CONSOLIDATING OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
At SP GROUP we understand the current wave of social concern regarding plastic waste. We are fully aware of the problem, and accept our responsibility, fostering innovation by creating increasingly sustainable products. In the words of our CEO, Francisco Bernal: “We are now at a great moment in time, because social awareness is a reality and nobody doubts that we all need to get involved. We have to incorporate this new ‘eco-awareness’ into our packaging”.
SP GROUP is a pioneer in sustainability. We anticipate market trends with real solutions and take appropriate measures, making sustainability our primary objective. In the immediate future, our objectives are downgauging, incorporating reused and recycled materials, creating single-material recyclable structures, and developing biodegradable and compostable packaging.
We would also like to highlight some of our achievements in recent years that have helped us achieve our status as a sustainability pioneer:
- The considerable reduction (38 tonnes) of CO2 emissions at our Espiel plant in 2018.
- The incorporation of SOL to our range of materials, which has helped with downgauging and the elimination of chlorine products from high-barrier structures.
- The perfect combination of the SOL EFFICIENT laminate and the APET RESILIENT tray, which is 100% recyclable.
- The use of Offset and digital printing systems, which are environmentally friendly.
- The development of new materials, such as the two biodegradables materials in our SOL range.
Plastic has come under heavy criticism recently, but its use in modern life has actually led to important advances, including in our sector. Thanks to plastic packaging, products can be exported long distances, the shelf life of food products is longer and there are more transportation possibilities. Most importantly of all, though, natural resources are not destroyed in its manufacture, and less energy is used, which fosters sustainability.
Unfortunately, however, global production has increased considerably, and many countries have not been able to deal with the associated problem of waste management. The European Union is responsible for barely 2% of all the waste that ends up in the sea, but, as Francisco Bernal states, “we must make the most of our leadership in terms of innovation to become a driving force in world change towards a circular economy”.
All the actors in this process – governments, producers, processing companies such as SP GROUP, clients and consumers – need to get on board and play their part.
If you would like more information about any of our processes, please contact us by clicking here.