Page 97 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec2020

PROFILE | PKN 60 YEARS SPECIAL
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Impact International
Impact International is a family owned and operated company that has been manufac- turing tubes in Australia since 1958. With the fourth generation of Lajovic tube mak-
ers running the company, our focus has been on improving the sustainability credentials of our own operation, which in turn improves the sustainability credentials of our customers. 2020 marks our 62nd year of manufacturing tubes in Australia. It’s fair to say we have seen our fair share of trends, market shifts, change in consumer sentiment, raw material replace- ment and cost base changes. Within our busi- ness, our primary focus over the last four years has been on becoming the “doer” when it comes to recyclability and sustainability.
One of our company “in jokes” is that nobody knows who we are, but everyone knows our customers. We are honoured that some of Australia’s and New Zealand’s leading brands trust us with their packaging require- ments. Historically, we have not been good at telling our story and it is a story that every member of our team is proud of. It is a story of surviving 62 years of manufacturing in Australia, a story of determination, persever- ance, loyalty and innovation.
Since we started focusing on improving our recyclability and sustainability credentials, we are pleased to have added to our company’s history and our company’s story by being awarded the following:
◆ 2017: NSW Print Awards – Silver Award for Packaging
◆ 2019: Packaging Innovation and Design Awards – Health, Beauty and Wellness – Gold Medal
◆ 2019: Australian Printing Industries associa- tion – Gold Medal for Sustainability
◆ 2020: SGIA Sustainable Business Recogni- tion Award (International Award)
◆ 2020: World Packaging Organisation World- Star Packaging Award (International Award)
◆ 2020: Australian Printing Industries associa-
tion – Gold medal for Sustainability
The above acknowledgments demonstrate our commitment to not just talking the talk but walking the walk (as the saying goes) – we are a team of doers.
Around the world, the debate on global warming is raging. Saziye Dickson of BSRIA, a building services consultancy that surveys European air conditioning manufacturers and distributors says, “Air conditioning unit sales (including residential, commercial and
industrial uses) increased 12 per cent in Germany and Italy, 27 per cent in Russia, 10 per cent in Spain and 11 per cent in the UK”. Why are our European friends installing air conditioners at record rates?
Understanding the carbon footprint of your product and your packaging is becoming increasingly important. For many brand own- ers, ignorance can be bliss but taking a “I will stick my head in the sand approach” is no longer considered socially acceptable. End consumers (and shareholders / stakehold- ers) are increasingly demanding action. Consumers want to buy products from a brand that is proactively improving their sus- tainability credentials and reducing their car- bon dioxide emissions.
I wonder how many packaging manufac- turers could look their customer in the eye and give them an answer on the carbon footprint of their packaging? This question is not an easy one to answer and a mountain of work is required before you can even provide an estimation.
LEFT: The award-winning carbon neutral tube made from renewable resources.
BELOW: Making an impact on Australian packaging manufacturing: Aleks Lajovic, MD, Impact International.
The team at Impact is proud that we can provide our customers with information on the carbon footprint of their packaging. We can explain how better material selection can reduce the carbon footprint of your packing without reducing barrier properties. We can explain that all the energy used to manufac- ture tubes here in Australia is carbon neutral. We can tell you each day how many kilo- grams of carbon dioxide did not enter the atmosphere thanks to our solar farm provid- ing green energy to our site. Our current and planned initiatives will see us reduce or car- bon footprint by more than three million kilo- grams of carbon dioxide in 2021 and we can support all our numbers with data. This proud achievement is testament to the doer attitude of the Impact International team.
We would like to thank all our staff, our customers and our suppliers for their support over the past 62 years, it has been a wild ride so far and we look forward to continuing the journey as an Australian Manufacturer... in a more sustainable manner.
November–December 2020 | www.packagingnews.com.au