For more inspiration we recommend the book Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage by Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston (2009).
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