The global pandemic has brought to the forefront the necessity to adapt to remain sustainable.
More than ever, sustainable practices must be integrated into every step of a manufacturer’s operation to survive. So, it is no surprise that this year, the annual FTA Sustainability Excellence Award program was the most competitive it has ever been, drawing nearly triple the average number of high-quality entries in its 22-year history.
All photos courtesy of TC Transcontinental Packaging
Through this competition, companies are recognized for outstanding Sustainability Programs and Innovations in Sustainability.
This year’s award winners are:
- Industrias de Plasticos SA de CV (INPLASA), of Valle de Amarateca, Francisco Morazán, Honduras C.A., for Sustainability Programs
- Footprint LLC, of Gilbert, AZ, for Innovations in Sustainability
Additionally, two companies were awarded Honorable Mentions for Innovations in Sustainability: Sun Chemical of Parsippany, NJ and TC Transcontinental Packaging of Chicago, IL.
TC Transcontinental Packaging was recognized for its entry, “Envio PCR Forming and Non-Forming Film.” TC Transcontinental Packaging is a leader in flexible packaging with 3,900 employees worldwide and a network of 28 production plants specializing in recycling, extrusion, lamination, printing and converting. In 2019, TC Transcontinental became the first Canadian manufacturer to sign the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.
TC Transcontinental’s 2025 Commitment to Sustainability is to innovate, so that 100 percent of its plastic packaging is recyclable, compostable, reusable; promote the use of post-consumer recycled content across all plastic packaging; and to collaborate with industry partners to increase reuse, recycling and composting rates for plastics in the communities where it operates.
TC Transcontinental’s Envio post-consumer recycled (PCR) forming and non-forming film includes 14 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. In collaboration with Costco, its R&D team has created a sustainable forming and non-forming film for bone-in and boneless poultry that diverts plastic waste from landfills, looks great on shelves and appeals to the consumer’s desire for a cleaner environment. It is a first of its kind that has been commercialized. The top film contains 23 percent PCR and the bottom film contains 11 percent PCR; the finished package has a total of 14 percent PCR. The new packaging can be found in the Kirkland’s saddle packages on select Costco stores shelves in the US.
Competition Judge Jean Engelke commented, “Using resin twice before landfill is significant!” “This entry is a good model for others in the industry,” added Competition Judge Nikola Juhasz of Sun Chemical.