Supporting a 'greenbox' initiative

Recent efforts reflect the companies’ leading-edge efforts in both of these areas as part of their "greenbox" initiative.

Diamond purchases clean, renewable wind energy for all its electrical energy requirements. Its sources are Rochester Gas & Electric and Community Energy.

Diamond is purchasing more than 6.7 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy credits over the next year. The company estimates the environmental benefit equals the offsetting of about 4,156 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. That’s also the annual equivalent of either planting 3,744 acres of trees or eliminating 10.4 million car-driven miles.

Another component of the company’s greenbox effort is a commitment to balancing business objectives with environmental considerations. Diamond promotes sustainability in its package-design and material-selection operations, and in its production methods. As a result, the company reduces waste and shipping costs while also making production more efficient.

David Rydell, vice president of technical development, and Dennis Bacchetta, director of marketing, lead Diamond’s sustainability task force. Plant managers and members of the design, materials, and production departments at both Diamond and DCM round out the team.

"We also look to our suppliers—paper, plastics, inks, coating, foils, and recycling companies—to offer their strategies and best practices for sustainability," Bacchetta adds.

Bacchetta offers advice for companies delaying their entry into sustainable packaging.

"The topic of sustainability is so broad that it can be difficult to know where to start—package design, manufacturing, recycling, energy requirements, etc. It makes sense to identify internal resources that can facilitate the transition to sustainability and begin by making incremental improvements."