Menasha Packaging and ORBIS care deeply about our customers’ sustainability goals as well as being good stewards of our planet. Every day we lead the way, using data and insights to create packaging and supply chain solutions that minimize our environmental footprint today, and for generations to follow.
The entire ORBIS portfolio of reusable containers, pallets, and racks supports the circular economy. ORBIS helps companies reduce and eliminate waste associated with single-use or expendable packaging, reuse of packaging assets over a long service life, and the recycling of packaging at the end-of-life.
Menasha Packaging creates sustainable packaging and supply chain solutions for over 1500 brands in today’s marketplace. Our design centers optimize materials that are SFI sustainably sourced and 100% recyclable to improve shipping efficiencies, and when possible, eliminate single-use plastics.
As leaders in creating sustainable packaging and supply chain solutions, our businesses design out waste (reduce), keep products in use (reuse) and repurpose resources (recycle). By reducing our impact on the environment, we also help our customers achieve their sustainability goals. Our environmental reduction achievements have been notable. From 2010 to 2020, we reduced water use nearly 90%, solid waste generation 9%, and GHG emissions 1.15% despite doubling the size of our company during that time. In 2020, we established new environmental goals described below.
Reduce gallons of water used per production ton by 10% by 2030 (2020 baseline).
Reduce landfill waste per ton of production by 10% by 2030 (2020 baseline).
Reduce total GHG emissions by 10% per ton of production by 2030 (2020 baseline).
ORBIS CORPORATION
ORBIS is helping major U.S. grocers meet the dramatic increase in online shopping and curbside delivery. Retailers use ORBIS totes to fulfill online orders that are picked up curbside by consumers. ORBIS’ Pally, a hybrid dolly/pallet with wheels, is also used to wheel orders from store to curb.
Environmental stewardship is more than a responsibility. It’s a powerful opportunity to create value in how we do business, how we serve our customers and how we engage employees. As a company that relies on Earth’s resources, we strive to strike a balance in growing efficiently while reducing the environmental impact of our actions. We continue to discover the best means to achieve this balance.
Menasha Corporation’s headquarters building, also the headquarters for Menasha Packaging Company, a subsidiary, is LEED Gold certified for its sustainable construction, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. Reclaimed wood is used throughout the building, including the company’s heritage area.
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost recognition program for buildings that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.
The recycle with ORBIS (customer packaging) and Ocean in Mind (reclaimed coastline waste) programs recover, recycle, and reprocess end-of-life packaging back into new products. ORBIS is the largest consumer of post-consumer recycled content in the industry. The use of this material spurs economic growth and savings, avoids significant environmental impacts, and doesn’t compromise quality or durability.
By providing up-to-date information and data about our 360° environmental footprint, customers can make educated and informed decisions. Our customized packaging life cycle assessment tools provide data relevant to their packaging needs. This is part of our formal Continuous Improvement (CI) culture to provide an opportunity for dialogue, engagement, and collaboration with customers for creative ideas, products, and solutions to meet and exceed their business and sustainability goals.
By providing up-to-date information and data about our 360° environmental footprint, customers can make educated and informed decisions. Our customized packaging life cycle assessment tools provide data relevant to their packaging needs. This is part of our formal Continuous Improvement (CI) culture to provide an opportunity for dialogue, engagement, and collaboration with customers for creative ideas, products, and solutions to meet and exceed their business and sustainability goals.
A Menasha Packaging test lab is a certified International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) packaging provider. ISTA focuses on transport packaging and is the leading industry developer of testing protocols and design standards that define how packages should perform to ensure protection of its contents. Menasha Packaging has certified labs with the ability to conduct multiple ISTA testing procedures inclusive of the 6 Series Amazon tests. ORBIS has in-house expertise in advanced materials to ensure compliance to Food and Drug Administration, Electrostatic Discharge-safe, fire-retardant, etc. regulations and a Material Innovation Center which provides product performance testing, material QA/QC testing, and the ability to test alternative materials for product design. Our experienced engineers design products that are rightsized and lightweighted with materials that can be recycled and reused at end of service life to ensure material optimization and to support the circular economy.
We have a strong geographic reach to reduce freight spend, activity, and associated environmental impacts. ORBIS’ BulkPak® containers are collapsible which allows for more containers to be packed for a return truckload. As a result, 252 collapsed bins per truckload can be returned, versus the standard 208 bins per return truckload – a gain of up to 20% in shipping density, freight cost savings, and a decrease in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions due to fewer truck shipments. When feasible, we utilize third-party logistic providers designated as SmartWay Transport Partners who voluntarily commit to developing and implementing a plan to reduce GHG emissions through measures such as investment in side skirts, air dams, air gap reducers, air tabs, auxiliary power units to reduce idling, and small diesel engines to heat and cool the cab of the truck in lieu of keeping the entire truck engine running while parked.
Many companies tout their environmental stewardship. At Menasha Corporation and our companies, we receive awards for it.
