Hans Djurberg will be new Director General of FSC International

Amazon plans to eliminate plastic in its mailer bags as part of an effort to cut down on waste, decarbonize and improve overall sustainability, according to the company’s 2022 sustainability report released this week. It’s also boosting attention to packaging lightweighting and elimination. The company is “phasing out padded bags containing plastics in favor of recyclable alternatives,” the report says. Some of the bags are solely made of plastic while others are a blend of plastic and paper; the mixed materials can present recycling challenges. In the U.S. and Canada last year, the company replaced 99% of padded bags made from a mix of plastic and paper with paper-padded bags that the company says are recyclable. Upon announcing the production of its 1 billionth EarthKraft recyclable paper padded mailer last month, Georgia-Pacific noted that Amazon provided feedback in 2020 that consumers are demanding sustainable alternatives to plastic mailers. Walmart is also among the companies switching from plastic to paper mailers for e-commerce.

With ecommerce reaching its largest ever share of total retail sales in 2020 and continuing to grow, attention to the types of packaging used for product returns also is increasing as brands, retailers and others across the supply chain seek reverse logistics solutions that contribute to a more sustainable, circular economy. Regardless of whether businesses provide return packaging as a customer service, allow in-store or other local return options that enable bulk return shipping or encourage customers to repackage returns themselves, the sustainability of the packaging material itself comes down to three basic questions: What is it made of, how is it made and what happens to it once shipping is complete? When we rely on verifiable data rather than unsubstantiated claims to answer these questions, paper-based packaging made in North America stands out as a sound environmental choice. One of the most frequent unsupported claims about corrugated cardboard and other paper-based packaging is that its use causes deforestation and destroys forests, but the data tell a different story. Read more at: https://twosidesna.org/US/11284/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TSNA%20Paper-based%20Packaging%20A%20Natural%20Fit%20for%20a%20Circular%20Economy&utm_content=TSNA%20Paper-based%20Packaging%20A%20Natural%20Fit%20for%20a%20Circular%20Economy+CID_7b766573e907bbbd657c0a1a33192166&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=READ%20MORE

The report, written in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative, details advancements on a number of important fronts. They include: *Setting a time-bound, numerical target to double the volume of post-consumer recycled (PCR) polyethylene film recycled at its North Vernon, Ind., recycling facility by the end of 2024. *Reporting the company’s “waste footprint” for the first time. In 2022 Novolex implemented a waste-to-landfill measurement program to enable monitoring and reduction of various waste streams from operations. *Increasing the company’s use of Chain-of-Custody certified fiber. *Expanding the use of materials that reflect emerging technologies and customer needs. *Creating a DEI Council comprised of Novolex leaders who guide and support our DEI strategies and objectives.