This year, Flexographic Technical Association modified its long running Environmental Excellence Awards Program, opting to expand its scope and adopt a more fitting nomer—Sustainability Excellence Awards. The competition was fierce, but Accredo Packaging of Sugar Land, TX, has been named the 2014 Sustainability Excellence Award winner in the Sustainability Programs category for its efforts to reduce waste and emissions while conserving energy.
“Accredo Packaging Inc. embodies sustainability throughout the business model clearly demonstrating an exceptional unprecedented sustainable program,” Judge Dolores Corcoran, productivity system manager at Lauterbach Group, Inc. reported. “The biobased product could have easily been a forerunner under the innovation category. I applaud the work.” To that, Judge Marygrace Quigley of Label Technology added, “Accredo has made sustainability the backbone of its company.”
Accredo Packaging is no stranger to receiving accolades for its print capabilities, as well as its environmental stewardship. It continues to strive to become more sustainable. Among its recent major accomplishments:
- In 2013, Accredo was presented “Best of Show” in the Mid Web category in FTA’s Excellence in Flexography Awards competition
- Last year, at the Packaging Association (PAC) Leadership Awards Gala, Accredo received the Silver Award in the Sustainable Packaging category
- Accredo is in the process of obtaining certification as an SGP Printer with the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership
- The converter received a 2013 Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which recognizes the country’s leading green power purchasers for their commitment and contributions to helping advance the development of the nation’s voluntary green power market
- Accredo is a registered member of the EPA’s Green Power Partnership and the Organic Trade Association
Malcolm Cohn, director of sustainability for Accredo, is confident that, “Accredo Packaging has established itself as a leading flexible packaging manufacturer with a strong commitment to sustainability.” He further observed, “As one of our core values, sustainability is critical in the products we create, our worker safety initiatives and our environmental policies. Our owners and executives take a leadership role in promoting a sustainable operating environment—whether that’s looking at current, day to day operations or forecasting future needs and requirements.”
Accredo’s 350,000 sq. ft. production facility is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Its plant is powered by 100 percent wind generated electricity. Cohn reported, “It is the only flexible packaging company with this accreditation. To achieve this certification, the owners made a long term investment of time and resources to design, build and operate a facility according to stringent environmental requirements, from optimizing procurement materials, to energy usage, to waste management.”
Taking note of that point, Judge Lori Ashford of Robbie Fantastic Flexibles, noted, “Accredo’s commitment to sustainability from the facility design through operations and materials is truly impressive.”
“Accredo is the largest purchaser of ‘Green Power’ in the U.S. flexible packaging market,” Cohn stated, “Some of the drivers behind using green power include branding the company as a leader in sustainable energy use, thus providing a marketing advantage, while increasing employee wellness and productivity. Purchasing green power helps the organization become more sustainable and demonstrates its proactive choice to switch away from traditional sources of electricity generation and support cleaner renewable alternatives.”
Cohn insisted, “Accredo Packaging has demonstrated leadership in innovation, sustainability and taking action on climate change. It has successfully pioneered sustainably produced packaging with a highly renewable content.”
Accredo offers a number of sustainable product options to customers—pre packaged foods and consumer products markets in North America. High barrier flexible packaging is sourced from conventional hydrocarbon based raw materials, but produced in a more sustainable production process. The focus in its development is placed on eliminating waste and minimizing the carbon footprint. Results of actions taken to date are noteworthy:
- Precise registration and color accuracy result in significant reduction in ink and solvent usage
- A proprietary ink delivery system, use of expanded color gamut process printing and state of the art equipment enables Accredo to significantly reduce waste, input materials and solvent emissions
- Accredo offers zippered standup pouches made from components that are certified compostable and packaging made from primarily renewably sourced feedstock from sugar cane
- One of Accredo’s standup pouches meets the U.S. Food & Drug Administration requirements to be certified “biobased”
According to Cohn, “Accredo Packaging remains committed to reducing the environmental impacts of its packaging and extruded film production, while offering competitively priced products to its customers. Future plans include an expansion of its production facilities, with construction on a second site to be built to meet LEED requirements and to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy.”
“Accredo will also continue to communicate its renewable energy commitment on its packaging, via press releases and its website, and at trade conferences and customer presentations,” Cohn pledged. “At Accredo Packaging, we’re ‘Designed for Sustainability… Built for Success!’”