Packaging and the

ENVIRONMENT...

1.6 million tonnes (77%) of all corrugated packaging is recycled.

New corrugated packaging contains 70% recycled paper.

Corrugated packaging allows significant source reduction by eliminating the need for secondary packaging.

Much of the virgin pulp used to make corrugated board comes from forests that have been certified as sustainable by the Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Forest Stewardship scheme.

Corrugated board can be engineered for increased strength using less raw materials; it is an area of continual research and a requirement of the EC directive for packaging waste.

Corrugated board is fully biodegradable and can even be composted as a mulch for your garden!

The commitment of Great Western Packaging to protect the environment is emphatic.  You could say that this commitment is easily achieved, our principle raw material being corrugated board.  However, individual accountability is of paramount importance to ensure a shared responsibility for the environment.  We offer total commitment to this obligation, proven not only by ISO14001 accreditation, but also through an award winning scheme for care of the environment.

In practical terms, we have installed automatic waste collection as part of the manufacturing process and actively encourage a waste-free process throughout the company.

Environmental awareness initiatives and environmentally friendly design has become an integral part of our services to customers.  Much our of sales drive is to offer environmental advantage and benefits to our customers, one prime example being Corri-spring, a fully recyclable alternative to foam cushion packaging.

ABOUT THE PACKAGING WASTE LEGISLATION

The principles underlying the essential requirements of new packaging waste legislation are that packaging weight and volume should be minimised to the amount needed for safety and for acceptance of the packed product.  Noxious and other hazardous constituents of packaging should have a minimum impact on the environment and packaging should be suitable for material recycling, energy recovery, composting or reuse.