How We Practice Sustainability
We are so proud of the efforts we've made as a company to become more green. From FSC-certification to greener packaging and shipping material options, we are constantly researching new ways to help our customers meet their sustainability goals. Read on to learn more about some of the ways we practice sustainability here at Lahlouh.
Invest in New Tech
We invest in technology, equipment automation, and lean manufacturing practices that enable us to reduce production time, energy consumption, and material waste. We have recently brought on a Packsize Machine which allows us to eliminate up to 40% of void fill in our packaging. By right-sizing our boxes, we are able to minimize the need for packing peanuts, air pillows, and other wasteful void fillers in our packaging while reducing the risk of shipping damages.
If a product still requires void fill for extra careful packaging, we have also brought on an HSM PROFIPACK P425 to help us provide more sustainable filler options when needed. The HSM ProfiPack P425 is an industrial cardboard shredder that allows us to process multiple layers of cardboard sheets into cushioning or packing material. The picture in the top left shows the results created by this machine.
Packaging Options
We have replaced all traditional plastic packaging tape with a water-activated alternative that can be recycled curbside and added shredded corrugated filler as a sustainable alternative to bubble wrap. We are always working to help our clients reduce unnecessary waste, which is why we offer options for recyclable, reusable, plantable, and compostable packaging upon request.
Partnering with Sustainable and Certified B-Corporations
Working in an industry that focuses on giveaways, we do our best to offer our customers products that are sustainable and/or support give-back programs that fuel eco-friendly initiatives. This is why we are constantly expanding our network to team up with some of the top retail brands and promotional vendors. Some examples include brands like Ocean Bottle, Karst, Prodir, Package Free Shop, Gemline, Nimble, and more! Check out our recent blog post for more info.
Greener Operational Practices
While manufacturing has its costs, at Lahlouh we do our best to streamline our processes to be more efficient and eco-friendly whenever possible. Below we list some examples of how we’ve improved our operations:
- Recycling all waste generated during the printing process, including paper, wood, metal, plastic, glass, and cardboard.
- Tracking our VOC emissions and ensuring they are consistently well under compliance.
- Using water-soluble washes for cleaning presses and non-polluting wetting agents made of natural materials.
- Eliminating all alcohol-based products.
- Maintaining a national manufacturing and warehousing platform to minimize shipping logistics (thereby reducing VOCs, fuel consumption, pollution, carbon emissions, etc.).
- Using water-based, environmentally friendly aqueous coatings and soy-based inks, while improving our ink formulation to minimize VOC emissions.
