Big Impact, Little Footprint: Packaging Industry Sustainability Careers
Michelle Jeffords, Business Development Manager, SONOCO
Big Impact, Little Footprint: Packaging Industry Sustainability Careers
Michelle Jeffords, Business Development Manager, SONOCO
Can you describe your role and how you feel it links to issues around sustainable packaging? As the Business Development Manager for Sustainability, my primary focus is to increase residential access to recycling packaging that Sonoco manufactures. Knowing exactly what packaging is recyclable is confusing enough for most consumers, and this role often allows me the opportunity to bring awareness about the recyclability of historically under-recycled packaging. Sonoco’s goal is to remove that guess work for consumers by working with the municipalities to provide explicit recycling instruction on their residential recycling guidelines, thus diverting material that we produce from landfill and reducing the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing new packaging products from virgin materials.
What does a typical day look like for you? While my role is laser-focused, I can honestly say that every day brings something new! I am typically researching and calling on MRF’s and municipalities to ascertain, first, what they are communicating to residents and, second, if they have existing infrastructure and end markets to effectively collect, sort, and recycle packaging that Sonoco manufactures. I regularly attend conferences to understand the state, regional, and national landscapes. While this sounds straightforward enough, every MRF and community has different capabilities, goals, and challenges. Also, many just don’t know that some packaging, such as paperboard cans with metal ends, is recyclable. From this standpoint, I also coordinate bale audits and sortation trials across the country and am integrally involved in calculating material yields. It’s really a lot of fun sharing data from consumer research studies, videos, infographics, and other educational information and seeing just how excited people get when they learn that they can divert this multi-material pack format from landfill!
Can you share with a little about your career trajectory and what led you towards this role and an interest in sustainability?
My career at Sonoco began with our Flexible packaging division. Sixteen years ago, packaging sustainability wasn’t quite the hot topic that it is today. When I had an opportunity to go into a commercial role, I joined the Sonoco Recycling division. During this time I helped CPG manufacturing facilities achieve their zero waste to landfill goals. Waste streams varied from general recycling commodities to finished packaged product to compactor trash and everything in between. Over the next few years, sustainable packaging had become top of mind with our largest customers, and Sonoco expanded our resources and dedicated teams solely to advancing our environmental stewardship goals. Not only does this include reducing our company’s overall carbon footprint as well as manufacturing packaging that has a lower impact on the environment while meeting our customers’ product needs, but it also means committing ourselves to education and partnerships to increase recycling rates across the U.S. thus reducing the amount of packaging material that would otherwise go to landfill.
What skills do you think are most important for a role in sustainable packaging issues?
Listening, learning, and collaboration. There isn’t a one size fits all solution when it comes to sustainable packaging. Just because a package is recyclable doesn’t mean that everyone will use it or that it is best for the environment or the consumer. Getting to the root of those hurdles, sharing information, and working together is how we’ll advance our efforts to address sustainable packaging issues.
As an industry, where do you think packaging is making strides on sustainability and where do we still struggle?
Packaging manufacturers have heard consumers’ demands and are making tremendous strides in developing packaging that is sustainable. The industry is moving towards making data-based decisions, including the use of life cycle assessments and consideration of new advancements in recycling and reuse. Sonoco has created an EnviroSense line of products that includes 100% recycled paperboard, mono-material flexible packages, and rigid plastic packaging containing post-consumer recycled content. However, we will only increase the recycling rate of packaging if MRF’s and end markets will accept and, even then, only if consumers have clear guidance from their municipalities.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing packaging sustainability right now? Economics. MRF’s and municipalities have been trying to address the costs associated with contamination for so long that they are leaving some sustainable packaging on the table. Also, investments in the current infrastructure could improve recycling rates significantly.
What is one common perception around packaging that you believe challenges the notion that packaging can be a tool for sustainability? People often consider only the recyclability of packaging and overlook the purpose of packaging, which is to protect the product inside by withstanding distribution and extending shelf life. While end of life is important, of course, Sonoco looks at the entire life cycle of all packaging that we manufacture.
If you had one piece of advice for young professionals interested in sustainability, why should they consider the packaging industry? Your specific role?
Sustainability as it relates to packaging isn’t going away, and every day brings new developments and new challenges. Whether manufacturing, innovation, policy, or even a commercial role, the opportunities to contribute have no bounds. Advice specific to my role? Dig your heels in, do your due diligence, and don’t get discouraged. The work we’re doing today will make the industry better tomorrow!!