Southgate, one of Europe’s leading packaging suppliers, is on track to replace every one of its packaging products with an eco-friendly alternative.
The move follows the firm’s commitment to promoting the industrial movement known as the ‘circular carbon economy’ that aims to create a more sustainable way of working and living.
As part of its mission to be a leader in the field of sustainable packaging, Southgate Global invested in a specialist team focusing on new product development as part of its ongoing, pioneering activity to lead the industry in developing sustainable packaging products.
In the last 18 months Southgate has launched many new sustainable products. These include a flexible paper sleeve, a lightweight paper packaging solution perfect for a sustainable world because paper is one of the few truly sustainable products. It is made from renewable resources, biodegradable, and is universally one of the most highly recycled materials.
Additionally, water-based glue is used, so customers can be reassured that they have a 100 per cent biodegradable packaging product.
Darren Smith, Head of Marketing at Southgate, said: “With the hugely important climate change conference COP 27 last month we feel that it is vital that a British company is leading the way in the creation of sustainable packaging.
“Our innovative product launches are part of our mission to continually focus on product innovation and the development of new, eco-friendly packaging alternatives. We work to very high standards, with sustainability at the forefront for our packaging range, which, ultimately, will help us and our clients contribute to the circular economy.”
Southgate’s focus for 2023 and beyond is to continue to develop and promote the idea of a circular economy – inspiring businesses on an international scale to embrace a global solution to sustainability and eliminating waste. New product development is a major part of achieving this goal.
Southgate Global is committed to developing a line of alternative products to expand its current range and significantly reduce packaging waste and plastic content. The company is determined to play a pioneering and meaningful part in persuading the packaging industry to reduce its impact on the environment and climate change.
Darren said: “Increasingly, our customers want us to help them with their own green credentials, so it is vital that we pursue our mission to take responsibility by giving our customers sustainable packaging solutions, reducing waste and plastic content, whilst feeding into the consumer shift for more eco-friendly packaging products. Our mission is to have a suite of eco-friendly options available for every packaging product.”
Darren added: “Both the continued e-commerce boom and our investment in more sustainable packaging products have contributed to an increase in sales and by the end of this year we will have broken boundaries for growth within the sector.”
Southgate continues to launch a variety of sustainable packaging products from carton sealing, paper mailers and void fill. More new products are in its development pipeline.
Sustainability has long been a key focus for Southgate, with the brand having been awarded a Silver certificate by EcoVadis, the ratings platform to assess corporate social responsibility and sustainable procurement. Southgate Global continues to push the importance of sustainability.
Darren said: “Sustainability has been a buzz word in the packaging industry for many years now, but people can get a blinkered view. But we are determined to keep it at the forefront of our business as it impacts all parts of the supply chain. This is why we are continuously driving innovation. While the impact of the pandemic is still being felt within the industry and inevitably caused changes to practices and preferences, looking ahead to 2023, sustainable packaging remains the most desirable requirement with consumers leading the demand.
With sustainable packaging on every manufacturing and distribution company’s agenda, Southgate believes that the packaging industry must turn to advances in, and adoption of, digital technologies to meet the latest requirements and bring fresh alternatives onto the market. In return, the growth of digital technology is also enabling the industry to become more aware of its packaging usage.
Technology plays a key role in the manufacturing of Southgate’s sustainable packaging products. For example, its range of airwave machines use technology to manage the cushion speed, inflation rate and amount needed to minimise wastage – reducing operator time and creating sustainable solutions to void fill.
Southgate Global’s 98 per cent air cushions use minimal material without compromising on product protection.
Darren added: “We also offer compostable, paper and carbon neutral films to ensure consumers can responsibly dispose of packaging waste.
“Sustainability in terms of our packaging product innovation is of the utmost priority. Our belief is that our packaging products must meet the criteria of being sustainable, recyclable, reusable, biodegradable and waste reductive. This way our customers can easily choose packaging they know falls within their own sustainability goals and promises to consumers.”
“We are already witnessing developments being made almost daily in sustainable material alternatives, from seaweed to agricultural waste. The move towards achieving a more circular economy brings frequent new advancements which is incredibly exciting for the industry. And as technology continues to advance, we know this will only continue to bring new alternatives to the table and meet the desired environmental requirements for both businesses and consumers.”
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