Date: January 1, 2022
The Challenge
A global HVAC manufacturer and distributor used wood dunnage, cardboard, and foam in the packaging of their product and did not know how to effectively and inexpensively recycle these materials. Additionally, the company was concerned about increased equipment and labor needed to separate these waste streams.
The Solution
Envita Solutions recommended a packaging redesign and worked with the customer’s corporate partners and a packaging engineer to execute a plan. In analyzing the scrap and source materials used in this packaging, Envita and its partners decided to remove the foam and replace it with cardboard corners. The foam pieces were rated for more weight than necessary and used to avoid moisture absorption so cardboard corners were proposed as an alternative that provided moisture barriers and could be recycled.
The Result
The company successfully redesigned its packaging to be more environmentally friendly, resulting in an estimated annual cost savings of $17,000. This innovative approach is projected to divert approximately 2,550 tons of material from landfills each year.