Dramatically reducing the environmental impact of packaging

Learn how we helped a customer to dramatically cut their use of plastic right across their packaging processes, whilst also improving safety.

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The Problem

The customer was concerned about the negative customer feedback, and the PR risk, resulting from an excessive use of plastic in a number of their packing processes.
They were keen to find sustainable solutions to a number of challenges, including:

  • Old, inefficient pallet wrapping machines that were using excessive amounts of plastic film
  • Standard stretch wrap being used in applications where pallets needed to be wrapped by hand – not only consuming large quantities of film but causing a safety risk to operatives who had to bend over and walk backwards to apply the film
  • Over 1,035,000 meters of environmentally damaging plastic packing tape being used each year
  • Boxes of paper being wrapped in heat shrunk plastic
  • Extensive use of plastic bubble-lined envelopes and plastic documents wallets

Our Solutions

We installed 4 new high performance Atlanta pallet wrappers, reducing the weight of plastic used to wrap each pallet by 12.4% - whilst also improving load stability and safety

Introduced Extremus pre-stretched hand pallet wrap and dispenser, reducing the weight of plastic used to wrap each pallet by an average of 40% - whilst removing the need for operates to walk backwards

Installed 12 gummed paper tape machines and replaced plastic packaging tape with 100% recyclable and biodegradable gummed paper tape-which is also faster to apply, and delivers more consistent results

We eliminated plastic from the packing process for boxes of paper by introducing right-sized and recycled printed cardboard boxes, and printed gummed paper tape

We replaced plastic bubble-lined envelopes with our unique Surf all-paper mailing envelopes...

...and plastic document wallets with recycled, recyclable and fully biodegradable all-paper document versions

Project outcomes

  • A 12.4% plastic film reduction per machine-wrapped pallet, saving the customer 2000kg to date
  • Improved pallet load stability
  • A 30% plastic film reduction per hand wrapped pallet, cutting annual hand film use by 2490kg
  • Improved health and safety for operatives wrapping pallets by hand

  • Eliminated the use of 1,035,000 metres (that’s 4726g!) of plastic tape each year
  • Replaced plastic shrink wrap with an all-paper solution, cutting plastic use by 10 tonnes each year
  • Removed the environmental impact of 120,000 plastic wallets and 36,000 bubble lined every year. That’s an annual plastic reduction of 2278 kg per year
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We only use 100% recyclable and biodegradable gummed paper tape. We have eliminated over 1 million metres of plastic.

Operations Director

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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Introducing sustainable alternatives that don’t break the bank.

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LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES

We use a global network of partners to bring you the latest packaging innovations.

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OUR TEAM

Our team of experts includes technical consultants, packaging technologists, project managers and procurement specialists. Many of them have been with Hazel 4D for over 20 years.

To see their smiling faces, visit our meet the team page or get in touch to arrange a site visit.

Meet the Team

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