Esta conversión de los envases de plástico y cartón se tradujo en una reducción mínima del 75% del peso de los distintos tamaños de envases ofrecidos.
Cuando la instalación alcance su plena capacidad en julio, será la primera vez en siete años que el Reino Unido disponga de un lugar donde reciclar sus envases de cartón para bebidas. La nueva instalación puede reciclar 25.000 toneladas de envases de cartón, casi la mitad de las aproximadamente 60.000 toneladas de envases de papel que se utilizan cada año en el Reino Unido. Además del reciclado municipal, el aeropuerto de Heathrow, que genera alrededor de 110.000 toneladas de residuos al año, de los cuales el 2,5% son vasos de café, también tiene previsto reciclar en la planta de reciclado de bebidas.
Sonoco Alcore utilizará las capas de cartón de los envases reciclados para producir coreboard, utilizado para fabricar tubos y núcleos para aplicaciones industriales y de consumo, como film transparente, textiles y papel.
Le apasiona la "visión de conjunto" e implementa nuevos procesos y directrices en Sonoco que nos guiarán en nuestro viaje hacia la sostenibilidad. Nos sentamos con él para saber más sobre su trayectoria profesional, sus intereses y cómo la tendencia de la sostenibilidad está cambiando el mercado.
¿Cuáles son sus funciones como responsable de sostenibilidad?
La idea de sostenibilidad se centra en los aspectos ecológicos, sociales y económicos de cualquier cuestión y trata de encontrar un equilibrio entre estas tres perspectivas. Como gestor de sostenibilidad, es mi responsabilidad asesorar a la empresa en varios ámbitos y de acuerdo con estos principios. Junto con mis colegas, decido las medidas adecuadas y trabajo para encontrar soluciones sostenibles a largo plazo.
Mi objetivo es compartir mis conocimientos sobre sostenibilidad para que, idealmente, todos los empleados de Sonoco tengan un entendimiento común sobre este tema. Mi función es ofrecer a la empresa un asesoramiento sólido sobre la dirección que debe tomar su camino hacia la sostenibilidad, para que todos los empleados sepan qué pasos dar a continuación. También actúo como interfaz para los clientes y otras partes interesadas que están igualmente preocupadas por la sostenibilidad y quieren alinear sus ideas con las nuestras.
¿Cuál es su formación académica/profesional y cómo llegó a ser responsable de sostenibilidad?
Hay muchas formas de entrar en el campo de la sostenibilidad. Yo mismo tengo formación en ciencias naturales, ya que estudié Geoecología y Gestión Internacional de Recursos y Medio Ambiente. Esta formación me permite evaluar muy bien los aspectos de sostenibilidad de distintas cuestiones. Por un lado, puedo evaluar el impacto de un producto o medida en el medio ambiente tanto a corto como a largo plazo. Por otro, gracias a lo que aprendí en mis estudios de gestión, conozco a fondo los distintos procesos sociales y económicos de una gran organización como Sonoco. Mi primer trabajo en el campo de la sostenibilidad fue en la industria del automóvil. Allí me centré sobre todo en mejorar los procesos de desarrollo y producción. En Sonoco, me centro sobre todo en el producto en sí. Intento encontrar respuestas a preguntas como ¿Qué tenemos que hacer para ofrecer envases más sostenibles? ¿Y cuál es la definición de envase sostenible en primer lugar? Cualquiera que quiera participar en la gestión de la sostenibilidad debe tener curiosidad por el panorama general, por así decirlo. La sostenibilidad se basa en la idea de equilibrio y preservación, teniendo en cuenta aspectos medioambientales, sociales y económicos. Como gestor de sostenibilidad, me enfrento a diario a una serie de temas nuevos, por lo que tengo que familiarizarme con ellos rápidamente. También me gusta trabajar con la gente y, en las conversaciones, a menudo me encuentro en el papel de mediador.
¿Por qué decidió convertirse en gestor de sostenibilidad?
De niño, mi amor por la naturaleza y el mundo en general se despertó haciendo excursiones con regularidad. Es algo que he podido mantener de adulto, y ahora me gustaría poner mi granito de arena para que todos los niños y adultos puedan descubrir esa belleza por sí mismos. Me interesan los temas económicos y me gusta tratar con la gente. Trabajar como gestora de sostenibilidad implica todos esos intereses.
¿Qué es lo que más le gusta de su trabajo?
Cuando empiezo a trabajar en un tema nuevo, al principio no suelo saber cómo resolverlo. Sólo colaborando con mis colegas puedo ofrecer una solución adecuada que proporcione resultados sostenibles para la empresa y todos sus empleados. Todos los días aprendo algo nuevo de ellos, así que nunca me aburro.
¿En qué temas está trabajando actualmente?
En estos momentos se está produciendo un cambio de actitud en el mercado, y el tema de los envases reciclables es cada vez más importante. Muchas empresas están definiendo nuevas normas para sí mismas en respuesta a este cambio. En este contexto, mi trabajo consiste en revisar estas normas en estrecha colaboración con expertos y proporcionar directrices a mis colegas internos y externos. Mi área de interés es Europa. También estoy supervisando proyectos más pequeños y más grandes en los que estamos probando la reciclabilidad de nuestros productos en plantas de clasificación y reciclaje. Mi participación como representante de Sonoco en asociaciones de la industria del envasado y el reciclaje es también un punto importante de mi agenda. Definimos conjuntamente nuevas normas y directrices para el reciclaje con el fin de promover una economía circular y un uso más sostenible de los recursos.
Delivering superior taste and premium quality comes with the job description of any respectable chef, since their line of work demands precision, excellence and finesse. When preparing their culinary creations, they rely not only on their own mastery of the craft, but also on premium ingredients. This is where high-quality spices from Aromica Tradizio come in: the line of organic and sustainably sourced spices and spice blends meets the high standards of professional chefs and culinary enthusiasts alike, without neglecting environmental concerns.
For its eco-friendly packaging, the German manufacturer relies on rigid paper containers from Sonoco Europe. They feature a recyclable cardboard can and a biodegradable cork lid, offering optimal protection for the contents while simultaneously reflecting Aromica’s focus on sustainability.
Being a trained chef himself, Rudolf Rehrl, founder and CEO of Aromica, wanted to create a product that not only delivered premium quality in terms of taste, but also excelled in terms of eco-friendliness. He founded Aromica after noticing an increased demand for high-quality spices among chefs: “As a chef, you are constantly looking for new and surprising ways to impress your guests. Unusual and premium-quality ingredients are an excellent source of inspiration. With our Aromica Tradizio line, we can now also satisfy customers’ growing demands for sustainability – with the potential to also sell our products in selected grocery stores,” says Rehrl. Currently, the Aromica Tradizio line, which features exotic organic spices such as opal basil and mountain pine from the Alps, is available in Italy, Austria and, most recently, Germany.
Cardboard and cork for a perfect match
Sonoco’s eco-friendly packaging ensures that the spices stand out from the competition on store shelves, retain their premium taste and quality, and thus appeal to professional chefs and passionate home cooks alike. Rudolf Rehrl is convinced that the collaboration with Sonoco has been an important factor in his company’s success: “We constantly seek to supply our clients with new and exciting high-quality products, without having to compromise on our promise of sustainability. With Sonoco’s help, we can deliver just that.” The rigid paper containers for Aromica Tradizio are manufactured at the Sonoco plant in Montanay, France. With a diameter of 73 mm, the cans consist of a variety of sustainable materials: the body has a thin, aluminium-free inner lining, allowing it to be recycled via the paper wastestream, while the reclosable cork lid can simply be sorted with the organic waste. This fits perfectly with Aromica’s holistic approach to sustainability: “We source our ingredients from independent local farmers following the natural harvest cycle and package it responsibly at the end. To me, that is sustainability thought through at each stage of the process,” says Rehrl.
A reliable partner for sustainability
Sonoco produces packaging for both global players and regional companies alike, and provides customised packaging solutions on every level. Francesco Giannolo, Sales Director Sonoco Consumer Products Europe, is excited about working with the German spice manufacturer: “Our collaboration with Aromica is a good example of Sonoco’s ability to supply packaging that perfectly fits each brand’s profile. We create packaging that is functional, eye-catching and in line with our customer’s vision. Working closely with Aromica, Sonoco developed innovative features for this highly dynamic company, thus boosting their growth journey”.
About Sonoco Europe
At roughly 70 operations across Europe, Sonoco provides customers with a wide range of consumer and industrial packaging solutions. Consumer goods packaging solutions include cardboard cans, drums, and luxury tubes (also called rigid paper containers) with a variety of closures; plastic packaging; packaging services; and graphics management. Sonoco’s industrial division produces a portfolio of cores, tubes, and spools made from highly engineered paperboard or plastic for use with paper, textiles and specialty films. The Sonoco Thermosafe unit offers customers temperature assurance packaging solutions for the transport of temperature-sensitive products such as pharmaceuticals and other biologics. Utilizing a range of packaging materials, technical disciplines, material science and manufacturing capabilities, Sonoco takes a holistic approach to providing customized solutions that meet customers’ unique needs. To learn more, visit www.sonocoeurope.com.
About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Hartsville, South Carolina-based Sonoco is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of $4.8 billion, the Company has 20,000 employees working in more than 300 operations in 33 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. For more information on the Company, visit www.sonoco.com.
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Roger Schrum - Sonoco Consumer Products Europa
Hockenheim, 12.11.2018 – The sustainability and recyclability of their solutions is a key issue for the packaging experts at Sonoco Consumer Products Europe. Advanced In-Mould-Labelling (IML) technology and a focus on mono-material enable them to produce plastic packaging solutions that are almost completely recyclable. The cyclos-HTP institute for recycling and product responsibility recently tested Sonoco’s polypropylene (PP) packagings that are currently being used on the market by several clients. What it found: the Sonoco packaging solutions offer an extraordinarily high recyclability of close to 100 percent.
Cyclos-HTP, based in Aachen, was founded in 2014 with the self-proclaimed goal of classifying, surveying and testing the recycling capabilities of packaging and other goods. The institute analyses a given packaging’s materials and assesses how it is actually recycled in the industrial-scale recycling streams established in Germany and other European countries. To this end, cyclos-HTP runs the packaging solutions through real sorting systems, a testing concept that piqued Sonoco’s interest. “When we design new packaging solutions, we consider three main aspects: Does the new solution safely protect sensitive goods? Does it fit in with and simplify consumers’ everyday lives? But equally important: How can we make the packaging as sustainable as possible by using recyclable materials?” says Andreas Rothschink, Sales Director Sonoco Europe. “For our plastic packaging solutions, we rely on high-quality PP. By working with cyclos-HTP, we received solid proof that our packaging solutions have a recyclability of close to 100 percent and can actually be recycled just as we intended.”
The result: almost completely recyclable packaging solutions
cyclos-HTP tested a packaging that is similar to solutions used by a variety of brands. Its base is a Sonoco IML container, which is covered by a plastic lid and an aluminium membrane produced by other manufacturers. The final score after testing showed that Sonoco’s container has a recyclability level of up to 98 percent, with small deductions for printing colour and finish. Together with the aluminium membrane and the PET-plastic lid, the tested solution had an overall recyclability level of 88 percent. “The test result shows: if clients want to raise the recyclability of their packaging to more than 90 percent, mono-material is key,” says Andreas Rothschink. “We can provide both containers and lids made from PP. Customers can also use PP membranes for products that don’t require high barrier properties, such as chilled food or dairy products.”
Mono-material packaging for high recyclability
Sonoco’s IML containers are used for a wide variety of food – from snacks like precooked sausages to fresh dairy products such as yoghurt. In the dairy segment, the mono-material packaging outdoes other common solutions such as plastic containers wrapped in cardboard for a more naturalistic look. Made from two entirely different material groups, the cardboard wrap-around and the container need to be separated completely to be recycled. Many of these packagings, however, end up in the recycling systems unseparated, which is why they are attributed recycling rates of under 50 percent.
For Sonoco, one major takeaway from the cyclos-HTP analysis was the benefits of mono-material packaging. “The analysis confirms one principle behind our packaging development: given the current status of the German and other European recycling systems, the best way that we can ensure our packaging’s recyclability is to use as few different materials as possible,” says Andreas Rothschink. “To further increase the recyclability of its plastic packaging, Sonoco will continue to focus on mono-material solutions with a recyclability of close to 100 percent.”
About Sonoco Europe
At roughly 70 operations across Europe, Sonoco provides customers with a wide range of consumer and industrial packaging solutions. Consumer goods packaging solutions include rigid paper containers, drums, and luxury tubes (also called rigid paper containers) with a variety of closures; plastic packaging; packaging services; and graphics management. Sonoco’s industrial division produces a portfolio of cores, tubes, and spools made from highly engineered paperboard or plastic for use with paper, textiles and specialty films. The Sonoco Thermosafe unit offers customers temperature assurance packaging solutions for the transport of temperature-sensitive products such as pharmaceuticals and other biologics. Utilising a range of packaging materials, technical disciplines, material science and manufacturing capabilities, Sonoco takes a holistic approach to providing customized solutions that meet customers’ unique needs. To learn more, visit sonocoeurope.com or read more on Linkedin.
About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Hartsville, South Carolina-based Sonoco is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualised net sales of $4.8 billion, the Company has 20,000 employees working in more than 300 operations in 33 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. For more information on the Company, visit sonoco.com.