This weblog is a part of our give attention to Cisco workers who’re “Striving for Sustainability” by discovering alternatives to combine sustainability of their day-to-day work.
At Cisco, packaging sustainability is a key facet of our technique to transition to a round enterprise mannequin. We do that by designing packaging that protects our merchandise whereas additionally minimizing environmental affect. This implies utilizing much less supplies when potential and selecting extra sustainable supplies — resembling supplies that comprise recycled content material and are recyclable or reusable.
I not too long ago sat down with Nicole Kenney, Program Supervisor on the Packaging Engineering crew, who focuses her work on packaging and materials circularity. Nicole has been in a position to analysis and handle tasks to help a spread of sustainability points associated to packaging.
What impressed you to pursue a profession in packaging sustainability, and the way did you find yourself at Cisco?
Nicole: Rising up, I used to be at all times in nature and continuously juggling a number of artwork tasks. I knew I needed to do one thing inventive — that led me to the textile and attire business. After incomes my diploma in supplies and polymer science, I developed materials and packaging for outside efficiency attire and equipment. The outside business was one of many first to take part within the sustainability motion, and thru my work on sustainability initiatives, I noticed preserving nature was my objective.
You may surprise concerning the transition from attire merchandise to know-how {hardware}, however whatever the business, packaging challenges are common: the primary precedence is to guard the product. In a round financial system, the following precedence is to contemplate the packaging’s end-of-life. These are the challenges I’ve loved tackling with our packaging engineering crew at Cisco.
The factor I actually love about packaging is that everybody can relate to it. Whether or not we’re making a purchase order at a retailer or receiving a cargo at residence, packaging is part of our on a regular basis lives. It serves as an necessary handshake between our model and our prospects, however to me, it additionally embodies the intersection of science, design, and psychology. After I got here throughout the open Program Supervisor function and noticed Cisco’s environmental technique, I used to be drawn to the problem.
How is Cisco integrating sustainability in its packaging?
Nicole: For our Packaging Engineering crew, sustainability has advanced from a nice-to-have to an important requirement for each new product introduction. This shift in our course of is essentially as a result of Cisco’s implementation of its Round Design Rules, which information us in integrating sustainability into all our outputs.
In relation to materials selections, our packaging engineers are targeted on decreasing foam use and discovering alternate options to plastic (or eliminating plastic altogether). Packaging optimization is one other space of focus; as an illustration, multi-packing can assist save supplies, which reduces value and environmental affect.
Nevertheless, packaging sustainability varies significantly from one product to the following. Our packaging engineers face a difficult process: there is no such thing as a set recipe for a extra round pack; relatively, it’s a balancing of a number of distinctive elements. They have to prioritize product safety, as a result of reshipping to exchange a broken product undermines sustainability. Additionally they take into account product quantity; if a product is high-volume, optimizing dice measurement for palletization effectivity is essential. The extra items that match on a pallet, the less pallets wanted for transport, which streamlines logistics and helps our company internet zero technique.
General, we try to combine recycled content material, cut back plastic utilization, and allow packaging to take part in a round system.
What function does know-how play in advancing Cisco’s packaging sustainability efforts?
Nicole: In relation to know-how and packaging, supplies innovation is important to advancing packaging sustainability. Our Packaging Engineering crew collaborates intently with our suppliers to rethink supplies from starting to finish, with a selected give attention to fiber-based options.
Two examples of supplies innovation embody fiber flute and paper modular cushions. These are each fiber-based cushioning methods that we use as a substitute of standard foam. They’re constructed from post-consumer recycled content material and, like corrugated cushions, are extensively accepted in present recycling infrastructure on the finish of their life cycle.
These new supplies assist contribute to our foam discount efforts. Nevertheless, we’re not merely swapping them out; in depth collaboration happens in the course of the design and validation course of. Prototypes are created, match checks are carried out, and packaging checks are carried out to make sure the brand new supplies added to our packaging toolkit meet each manufacturing and sustainability necessities.
What are some challenges you may encounter and the way do you overcome them?
Nicole: One problem of decreasing packaging impacts is knowing how finest to measure them. In relation to sustainability, greenhouse gasoline emissions (GHG) are typically the first measure of environmental affect. Nevertheless, analyzing the carbon footprint of Cisco’s merchandise, packaging accounts for 3% or much less of the manufacturing carbon footprint on common. Given this, Cisco’s Packaging Engineers preserve the carbon footprint in thoughts, however design for recyclability to divert waste from landfill and help the round financial system.
One other problem is discovering protecting supplies that may meet our international provide chain calls for and are regionally accessible. Thrilling materials improvements resembling mushroom foam or bio-based plastics usually spark curiosity, however continuity in sourcing and provide may be troublesome. It’s additionally difficult to make sure that correct restoration infrastructure for these new supplies is out there within the markets the place we promote our merchandise. These varieties of fabric improvements are sometimes higher fitted to different product varieties, resembling meals or shopper packaged items.
At Cisco, we design our packaging to be separable and recyclable. Most of our packaging is fiber-based corrugated board which meets these necessities. Nevertheless, we can’t management which bin our prospects will use for packaging waste disposal. Recycling infrastructure varies significantly from city to city, each within the US and globally. This fragmentation poses the following problem: the best way to educate our prospects on one of the best ways to handle packaging waste. We wish prospects to make knowledgeable choices about disposal after receiving our merchandise. To deal with this, we now have begun to launch merchandise with easy however informative messaging to assist them perceive what to do with their packaging waste.
What future traits do you see in packaging sustainability?
Nicole: A efficiently scaled round financial system requires collaboration between the enterprise sector, shoppers, and authorities. Amongst them, every entity has a significant function to play in driving sustainability. We’ve noticed corporations striving to supply extra sustainable options. Customers are more and more looking for extra sustainable choices, evidenced by their buying selections. Now, we’re seeing a surge of collaboration among the many three entities.
As a company, we’re conscious that governments and the personal sector are prioritizing circularity, and we acknowledge that this has an affect on our prospects. That is an thrilling time as a result of we’re participating with our prospects on packaging sustainability greater than ever earlier than. They’re keen to know our packaging roadmap, and we’re equally all in favour of theirs. There’s a robust willingness to share, perceive, and collaborate, making it an exhilarating time.
This pattern offers me hope that as we work collectively, the round financial system is achievable throughout our enterprise ecosystem.
You may study extra about our packaging targets in Cisco’s Goal Reporting Hub.
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