Draka takes a rigorous approach to sustainable packaging
You will find a lot of packaging material on a construction site. For cables alone, this varies from cardboard and foils to pallets and reels. You want to be able to lay those cables as quickly as possible, without having to worry about the packaging. Fortunately, Draka rigorously makes its packaging more sustainable. It uses fewer and environmentally friendly materials and makes waste collection easier, together with industry parties. It's inspiring how a smaller ecological footprint and a more efficient construction process go hand in hand.
Many builders and installers still consider waste ballast. Construction is time-critical and they are not packaging experts. Try to know all that packaging from suppliers and separate it responsibly. At the same time, the call for sustainability is getting louder, especially from clients and consultants. Also, some construction companies already use lists of packaging materials for their suppliers. That is why the advance of sustainable packaging is unstoppable.
Minimal environmental impact
Draka is a major provider of cable solutions for construction and other industries. It produces and distributes many products and therefore processes a lot of packaging material: boxes, bags, pallets, reels, labels, stretch film, shrink film, tapes, glue and straps. At the same time, Draka strives to minimize its impact on the environment. Solution-oriented thinking doesn't stop at the gates of your factory. This applies to the entire supply chain and includes packaging, repackaging and returns.
Inventive solutions
Draka takes sustainable packaging very seriously. Its solutions focus on raw materials and recycling as well as on product-packaging systems, product-packaging combinations and packaging flows. Sometimes Draka saves a lot on the use of materials, other times it only processes recycled material. There are also innovative solutions, such as the use of blockchain technology for returning reels. A good example of how sustainability, innovation and digitisation can go hand in hand.
Practical applications
Draka has been working on making packaging more sustainable for a long time. This yields impressive results, such as:
- Barnicol casting resin is supplied in paper instead of aluminum packaging.
- Wooden pallets consist of 100% FSC wood and are reused as much as possible.
- Wooden reels consist of 100% FSC wood and are collected through a special return program.
- Second-hand reels are used to reduce waste.
- Plastic reels contain more and more recycled material, are 100% recyclable and are collected through a special return program.
- Shrink film for cable on a roll is thinner (12.5% material saving) and consists of 30% recycled material.
- Most boxes are sealed with environmentally friendly hot glue instead of plastic tape.
- Wrapping film for pallets is ultra-thin (nanofoil) and saves approximately 75% film.
- Straps for cable on a roll are made from 100% recycled PET.
More and more advantages
More and more builders and installers are seeing the benefits of sustainable packaging, both practically and environmentally. They have less waste, can separate or return waste more easily and reduce their carbon footprint in the meantime. And those advantages are increasing, because Draka is constantly working on even better solutions for sustainable packaging.
Collaboration in the chain
Draka takes its own responsibility when it comes to sustainability. But she also knows that sustainability only succeeds when the entire chain participates. That is why it works together with other parties. For example, its reel return program is a collaboration with wholesalers. Draka also recently signed the Packaging Sector Plan. This initiative by Fedet and Techniek Nederland is intended to limit the use of primary raw materials in packaging. A clean construction site is also in your own hands.