8/10 Planet
We are deeply committed to protecting the planet and actively combatting climate change through our business processes. Our unwavering respect for the environment drives us to minimise waste and safeguard natural resources. In each edition of Broadcast, we will share with you further details about our sustainability journey, progress, and efforts to make a positive impact in our own meaningful way.
We have become obsessed with packaging.
Every day, we dispatch a significant number of products to our customers, which means we require a large quantity of packaging materials such as boxes, bags, void-fill, tape, and more. While it's crucial to ensure that our products arrive safely to our customers, we must not overlook sustainability. Unfortunately, eco-friendly packaging comes with additional costs. It's important to note that we are willingly bear these costs as a conscious decision to fulfil our environmental sustainability responsibilities.
We're removing polybags from our packaging process.
There are multiple reasons why we have deemed it necessary to eliminate the use of polybags from our business. To address this issue, we have collaborated with one of our supply partners to implement an exceptional solution into our supply chain.
Here are some of the reasons behind our decision...
Non-biodegradable.
Polybags are made of polyethylene, a type of plastic that is not biodegradable. This means that they cannot be broken down by natural processes and can persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
Pollution.
When polybags are not disposed of properly, they can end up in water bodies such as rivers and oceans, where they can harm marine life. Marine animals can mistake polybags for food and ingest them, which can lead to suffocation, starvation, and other health issues.
Takes a long time to degrade.
Even if polybags are disposed of properly, they can take a long time to degrade. During this time, they can release harmful chemicals into the environment and contribute to pollution.
Overall, the widespread use and improper disposal of polybags have significant negative impacts on the environment and its inhabitants. It is important to reduce the use of polybags and opt for more environmentally friendly alternatives, such as reusable bags made of cloth or other materials.
We understand that some of our customers may have concerns regarding the new solution's bag design, which lacks transparency and makes it difficult to see what is inside. We acknowledge this feedback and kindly ask for our customers' collaboration as we strive to develop the next generation of packaging solutions. Despite the current limitations, we believe that the benefits of the new solution outweigh the drawbacks and we remain committed to further enhancing its capabilities.
Our envelopes labelled as "Documents Enclosed" have already undergone a similar initiative and are currently crafted from 100% recycled translucent paper. The production process is intricate and involves several steps to achieve both translucency and durability while allowing light to pass through. This feature enables customers to effortlessly view the enclosed documents through the envelope.
Moreover, this recycled translucent technology is suitable for this particular application as there is no requirement to accommodate heavy and robust components that tend to break free from the envelope.
We no longer use plastic solutions for any of void fill.
Void fill is an additional protective packaging added to boxes to prevent products from shifting and being damaged during transit. Instead, we exclusively use 100% recyclable paper as our void-fill material. The paper we use is not only environmentally friendly, but also biodegradable, compostable, made entirely from recycled paper, and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®). This product not only meets our sustainability targets but also offers superior protection to both small and large items compared to traditional void fill solutions.
We love our coffee.
Continuing our sustainability theme we have teamed up with Nespresso to be part of their recycling scheme and believe because of their dedication to creating exceptional coffee while prioritising environmental sustainability they are the perfect supplier for us. By examining the entire lifecycle of a single cup of coffee, Nespresso aim to make our cups of coffee fully Carbon Neutral and we are proud to be a part of this endeavour.
Nespresso coffee machines and Nespresso professional capsules are used by us to minimise our carbon footprint. Moreover, we take the recycling of our Nespresso coffee capsules very seriously, every capsule we use goes on its own recycling journey.
Here’s some fascinating statistics about a cup of coffee.
Source: Quantis 2020 Swiss B2B LCA
Cultivating and transporting green coffee accounts for 45% of each cup’s carbon footprint. That’s why using a precise amount of coffee in our capsules and promoting sustainable farming practices are key to improving our carbon footprint and helping us reach our goal of becoming carbon neutral.
37% of our coffee’s carbon footprint comes from how its prepared – from brewing to cup washing. The Nespresso Professional precision coffee machines we have use only what’s needed to prepare our cup of coffee – optimising coffee, energy, and water usage – making it a sustainable way to enjoy our coffee.
At 8%, packaging is only the fourth largest contributor to our coffee’s carbon footprint. Plus, when we recycle Nespresso Professional capsules, we further reduce the carbon footprint of our cup of coffee.
The Nespresso Professional Capsule.
Aluminium is used to protect the quality and freshness of their coffees from the adverse effects of light, air and moisture. It is also robust, yet lightweight and can be infinitely recycled. This means aluminium can be remelted and reused to make new products time after time.
Nespresso are committed to the responsible sourcing and production of aluminium and are one of the seven founders of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) established in 2009 with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The ASI has driven traceability in the aluminium supply chain and established the first standard covering critical issues for the entire aluminium value chain. This includes biodiversity management in mining and the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights, as well as specific criteria to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage water responsibly in production.
STEP 1 - Return our used coffee capsules
STEP 2 - Capsules are removed from recycling bags.
STEP 3 - Capsules are shredded to separate the coffee grounds from the aluminium capsule.
STEP 4 - Coffee grounds get a second life as fertiliser.
STEP 5 - Shredded aluminium is smelted then cooled to form ingots.
STEP 6 - Aluminium is reused for drinks cans, automotive components, bikes and, of course, new capsules.