CardPak Leads in Environmentally-Sustainable Packaging

CardPak Leads in Environmentally-Sustainable Packaging
As the printing and packaging industries adopt green initiatives in manufacturing processes, CardPak leads in its initiatives.

CardPak Inc., a manufacturer of environmentally sustainable packaging products, was an early proponent of the "green" movement, and offers a complete line of packaging solutions that reduce the amount of total materials and plastics used in retail packaging, thereby reducing the company's, retailers' and end-users' carbon footprints.

"We are very dedicated to the growing movement to protect the environment," said Tony Petrelli, president, CardPak. "Aside from manufacturing our products with recycled renewable and/or sustainable materials, CardPak also has adopted a lean manufacturing strategy which reduces manufacturing waste and recycles scrap fiber waste, while reducing energy consumption in our manufacturing processes."

Taking that a step further, CardPak is joining with the Solon schools and the National Paperboard Packaging Council in sponsoring the Trees Into Cartons, Cartons Into Trees Program. TICCIT (pronounced "ticket") is an outreach and education program highlighting the natural renewability and sustainability of paperboard packaging. And at the center of TICCIT is a mainstay of the typical school day: the milk carton.

As part of TICCIT, milk cartons are collected out of schools' waste streams and re-used for planting new trees. Seeds and saplings are planted in the cartons, and then the new "carton-and-tree units" are planted in the ground. The cartons provide protection and a natural "water funnel" for the new trees. As the trees grow, the cartons break down, completing the trees into cartons, cartons into trees cycle.

The company's environmental efforts have not gone unnoticed. CardPak recently received an "Evolution of Manufacturing" Award from Smart Business Cleveland magazine. The magazine recently honored 15 innovative Northeast Ohio companies who have adopted "green" initiatives in their manufacturing processes.

"We are very proud to receive this honor, and we are grateful that our efforts in environmental manufacturing processes and products are being noticed," Petrelli added.

-- CardPak Inc.