BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: 2020-BEYOND
For most of Sonoco’s history, our business focused on the United States. But now that we’re on the world stage and have a higher profile with our return to the Fortune 500, how does our role as a packaging pioneer look? Very much like ourselves.
Today, we have even more cutting-edge research, experimentation and discovery taking place all around the world. In Europe, we are a leader in all-paper products. For example, EnviroCan™ containers have entered 13 European markets as a choice breakfast cereal packaging. And in January 2023, Sonoco became a member of the European Paper Packaging Alliance, which works to find innovations that increase recyclability.
In May 2023, we presented innovations in fiber-based and IML consumer products, as well as assorted tubes and cores, at one of the largest international packaging trade fairs—Interpack 2023. Beyond the products on display at this Düsseldorf event, we placed a spotlight on our track record of being a trusted packaging solutions and sustainability partner for many European companies.
Our participation in European recycling trials, for example, included testing digital watermarking to improve the accuracy of container sorting. This process aims to improve recycling rates for packaging in Europe. Research in Denmark found that digital watermarks led to 96% of Sonoco’s rigid paper containers being detected correctly for recycling, showing how EnviroCanTM containers can enter more paper recycling streams204—that’s a big solution!
Our teams in Asia are also setting new benchmarks. In 2021, Sonoco’s facility in Sungai Buloh, Malaysia, received certification from the Forest Stewardship Council for our achievement in sustainability and resource management. This certification marked a milestone not just in the region but also in our worldwide commitment to sustainability.
The following year, Sonoco Asia joined THAIFEX – Anuga Asia, Southeast Asia’s largest food and beverage exhibition, to showcase our sustainable solutions, including paper-based containers. The Sonoco booth attracted more than 200 trade visitors from Malaysia, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and more.
That’s just another way to say: Wherever you find us around the globe, you’ll also find innovative thinking and bold solutions to the challenges of delivering sustainable packaging products to customers.