This weblog is a part of our give attention to Cisco staff who’re “Striving for Sustainability” by discovering alternatives to combine sustainability of their day-to-day work.
At Cisco, packaging sustainability is a key side of our technique to transition to a round enterprise mannequin. We do that by designing packaging that protects our merchandise whereas additionally minimizing environmental impression. This implies utilizing much less supplies when potential and selecting extra sustainable supplies — equivalent 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 workforce, who focuses her work on packaging and materials circularity. Nicole has been capable of analysis and handle initiatives to assist 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 always 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 out of doors efficiency attire and kit. The out of doors trade 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 goal.
You would possibly marvel in regards to the transition from attire merchandise to expertise {hardware}, however whatever the trade, packaging challenges are common: the primary precedence is to guard the product. In a round economic 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 workforce 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 vital 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 position 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 workforce, sustainability has developed from a nice-to-have to a necessary requirement for each new product introduction. This shift in our course of is basically because of Cisco’s implementation of its Round Design Rules, which information us in integrating sustainability into all our outputs.
In terms of materials selections, our packaging engineers are centered on lowering 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 may also help save supplies, which reduces value and environmental impression.
Nevertheless, packaging sustainability varies vastly from one product to the following. Our packaging engineers face a difficult job: there isn’t any set recipe for a extra round pack; quite, it’s a balancing of a number of distinctive components. They have to prioritize product safety, as a result of reshipping to exchange a broken product undermines sustainability. Additionally they contemplate 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.
Total, we try to combine recycled content material, cut back plastic utilization, and allow packaging to take part in a round system.
What position does expertise play in advancing Cisco’s packaging sustainability efforts?
Nicole: In terms of expertise and packaging, supplies innovation is crucial to advancing packaging sustainability. Our Packaging Engineering workforce collaborates carefully 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 typical foam. They’re created from 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. 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 performed, 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 would possibly encounter and the way do you overcome them?
Nicole: One problem of lowering packaging impacts is knowing how finest to measure them. In terms of sustainability, greenhouse fuel emissions (GHG) are typically the first measure of environmental impression. 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 maintain the carbon footprint in thoughts, however design for recyclability to divert waste from landfill and assist the round economic system.
One other problem is discovering protecting supplies that may meet our international provide chain calls for and are regionally out there. Thrilling materials improvements equivalent to mushroom foam or bio-based plastics typically spark curiosity, however continuity in sourcing and provide will be tough. It’s additionally difficult to make sure that correct restoration infrastructure for these new supplies is accessible within the markets the place we promote our merchandise. These sorts of fabric improvements are sometimes higher suited to different product sorts, equivalent 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. Nevertheless, we can not management which bin our prospects will use for packaging waste disposal. Recycling infrastructure varies vastly from city to city, each within the US and globally. This fragmentation poses the following problem: how one can educate our prospects on the easiest way to handle packaging waste. We would like prospects to make knowledgeable choices about disposal after receiving our merchandise. To handle 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 tendencies do you see in packaging sustainability?
Nicole: A efficiently scaled round economic system requires collaboration between the enterprise sector, customers, and authorities. Amongst them, every entity has an important position 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 non-public sector are prioritizing circularity, and we acknowledge that this has an impression 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 thinking about 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 economic 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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