Sustainability: a key issue for businesses
Sustainability, once considered a mere option or added value, has become a key element in all sectors, especially in the packaging industry. This evolution is mainly due to the urgent need to address the growing environmental issues that characterize our era. Packaging is often at the heart of the debate due to the widespread use of non-biodegradable materials such as plastic, which end up as waste. Faced with this situation, both industry and consumers are actively seeking more environmentally sustainable solutions. These include recycling, reducing the use of plastics, using alternative materials, adopting more environmentally sustainable practices, and improving the energy efficiency of packaging machinery.
The importance of sustainable packaging for the environment and for business
Sustainable packaging is packaging that is designed to minimize its environmental impact while maintaining its essential functions of protecting and informing the product. This is achieved through targeted strategies such as:
- Reducing waste: using recyclable and reusable materials such as paper, glass and aluminum, or biodegradable materials such as biodegradable plastics, reduces the amount of waste going to landfills and promotes the adoption of a circular economy model.
- Conservation of raw materials: simplifying packaging and reducing the amount of packaging material consumes fewer raw materials. For example, the use of wrap-around case packers allows the creation of customized secondary packaging that adapts to the product and reduces the amount of material used.
- Energy efficiency: Attention to sustainability should extend to the entire life cycle of packaging, including the production phase. It is important to favor processes and machines that consume less energy and limit CO2 emissions, aiming for an overall more sustainable approach.
These practices make sustainable packaging not only an environmentally responsible choice, but also an important step in reducing the overall environmental impact of products and companies.
Adopting sustainable packaging solutions is not only an ethical choice, but also
in an increasingly sustainability-oriented marketplace, it becomes a differentiator that enhances a company's reputation and image. This practice not only demonstrates a company's commitment to the environment, but also meets the expectations of consumers, who are increasingly inclined to support and prefer brands that demonstrate environmental responsibility.
Cartoners and sustainability: can they meet?
Cartoning machines can make a significant contribution to sustainable packaging in several ways:
- Material efficiency: these machines are designed to use packaging material more efficiently, reducing waste.
- Customization: the design of adaptive packaging machines allows the size and shape of the package to be tailored to the unique characteristics of the product being packaged and the target industry, while optimizing material use and reducing waste.
- Reduced carbon footprint: The efficiency of packaging machines in handling materials can contribute to lower CO2 emissions during the production process.
Sustainability in the production process: technological improvements in case packers can lead to lower energy consumption and greater energy efficiency.
Towards sustainability: Zambelli's commitment
The journey towards sustainability involves everyone: from the responsible choice of packaging materials to the proper disposal and recycling of end-of-life packaging by consumers. In this context, we at Zambelli strive to continuously improve our secondary packaging machines. Efforts to date have focused on reducing energy consumption and increasing the thermal efficiency of the machines. An example of this is the implementation of targeted innovations in our film shrink wrappers that have reduced heat loss and increased energy efficiency. In addition to these innovations, the durability of our machines has always been a priority: our machines are designed to last more than twenty years, allowing customers to maximize their long-term investment and counteracting planned machine obsolescence, which is our commitment to both customers and the environment.
We are aware that there are still many improvements and innovations to be implemented. We invite our customers and partners to join us on this sustainability journey. Contact us to find out how our secondary packaging solutions can support your sustainability goals and contribute to a greener future!