Pregis publishes 2023 sustainability report

Chicago-based packaging manufacturer Pregis has published its 2023 sustainability report, which highlights its commitment to minimizing environmental impacts.

The report details actions and results achieved in 2023 that significantly advanced the company's progress toward its 2030 objectives.

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Highlights from the report include:

• achieving 51 percent of revenues from products that are paper-based, biobased or made from a minimum of 30 percent recycled content;
• achieving an 86 percent reduction in operational emissions intensity (Scopes 1 and 2), surpassing the 25 percent reduction goal seven years ahead of schedule;
• diverting 91 percent of its scrap from landfills and incineration;
• saving 748,806 trees from harvest through its Pregis EasyPack 100 percent-recycled paper portfolio;
• attaining International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) Plus certification for four facilities; and
• delivering more than 450 hours of sustainability training to employees and 560 hours to customers.

Pregis says it continues to invest in developing products that support a circular economy. For example, it launched an 80 percent postconsumer recycled content (PCR) high-pressure inflatable cushioning product and a polyethylene (PE) foam solution made with certified circular resins.

In support of its zero-waste goal across all operations, Pregis launched four zero-waste flagship facilities, investing in developing a blueprint for zero-waste manufacturing. The company received third-party verification on emissions reporting with limited assurance across all scopes, further enhancing the accuracy and credibility of its carbon footprint data and enabling a focused approach to decarbonization.

“At Pregis, our commitment to sustainability is driven by our dedicated people and a shared vision,” Pregis Chair and CEO Kevin Baudhuin says. “Every achievement begins with our team, who are redefining sustainable packaging design to tackle customer challenges and create value across the entire value chain.

“This past year, their passion and innovation have propelled us closer to our 2K30 goals while positively impacting our communities. We remain steadfast in our mission to protect, preserve and inspire, continuously pioneering sustainable solutions that benefit our planet and inspire change within our industry.”

Pregis says it created stakeholder value through new opportunity creation with customers by improving their sustainability results. Per the report, the Pregis IQ Innovation Headquarters, led by a team of engineers, conducted 271 customer projects focused on reducing damage, redesigning sustainable packaging and enhancing packing efficiency. Additionally, the company reports it has supported more than 50 customers in making data-driven decisions by providing custom lifecycle assessments (LCAs).

Pregis notes that through the donation of its Pregis Inspyre product sales, employee contributions and company matching, it surpassed $1 million in donations to philanthropic organizations, including the Uzima Clean Water Mission, which aims to make clean water affordable and attainable worldwide.

The full report can be found here.