This is a guest article written by Colpac.
Joining FSC was central to our decision to embrace the opportunities that responsible sourcing and transparency would bring to our business. Our Party & Gift range was the first entire category to make the transformation; a decision embedded in a much wider, holistic sustainability strategy that aligns with our long history as a paperboard packaging company seeking to place eco-friendly solutions onto the marketplace. Starting with this range allowed us to fully understand how making the switch to FSC certified sustainable sources could, and would, ignite change throughout our operational and commercial practices, and how we could best manage this impact.
The potential for innovation was a key benefit of changing all products in the Party & Gift range to FSC, creating an opportunity to investigate what other sustainable choices could be made within this category. For example, we sell a range of toys and games as part of the Party & Gift range. For years, these products have been primarily plastic-based. Making the change to FSC became the lynchpin for reducing this plastic-dominated corner of our product line. With FSC certification at the heart of our design, we developed a new range of FSC certified games and toys, replacing items such as plastic pens and foam masks with pop-out, build your own animals, finger puppets, and paperboard masks. Not only are these now FSC sourced, recyclable and compostable, but we also achieved a higher level of interactivity and creativity with our offering.
The Party & Gift range changeover has become our FSC flagship as we continue to drive sustainable sourcing through the business. We are now increasing the number of FSC stock products and materials available for our customers. For example, when launching our Stagione range in 2020 we made sure it was FSC certified, differentiating it from other comparable products on the market.
For other businesses considering FSC certification, the decision is clear: joining FSC is a vital demonstration of an organisation’s commitment to sustainability. It has become a significant selling point for our business; a deliberate and positive choice. FSC can not only help you, as a business, to write an end-of-life story, but also to make sure that manufacturing can be a force for good from the very beginning to the end – and back round again. Whilst there is still a lot of work to be done throughout the industry as a whole, FSC is an essential piece of the puzzle, helping us to do our part in ensuring the protection, restoration and sustainable use of natural resources – now and always.
Discover more work by Colpac here.