Sustainability Program

CONSULTANT
SUPPLIER
MANUFACTURER

Supporting sustainability throughout the supply chain

Atlantic Packaging Sustainability Report

Our mission, current status, goals, and baseline measurements for improvements in sustainability.

Explore Our Approach to Sustainable Packaging

Sustainable Packaging Programs to Help You Get Started

PACKAGING SOLUTION CENTER

Testing to prevent product damage & minimize packaging for best performance without excess waste.

MUST METHOD

Our MUST Method brings scientic data and real-time monitoring to maintain optimal packaging standards.

FISHBONE CARRIERS

Renewable beverage carrier that eliminates plastic, uses minimal material, and brands your product.

RECYCLABLE MAILERS

Curbside-recyclable mailers deliver a positive customer experience and minimal environmental impact.

LAYERSHIELD SHEET PROGRAM

Sustainable, affordable paperboard sheeting program ideal for automated palletizing.

3 Key Factors to Sustainable Packaging
  • Your packaging has to work. Our experts will help you find the right packaging to protect your product.
  • Your packaging has to be optimized. We’ll test and verify to ensure you’re using the least amount of material necessary.
  • We’ll help evaluate and choose the most sustainable materials available that don’t sacrifice performance or optimization.
Certifications & Associations

CDP

Atlantic is committed to a sustainability and climate action program that includes disclosure, transparency, and a willingness to be evaluated from any interested party. In 2018, we first participated in the annual survey from the Carbon Disclosure Project, now CDP.

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE

Atlantic Packaging paper converting operations in Greensboro (Spring Garden), NC, Summerville, SC, Sturgis, MI, Tabor City, NC, and Benton Harbor, MI as well as the central office in Greensboro, NC are chain-of-custody certified through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI), a forest certification program based on principles that promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value.

A collaboration between the global surfing community and the industrial packaging supply chain to rid the oceans of plastic pollution.

Atlantic’s Sustainability Program


“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” ~ Robert Swan

Atlantic is a company dedicated to the success of our customers. We design, manufacture, and supply packaging with the goal of protecting your products and protecting your brand.

We recognize the vital role that packaging plays in quality control, in the safe transit of products from one facility to another, and in brand reputation both with end users and within the supply chain. We also recognize the importance of good packaging design to minimize materials used and to restrict the environmental impact of unnecessary waste.

Sustainable packaging starts with determining the right packaging that works.  The least sustainable (and most expensive) thing you can do is have failed packaging and damaged product.  Once you have packaging that works to protect your product, we then evaluate the entire package and unit load to right-size and use the least amount of material necessary.  At that point, we can help you choose the most sustainable packaging materials available that won’t sacrifice performance or optimization.

In the sections below, we detail our approach to sustainability and outline our plan for achieving sustainable packaging for both B2B and B2C customers.

PACKAGING THAT WORKS

Our top goal is to determine the right packaging that works for your application.

Packaging has to satisfy the basic functions needed to:

  • Protect your product,
  • Convey your intended message, and
  • Allow for efficiency in the manufacturing environment

The least sustainable (and most expensive) thing you can do is have failed packaging and damaged product.  This is whay we start here.  We want to make sure you have successful packaging and prevent product damage that would lead to excess waste.

We can then build from this step towards packaging efficiency, reduced packaging overall, and sustainable packaging materials where it makes sense.

OPTIMIZE & REDUCE

As our customers engage in their own sustainability programs and make changes to reduce primary and secondary packaging, we are actively working with them to ensure that their efforts are successful all the way through the supply chain.

At the Packaging Solution Center in Charlotte, our Atlantic team of engineers audit, test, optimize, and monitor customers’ end-of-line packaging, particularly their stretch wrapping operations. We use our Stretch Management System to verify that their products are effectively protected during transit, even with the changes and reductions they’ve made.

A recent GMA/FMI study tells us that damaged product from load failure costs $7.2 billion annually in the food & beverage and health & beauty industries alone. The cost to the environment is just as significant. Load failure causes excess waste in landfills and excess greenhouse gas emissions from loads being returned to the manufacturer due to damage. These environmental costs can be severely mitigated by eliminating load damage and failure.

CURRENT STATUS:

We use a four-step approach to stretch wrapping and end-of-line packaging. Our goals are to formulate a proven standard for optimal, minimal, successful packaging and then maintain that standard over the long term. We also offer training to educate our customers on the science of stretch wrapping.

Audit – We audit our customers’ stretch wrapping operations to get a baseline on film use, machine settings, and process efficiencies. We talk with operators and plant personnel to gather information and understand any chronic problems or tendencies specific to each wrapper.

Test – We use the TruMotion testing equipment and the Film Lab at the Packaging Solution Center to eliminate all unnecessary packaging and establish a proven standard for load containment.

Optimize – With the results from the audit and testing process, we replicate the proven standards inside the customers’ facilities. This involves adjustments to film and equipment as well as process improvements.

Monitor – MUST Monitoring is Atlantic’s patented hardware and software data recording system that monitors every load wrapped, records the amount of film that’s applied, and graphs this data in real time. This gives our experts the tools to communicate with customers and ensure that no load ever leaves their facility with improper stretch film application.

GOALS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

We advocate for high performance stretch film so our customers can use less material and still maintain successful load containment. We’re currently in the process of creating unique stretch film formulations based on our own Film Lab data and experience to bring what we consider to be the highest level of optimal film to the marketplace.

Our goal is to deliver high performance stretch film optimized with data-driven standards to ensure the least amount of material is needed for product protection.

SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS


As a supplier, we’re in a position to source more sustainable packaging materials for our customers’ applications. In addition to sourcing recyclable or sustainable materials whenever possible, we also promote the use of high-performance materials that require less applied material to provide the best possible protection. This lessens the impact on the environment and promotes healthier sustainability.

CURRENT STATUS:

Our approach to packaging is to promote high-performance materials that require less material to provide the best product protection. Our consulting and technical services optimize our customers’ equipment, application, and process to best utilize these high performance materials.

While the per unit cost for our customers is higher than that of commodity materials, we have shown a return on investment that ultimately reduces costs due to less material needed, optimized application, and successful unit load delivery.

In additon to promoting high performance materials, we also source sustainable materials, such as our Curbside Recyclable Mailers and LayerShield Sheets.

As we’ve expanded our footprint nationally, we’ve developed a full-service, in-house distribution network using our own trucks and drivers. This allows us to control and optimize economic and environmental logistics.

GOALS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

Packaging materials have a significant environmental impact and, as a supplier, we are in a position of influence to help our customers source more sustainable materials. With the right packaging materials and the right product protection, we have the ability to eliminate excess waste and damage.

While we have a strong start in this area, we have room for improvement in expanding our sources and in advocating for more recyclable, re-used, or reduced materials.

Looking Ahead


Consumers are recognizing the impacts of their choices and actions more and more every year. We all want to do what we feel is right for our community, our society, and our environment.

As a packaging consultant, supplier, and manufacturer, Atlantic recognizes the impact that our own choices and actions have in these same areas. We feel that we’re in a position of great influence when it comes to sustainability and how we can help our customers – and all consumers – have a positive impact on sustainability.

Atlantic has a clear path to sustainability in operation today as well as plans moving forward that ensure our commitment to sustainability continues to evolve and improve.

As technology advances, we are dedicated to finding new opportunities to lessen the impact of packaging on the environment and make our world a greener and happier place to live, work, and play.

More Resources


Download our whitepapers and resources that explore different ideas, trends, and recommendations for sustainable packaging.

INTRO TO EPR – QUICK REFERENCE

BIOPLASTICS AND COMPOSTABLES

INTRO TO PCR – QUICK REFERENCE

OUR STANCE ON BIODEGRADABLE ADDITIVES FOR PETROLEUM-BASED PLASTICS

CLIMATE ACTION REFERENCE GUIDE

Our customers have well defined, measurable sustainability goals and, as their partner in packaging, we’re committed to helping them achieve these goals.  Along the way, we also help them develop strategies that improve their sustainability in new ways.

Wes Carter

President, Atlantic Packaging

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