Month: May 2024

Originally published in the SEE Impact Report 2022

SEE Automated Tire Wrap Solution

Reducing plastic waste while improving labor efficiency and product velocity

To meet the growing challenge of manual sortation processes and plastic waste in tire packaging operations, SEE created the world’s first automated tire wrapping solution designed to eliminate special handling fees for their customers and prevent rolling of tires to ensure safety and equipment integrity during the sorting and delivery process. Custom engineered using SteathWrap™ shrink wrapping technology, the application combines PE recyclable film with a corrugate tray and ultrasonic welded bond. The finished pack reduces plastic material weight by 65% compared to the PVC nonrecyclable film solution, easily conveys through UPS sortation facilities with no additional handling required, and eliminates safety concerns from rolling tires. This solution reduces labor requirements by 60%, saves warehouse space, and can increase fulfillment velocity up to 7X.

BUBBLE WRAP® Brand High-Recycled Content Cushioning With Circular Resin

Partnering to deliver scalable circular solutions across the retail value chain

SEE is partnering with a national retail customer and large recycler to create the first BUBBLE WRAP® brand high-recycled content cushioning with circular resins. The cushioning has a minimum of 60% post-industrial recycled content and 30% circular post-consumer recycled material—adding up to 90% recycled content.

This collaboration transforms plastic waste into highperforming, cost-effective, sustainable packaging. It diverts the customer’s distribution waste, including BUBBLE WRAP® brand cushioning and other polyethylene films, and then recycles and reuses it in the packaging SEE supplies to them.

Incorporating circular resin into BUBBLE WRAP® brand cushioning helps this customer meet its sustainability goals and increases its brand reputation without sacrificing product protection and performance. This partnership increases the use of recycled content and reduces the virgin material needed in shipping materials. It also validates the viability of a circular system based on mechanical recycling and mass balance attribution.

Our circular business model creates costefficiencies and new sources of recycled content, as well as boosts the marketable value of plastic packaging. By closing the loop, we create benefits for partners across the value chain.

Fortem® Biopharmaceutical Film

Scalable solutions for biopharmaceuticals

Developed specifically for bioprocessing applications and exclusively licensed to Cytiva, a technology and services provider for biotherapeutics, Fortem® biopharmaceutical film is engineered and patented by SEE as an inert film platform suitable for upstream bioprocessing. The 10-layer architecture provides structural integrity for control of extractables and leachables. The film was developed to maintain critical performance attributes, such as container integrity and gas barrier properties, under forces associated with rocking bioreactors and liquid transport. It’s produced in SEE’s ISO 7 cleanroom and maintained to class 100 particulate levels.

CRYOVAC® Brand Darfresh® Mono-PET Rollstock

Reducing waste across the supply chain and extending product shelf life

Developed for JBS Foods Australia to keep its Swift brand lamb cutlets secure for optimum presentation and protection, CRYOVAC® brand Darfresh® mono-PET rollstock leverages specially formulated high-barrier top and bottom webs to create a vacuum skin that fits around the product, leading to less waste across the supply chain. By reducing the thickness of the tray, 5,000 kilograms (kg) of plastic is eliminated each year.

The tamper-evident clear pack, which allows consumers to see both sides of the product, is designed to prevent physical and microbial spoilage and deliver an extended fresh-chilled shelf life of 18 days. Collectively, the program has enabled the recovery of more than 60,000kg of packaging through council curbside collection programs. The solution earned gold in the food packaging category and silver in the sustainable packaging category at the 2023 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards.

Read the full SEE Impact Report 2022

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About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€47.9 billion in sales in 2023 
160,000 employees, locations in 76 countries 
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050

In today’s world, the intersection of global commerce and pressing environmental challenges demands that companies and the broader logistics industry escalate their sustainability efforts, writes Morten Johansen, COO of DP World Americas, in a recent article for Forbes.

“The importance of environmental sustainability within supply chains is no longer just about compliance; it has become an important strategy for corporate responsibility and a way to distinguish competitive edges in a crowded marketplace,” Johansen states in A Roadmap to Sustainability: Integrating Practices into Global Supply Chains.

On March 6, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission introduced climate disclosure rules, requiring publicly listed companies to disclose their Scope 1 and 2 emissions, covering emissions from their operations and energy use. “Notably absent, however, was the inclusion of Scope 3 emissions, which encompass the indirect emissions from a company’s supply chain and product use,” Johansen states.

For many companies, these Scope 3 emissions represent a significant portion of their carbon footprint. This regulatory gap underscores the critical need for businesses to voluntarily address their complete environmental impact. Despite the absence of Scope 3 reporting requirements, forward-looking companies must recognize the importance of a unified approach to managing supply chains. The article lays out several strategies for sustainability:

Improve Carbon Accounting Practices: Companies must develop solid methodologies for measuring and reporting emissions to ensure these practices encompass all significant emission sources within the supply chain.Collect High-Quality Data: Obtaining accurate data can be challenging due to the complex nature of supply chains. Companies should define precise data requirements and engage with suppliers to ensure consistent and accurate data collection and reporting.Enhance Supplier Engagement: Involving suppliers in sustainability goals cultivates deeper, collaborative relationships and leads to stable supply chains and mutual innovations. Encouraging suppliers to establish their own science-based targets promotes cooperation and shared investment in sustainable technologies.Elevate Sustainability in Procurement: Integrating sustainability into procurement influences the entire supply chain toward adopting sustainable practices. This approach encourages innovative thinking around sourcing and vendor selection, mitigating risks related to resource scarcity and environmental regulations.Find a Collaborative Path Forward: Achieving a sustainable supply chain requires cooperation across all levels. Industry-wide partnerships and initiatives promote transparency and collective responsibility, advancing the reduction of global emissions.

The journey toward sustainable supply chain management is a necessity and an opportunity for today’s businesses. By embedding sustainability deeply within their operations, companies can mitigate their environmental impact, enhance operational efficiency, foster innovation, and build trust with stakeholders. Read more in A Roadmap to Sustainability: Integrating Practices into Global Supply Chains on Forbes.