This weblog is a part of our deal with 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 — comparable to supplies that comprise recycled content material and are recyclable or reusable.
I just lately sat down with Nicole Kenney, Program Supervisor on the Packaging Engineering crew, who focuses her work on packaging and materials circularity. Nicole has been capable of analysis and handle initiatives to help a variety 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 all the time in nature and consistently juggling a number of artwork initiatives. I knew I wished to do one thing artistic — that led me to the textile and attire trade. After incomes my diploma in supplies and polymer science, I developed materials and packaging for outside efficiency attire and kit. The outside trade was one of many first to take part within the sustainability motion, and thru my work on sustainability initiatives, I spotted preserving nature was my function.
You may marvel in regards to the transition from attire merchandise to know-how {hardware}, however whatever the trade, packaging challenges are common: the principle precedence is to guard the product. In a round economic system, the subsequent precedence is to think about 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 dwelling, packaging is part of our on a regular basis lives. It serves as an vital handshake between our model and our prospects, however to me, it additionally embodies the intersection of science, design, and psychology. Once 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 developed from a nice-to-have to a vital requirement for each new product introduction. This shift in our course of is basically resulting from Cisco’s implementation of its Round Design Ideas, which information us in integrating sustainability into all our outputs.
In terms of materials selections, our packaging engineers are targeted on decreasing foam use and discovering options to plastic (or eliminating plastic altogether). Packaging optimization is one other space of focus; for example, multi-packing might help save supplies, which reduces price and environmental affect.
Nonetheless, packaging sustainability varies tremendously from one product to the subsequent. Our packaging engineers face a difficult job: there isn’t a set recipe for a extra round pack; fairly, it’s a balancing of a number of distinctive elements. They need to prioritize product safety, as a result of reshipping to switch a broken product undermines sustainability. Additionally they take into account product quantity; if a product is high-volume, optimizing dice dimension for palletization effectivity is essential. The extra models that match on a pallet, the less pallets wanted for delivery, which streamlines logistics and helps our company web zero technique.
General, we attempt 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 terms of know-how and packaging, supplies innovation is crucial to advancing packaging sustainability. Our Packaging Engineering crew collaborates carefully with our suppliers to rethink supplies from starting to finish, with a selected deal with fiber-based options.
Two examples of supplies innovation embrace fiber flute and paper modular cushions. These are each fiber-based cushioning techniques that we use as a substitute of typical foam. They’re comprised of post-consumer recycled content material and, like corrugated cushions, are broadly accepted in present recycling infrastructure on the finish of their life cycle.
These new supplies assist contribute to our foam discount efforts. Nonetheless, we’re not merely swapping them out; in depth collaboration happens through the design and validation course of. Prototypes are created, match checks are carried out, and packaging exams 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 terms of sustainability, greenhouse gasoline emissions (GHG) are typically the first measure of environmental affect. Nonetheless, 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 maintain the carbon footprint in thoughts, however design for recyclability to divert waste from landfill and help the round economic system.
One other problem is discovering protecting supplies that may meet our international provide chain calls for and are regionally obtainable. Thrilling materials improvements comparable to mushroom foam or bio-based plastics typically spark curiosity, however continuity in sourcing and provide could be troublesome. It’s additionally difficult to make sure that correct restoration infrastructure for these new supplies is on the market within the markets the place we promote our merchandise. These varieties of fabric improvements are sometimes higher suited to different product varieties, comparable to meals or client 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. Nonetheless, we can’t management which bin our prospects will use for packaging waste disposal. Recycling infrastructure varies tremendously from city to city, each within the US and globally. This fragmentation poses the subsequent problem: find out how to educate our prospects on the easiest way to handle packaging waste. We would like prospects to make knowledgeable selections about disposal after receiving our merchandise. To handle this, we’ve got 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 economic system requires collaboration between the enterprise sector, shoppers, and authorities. Amongst them, every entity has an important function to play in driving sustainability. We’ve noticed corporations striving to supply extra sustainable options. Customers are more and more searching 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 non-public 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 partaking with our prospects on packaging sustainability greater than ever earlier than. They’re keen to grasp our packaging roadmap, and we’re equally focused on theirs. There’s a robust willingness to share, perceive, and collaborate, making it an exhilarating time.
This pattern provides me hope that as we work collectively, the round economic system is achievable throughout our enterprise ecosystem.
You may be taught extra about our packaging targets in Cisco’s Objective Reporting Hub.
Share: