Scolmore unveils environmental initiatives
LIGHTING brand Scolmore has announced a number of initiatives the company has undertaken to limit the environmental impact of its warehouse operation.
One of the key aims for the business was to reduce the overall amount of packaging used in the warehouse.
The first step was to review the use of all the boxes and packaging in which products are received into the warehouse.
Instead of this packaging material being sent off for commercial waste recycling, it is now shredded on site and used for the subsequent packing up of products for distribution to customers.
An additional measure has seen the replacement of the original cardboard cushioning used to protect the products in boxes, with an alternative 100 per cent recycled polymer pillow packing solution which is 80 per cent recyclable. This has enabled the company to save the amount of protective packaging used, as well as the cost of the provision.
Additionally, Scolmore says that its cardboard supplier – Sandland Packaging – has recently become the first UK sheet plant to become fully carbon neutral.
The use of plastic tape to seal up boxes was another area for consideration. As well as being less recyclable than paper and taking longer to break down, plastic tape also relies on more complex resources and energy systems in the creation process. Scolmore now uses the eco-friendly paper tape alternative.
Commenting on the measures taken and resulting savings made, Lee Taylor, operations manager for Scolmore Group told the Circular Lighting Report: ‘Sustainability has been at the forefront of our operations for as long as I can remember, and we are continually taking measures to address our environmental impact.
‘With the focus on packaging reduction, we have not only saved on the amount of packaging and waste we use as a business but have also made significant cost savings in the process.
‘Our switch to paper tape means that we have saved 769,000 metres of plastic tape since the beginning of 2022.’
• Recolight offers special one-day training workshops on ‘Lighting product design for a Circular Economy’. Hosted by industrial designer Simon Fisher of F Mark, the CPD-accredited event explores the design criteria, regulations and standards to help lighting manufacturers apply and demonstrate circular economy principles in product development. More HERE.
