By: Joshua Finley
Growing a business from the ground up takes a lot of work. You have to be a savvy businessperson who puts a lot of time and energy into being successful. A good business idea with a good execution can help you plant roots, but what will help your business flourish? Sustainability may help your business grow while taking care of the planet. Practicing the 3Rs of sustainability: reduce, reuse, and recycle, will help ensure your business is hitting its success out of the ballpark.
This sentiment is essential for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies and manufacturers. Did you know that the manufacturing industry produces nearly 1,800 pounds of waste for every person it employs? No matter what material it sends into the landfills, these numbers show how big the carbon footprint is for manufacturing companies. Studies also show that 9% of plastic has been recycled throughout history. To protect the environment against climate change, CPG companies must make sustainable changes to kickstart a sustainability movement.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle are the three easy steps to achieving this goal. However, creating a circular economy does not happen on its own. CPG companies can invest in advanced recycling practices to ensure that no recyclable material is left behind, so hopefully, that 9% will increase.
“CPG companies have a unique opportunity to drive sustainability by embedding the 3 R’s—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—into their operations. Reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling efficiently are essential for fostering a circular economy where products and materials are used longer. When companies are intentional about their sustainability efforts, consumers take note and are more likely to support brands that align with their values,” says JD Ambati, Founder & CEO of EverestLabs.
One easy way for manufacturing companies to implement this level of sustainability is to invest in AI robotic technology that automates the recycling process. Combining robots and AI makes the recycling process more efficient and accurate because it helps ensure that all recyclable materials are properly sorted. Not only does this type of technology make the process faster, but it can also identify new or contaminated materials and sort them from the recyclable ones. This is revolutionizing the recycling industry so that the earth is protected and waste is taken care of.
“Facilities often can’t find enough staff to work in the recycling plants. Staffing for manual sortation roles is extremely challenging. Combined with inefficient equipment and staffing challenges, recycling plants are losing billions of materials to landfills. The goal is to leave no recyclable behind, and these robots ensure more materials are recovered at recycling facilities, resulting in a stronger circular economy,” Ambati says.
Not only does this benefit the environment, but investing in sustainability can help companies grow more than they might realize. When CPG companies practice better recycling habits or switch to more sustainable packaging materials, consumers can be encouraged to invest in their products. Nowadays, some people consider environmentally-friendly packaging or the brand mission when spending money. The more a company shows its focus on the environment, the more people will invest. There is a huge return on investment regarding recycling and sustainability.
Helping the environment is a key characteristic defining the success of companies across the board. Reducing, reusing, and recycling are easy to implement at the household and manufacturing levels. The more people take care of the planet and recycle, the better. CPG companies can kickstart the movement of sustainability that will create real change, and that will only help businesses grow.
Published by Stephanie M.
