[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/blog\/how-versa-pak-reduces-its-environmental-impact-through-innovation\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/blog\/how-versa-pak-reduces-its-environmental-impact-through-innovation\/","headline":"How Versa Pak Reduces its Environmental Impact through Innovation","name":"How Versa Pak Reduces its Environmental Impact through Innovation","description":"Share There are no easy solutions when it comes to reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing. At Versa Pak, our approach to sustainability is all about balance. We focus our energy where the biggest reductions in environmental impact are possible \u2013 from operations, new equipment technologies, and material innovations \u2013 while producing film products that... Read more »<\/a>","datePublished":"2024-11-19","dateModified":"2024-12-03","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/blog\/author\/versapak\/#Person","name":"Versa Pak","url":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/blog\/author\/versapak\/","identifier":2,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fdd4a894c6e32399c7117d9744d4cd7aec00e2f50376f90705cba1976bd21030?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fdd4a894c6e32399c7117d9744d4cd7aec00e2f50376f90705cba1976bd21030?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Versa Pak","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/versapak_logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/versapak_logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/blog-environmental-impact.webp","url":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/blog-environmental-impact.webp","height":300,"width":525},"url":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/blog\/how-versa-pak-reduces-its-environmental-impact-through-innovation\/","about":["Distributor News"],"wordCount":588,"articleBody":"ShareThere are no easy solutions when it comes to reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing. At Versa Pak, our approach to sustainability is all about balance. We focus our energy where the biggest reductions in environmental impact are possible \u2013 from operations, new equipment technologies, and material innovations \u2013 while producing film products that offer exceptional performance for our customers.We recently spoke with Chief Growth Officer Eric Howard about our current efforts to minimize environmental impact through innovation.Safety and Circularity in OperationsOne of the biggest sources of pollution in the packaging industry is on the rails where incoming resin pellets are spilled. The Safe Quality Food (SQF) certification is one measure that not only ensures quality and safety throughout the food supply chain, but also reduces potential ground and water contamination, Howard shared. This external, independently verified certification means a manufacturer complies with aggressive cleanliness and environmental standards.Versa Pak has been SQF certified since 2016. This means:We implement safety practices that minimize resin spill throughout the manufacturing processWe produce packaging that is safe for food productsWe comply with all government and industry regulationsWe comply with applicable legislationFor our customers, SQF certification makes it easy to determine if we\u2019re a facility you trust to manufacture polyethylene \u2013 all we have to do is send you our latest audit.At Versa Pak, we also send every pound of industrial scrap we produce out for reprocessing. As our business grows, we\u2019re sending more scrap for reprocessing than we\u2019re able to reuse alone, so we sell the excess to other companies. Regardless of where our reprocessed scrap ends up, 100% of this material re-enters the plastic manufacturing stream.Materials InnovationFor decades, the trend in the packaging industry has been to reduce, reuse, and recycle \u2013 a movement largely driven by end users. To reduce material usage, Howard said, the packaging industry responded by developing better resins that can result in a thinner gauge of polyethylene.Material innovations have come a long way in the last few years. Versa Pak has exclusivity agreements with multiple bio resin producers, including post-consumer recycled and post-industrial recycled materials.But there\u2019s still a major caveat. \u201cThinner is better for the environment,\u201d Howard said. \u201cIt\u2019s not better for making cereal bags.\u201dOne technology Versa Pak is currently exploring is micro-voiding. This process reduces the weight of the polymers themselves, which means we could produce a thicker material that can stand up to the functional demands of food packaging without the excess weight.New Equipment TechnologiesMaterials innovation is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to reducing the environmental impact of our manufacturing processes.\u201cWhat we\u2019ve discovered is that we\u2019ve taken the viability of raw material \u2013 the recycled material \u2013 about as far as it can go,\u201d Howard said. \u201cNow we\u2019re seeking out manufacturing technologies to help push it even further.\u201dVersa Pak works closely with equipment manufacturers to develop new technologies for the packaging industry that can expand the limits of what\u2019s possible. We\u2019re currently testing several equipment technologies that allow us to produce or use higher quantities of post-consumer recycled material. This is something Versa Pak can proactively take to customers, Howard said, rather than waiting for them to demand change.The Forefront of Polyethylene InnovationAt Versa Pak, innovation throughout the entire poly packaging manufacturing process and reducing our environmental impact go hand-in-hand. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about packaging industry innovations like these."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Versa Pak Reduces its Environmental Impact through Innovation","item":"https:\/\/www.versa-pak.com\/blog\/how-versa-pak-reduces-its-environmental-impact-through-innovation\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]