Sustainable practices matter—especially when it comes to packaging. Working with paper is a huge responsibility when it comes to contributing to a greener future for our planet. Did you know paper is recycled more than any material in the US solid waste stream? We take reducing waste seriously and love to do our part for our environmentally-conscious customers and for our own sense of responsibility to the future.
Paper recycling has more of an impact than you likely imagine, according to the Recycled Paperboard Technical Association. When you consider recycling by volume, what we do every day has far-reaching consequences! By recycling paper and sourcing recycled paper, we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save landfill space, reduce energy and water consumption, and decrease the need for disposal which decreases CO2 produced by landfill or incineration.
Let’s visualize it. Every ton of paper recycled equals:
- Enough energy savings to power an average American home for 6 months
- 7000 gallons of water saved
- 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space saved
- Greenhouse gas emissions reduced by one metric ton of carbon equivalent
Now let’s take a look at how we do this in practice at VDC. A huge focus is on recycling, waste reduction, and reuse:
Paper recycling from start of finish. Recycling matters both in production and in sourcing. We do our part at VDC by:
- Scrap recycling. All of our scrap materials are recycled, and no scrap paper is thrown in the trash.
- Recycled material sourcing. We are proud to buy and use recycled paperboard, making an impact at all sides of the process.
Pallet reuse to reduce waste. Pallets can create a lot of waste! In an effort to reuse as much as possible, we put a pallet recycling program in place—we pick up empty pallets from our customers to put them to use again, keeping them in use and out of the landfill.
Sustainability programs for a powerful impact. We are also part of the CartonCraft family of companies, which has a heavy focus on sustainability. These programs keep us on track, and offer certifications to let the end user know that sustainability was prioritized throughout the packaging of the product. CartonCraft programs include:
Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. These programs promote sustainable practices throughout the industry, as they protect the forests by verifying and certifying that materials were sourced from responsibly managed forests.
Foodservice Packaging Institute. This program has a focus on environmental stewardship, with a commitment to reducing the impact of food packaging through the promotion of recycling, composting, and more.
We are happy to do what we can at VDC to improve sustainability and reduce waste!