BillerudKorsnäs Says UN Sustainablity Goals Provide Opportunity
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According to a company statement fon Wednesday (July 6), increased environmental awareness will lead to completely new demands being placed on the packaging industry. BillerudKorsnäs (Solna, Sweden) reportedly sees this challenge as a business opportunity. When BillerudKorsnäs partner, the French research platform Tara Expeditions, recently made a stopover in Miami, Fla., USA, on the way to the Pacific Ocean on an 18-month expedition, BillerudKorsnäs invited stakeholders in its American market to discuss how the packaging industry can contribute in this regard.
Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN, was one of the speakers at the conference and he challenged the audience, which included representatives from global brands and the packaging industry, to become advocates for a sustainable future.
"Everyone must contribute and take the courageous decisions necessary for the future: politicians, environmental organizations, government agencies and, not least, CEOs. I’m looking at you guys to be the champions, you are the interface to the consumers; the messages you send to the value chain are very important. Start by looking at the risks and opportunities relating to the sustainable development goals and define specific goals in your company’s area of business, get your board of directors, shareholders, and employees involved too. Show your commitment publicly.
BillerudKorsnäs, a provider of packaging materials and solutions, is committed to not only minimizing its own environmental impact, but also strives to make a positive contribution to a sustainable future. The company is challenging conventional packaging solutions, which are mostly made of plastic, with its new innovative packaging materials and solutions based on renewable Nordic paper fiber. The innovations include a cement sack that disappears and becomes one with the cement when mixed, FibreForm - a paper that can be pressed in a cold state into forms previously achieved with plastics, and a stand-up paper pouch for dry goods such as sugar, flour, and pasta - completely dust-free and with a new sealing method.
"Our guiding principle is that packaging must be sustainable throughout the value chain. By working together with our customers and tailoring resource-efficient and innovative solutions to meet the specific needs of their products and markets, we also take sustainability a step further. Increasing environmental awareness will revolutionize our industry and many other industries, and we want to be at the forefront of developments together with our customers," said Daniel Badman, director of Sustainability at BillerudKorsnäs.
The French marine research platform Tara Expeditions Foundation is supported by BillerudKorsnäs in a partnership that contributes to the obtaining of more knowledge about how plastic affects our seas. Plastic littering in the oceans is one of our greatest environmental problems and several million tons of plastic end up in the sea every year. After the stop in Miami from June 29 to July 5, Tara is continuing on its journey to the Pacific Ocean to study how coral reefs and marine biodiversity are affected by climate change.
