SUSTAINABILITY
At Sabert, our commitment to the environment is a fundamental part of our business philosophy.
Our commitment to sustainability spans far beyond recyclable or compostable product lines. It impacts our entire business model, from new product development to ongoing modification and product improvements.
We pride ourselves on a deep rooted commitment to environmental values and responsibilities, which we bring to life each day through continued efforts to reduce our corporate environmental impact. From our facilities to our packaging – sustainability and quality are never compromised.
Not only do we want to make food look great, but we want to keep it safe and sustainable too.
We are continually looking for ways to deepen our sustainability efforts and partner with our customers to make a meaningful and lasting environmental impact. Details about our initiatives are outlined in our 2024 Sustainability Report.
Download Our 2024 Sustainability Report
View Our Interactive 2024 Sustainability Report
OUR SUSTAINABILITY PILLARS
IN 2024 SABERT:
93% of the waste generated at our manufacturing facilities was diverted from landfills.
+34,580 MT of PCR waste has been recycled at Nuvida since 2019.
Diverted 162 MT plastic bottle labels from landfills since commercializing Nuvida's Advantage 500 recycled label resin.
WASTE REDUCTION
Our commitment to minimize waste and end-use landfill impact throughout our operations.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
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Continued an employee-led waste reduction, reuse and recycling across facilities
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Continued our comprehensive program to further improve machine reliability aimed at reducing waste generation
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Continued to optimize operation conditions to reduce line scraps and employ best practices to ensure finished goods meet specifications
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Shredder grinders at all plastics facilities ensure all resin scrap is internally reused and extruded again
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Continued segregating waste at all plants to prevent contamination thereby improving reuse and recyclability of waste streams
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Expanded the common area and PPE recycling, conducted waste audits and implemented a stage-gate system
ENERGY CONSERVATION
We are committed to finding cleaner and more efficient ways to use energy, water and other precious resources across all of our operations.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
OPERATIONS HIGHLIGHTS
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Continued to build on programs to conserve energy, water and other natural resources, leading to a 7% decrease in energy intensity from the 2019 baseline and a 6% reduction in GHG emissions intensity compared to 2020.
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Weekly energy report-outs and proactive preventative maintenance (PM), ensuring equipment operates at peak efficiency while minimizing energy consumption.
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Modified HVAC systems to improve employee comfort and lower energy demands.
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS HIGHLIGHTS
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Our "Project Perfect Pallet" continued to optimize our product shipment at every stage, from transport to logistics. Since 2021, this effort has eliminated the use of over 28,000 wooden pallets and over 15 million square feet of cardboard boxes and reduced our transportation footprint by 11.6 million ton-miles
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Sabert is a US EPA SmartWay Transportation Partner. In the latest reporting year, 73% of ton-miles of freight shipped at Sabert North America were transported with SmartWay carriers.
EDUCATION & ADVOCACY
At Sabert, we believe that creating a sustainable food ecosystem requires collaboration and partnerships with our suppliers, customers, industry and communities. Working together, we can build a strong foundation for the systemic change required to achieve sustainability in the food industry and beyond.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
In 2024, we worked with customers/partners to:
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Package Food Responsibly: We advise customers on packaging sustainability attributes and lifecycle impacts to help them make environmentally conscious packaging decisions.
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Continuously Improve: We partner with customers to help them meet their sustainability goals for GHG emissions, optimizing package composition and more through an iterative process of customization and product innovation.
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Stay Ahead on Health, Safety and Legislation: Through our legislative tracking resources and individualized roll-out plans, we help our partners anticipate and plan for new regulations and policies to ensure they have safe and sustainable food packaging now and in the future. We are leading the conversation to help build science-based policies around waste, circularity and PFAs chemicals.
Industry Engagement and Thought Leadership in 2024:
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Sabert takes an active role in trade organizations and industry partnerships dedicated to creating the policies, infrastructure, innovations and logistics required to build sustainable food packaging solutions. Proud members of The Association of Plastics Recyclers, Sustainable Packaging Coalition, US Composting Council, Foodservice Packaging Institute, Ameripen and the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition.
SMART SOURCING
We are committed to ensuring every one of our valued partners, vendors, and suppliers follows sustainable practices to ensure that we source responsibly.
KEY INITIATIVES
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We source recycled inputs where possible. When we use virgin fiber, 45% of our inputs are certified through the Forestry Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification.
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In 2024, 13% of our resin raw materials were sourced from either post-consumer resin (PCR) or post-industrial regrind (PIR). Globally, 26% of our PET and 3% of our PP resins were sourced from recycled material.
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95% of the raw materials in the US were sourced domestically, 100% of the raw materials in Asia were sourced domestically, and 85% of raw materials in Belgium were sourced within 400 miles from our plant.
RESEARCH & REINVENTION
As the world continues to face difficult obstacles, we recognize the need for groundbreaking solutions. That’s why we are committed to maintaining a continuous pipeline of new ideas and technologies aimed at reducing climate impacts, increasing efficiencies and facilitating the transition towards a circular economy.
KEY INITIATIVES
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Sabert’s team of experts in material science, product design, engineering, and manufacturing collaborate and influence our delivery of new, sustainable, innovative solutions to the marketplace
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Globally, our teams launched 333 products, of which 76% are categorized as sustainable through recyclability, compostability, and the use of recycled or renewable content.
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With a long-term focus on material and process development, our Centers for Innovation are a critical link in our ability to pave a path to innovation in the products we bring to market while simultaneously moving the industry forward.
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Our New Product Development team works across all Sabert functions to realize manufacturing efficiencies and more sustainable solutions.
SABERT’S RECYCLING FACILITY: NUVIDA
Sabert has in-house recycling capabilities through our plant, Nuvida, one of the world's largest processors and suppliers of food-grade recycled plastic. Nuvida is integral in our waste reduction and smart sourcing pillars, helping us to incorporate recycled plastic otherwise destined for landfill into our product lines.
Find out more in the video below!
