The Triple Bottom Line

The paperboard packaging industry works to define sustainability using the triple bottom line, which takes into account environmental, economic, and social factors to measure sustainability.

Through environmental stewardship and conservation, the paperboard packaging industry focuses on improving all the ways processes and products interact with the environment, including:

• managing forests to protect and conserve essential forest values while harvesting needed fiber;
• designing products to reduce fiber content;
• operating facilities to reduce environmental impact, especially energy and water usage;
• create products that enable customers to extend their own sustainability story through creative designs and consistent quality; and
• create products that allow consumers to extend sustainability through recycling.
  

In addition, the paperboard packaging industry holds core environmental principals as part of its focus on processes, products, and future, including the:

• renewability of the natural resources used;
• reductions in the fiber necessary to make reliable and effective packaging;
• reduction and recapture of the energy and water needed during manufacturing;
• reusability of products on a planned basis by businesses; and 
• recycleability of products at the end of their useful life.

Economic viability and contribution means that the paperboard packing industry recognizes the breadth of its economic impact as:

• reliable suppliers of efficient and effective packaging with consistent quality that enhances the financial sustainability of customers;
• managing operations with ever more efficient use of energy and natural resources which contributes to the financial competitiveness of products; and
• stable and desirable employers and significant taxpayers and stewards in the communities where the industry operates.

In addition, the industry focuses on several different dimensions of economic sustainability, namely:

• the superior efficacy of paperboard packaging that creates economic value for customers as it enhances the quality and desirability of the products;
• the efficiency and effectiveness of paperboard packaging that results in less product loss and greater public safety and health; and
• the cost containment resulting from increased efficiency of energy and water usage.

Social responsibility and engagement means that the paperboard packaging industry understands its obligations and role in society beyond simply making fine products by:

• managing operations in the safest, most healthful way on behalf of employees and communities; and
  
• creating packaging designs that enhance the safety and protect the efficacy of the products they carry on behalf of customers and consumers.

 

 

 

• making products that enhance efficiency, safety and efficacy while they reduce the use of renewable resources and impact on the environment; and
  
• helping society through direct contributions to social and charitable organizations; and being leaders in sustainable business practices to inspire and educate others inside and outside the industry.