Sustainable Packaging

Innovating Sustainable Solutions.

Move sustainability forward with responsible packaging choices.

Concern over plastic waste continues to force brands to rethink the sustainability of their packaging. Consumers want to feel good about their purchases and its packaging. More than ever, they want the companies they buy from to practice sustainable and ethically-minded business. Consumers increasingly want recyclable and biodegradable packaging alternatives and look for brands with sustainable packaging. And they reward companies that embrace more environmentally friendly packaging. The potential impact of sustainability on brand value is clear.

We are influenced by packaging. Tracking research found that a majority of consumers think more highly of companies that use paper-based product packaging. Sustainable and recycled packaging has become a key method of differentiation. And more companies are reducing plastic packaging and looking for non-plastic packaging design alternatives.

Embrace plastic-free packaging.

Rethinking plastics starts with packaging. Did you know that paper recycling rates are nearly 7 times more than plastic? Only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled. Any time you replace plastic with paper, it does more than reduce plastic pollution. It also helps with climate change because the trees used to make paper absorb heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Paper is one of the few truly sustainable products. Paper is made from wood, a natural and renewable material. As young trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And paper continues to trap and store carbon dioxide throughout its lifetime.

Tree farmers plant, grow, harvest, and replant trees – just like farmers who grow other agricultural crops. By using paper and paper-based sustainable packaging, you are supporting tree farmers and giving them a reason to continue to grow trees on nearly 500 million acres of working forests in the United States.

The ability to easily collect and recycle a product is critical to a circular economy. Paper has a higher likelihood of being disposed of properly and recycled. Paper is fairly easy to recycle back into paper, making it a very sustainable packaging option. It is a non-synthetic material whose manufacturing process does not rely on chemical reactions. Paper packaging has the highest recovery rate of any packaging material in the United States – further reducing waste.

Design choices directly impact the complexity and economics of recycling. The wide differences in recycling rates among different material-format combinations indicate the importance of packaging design to enhance after-use economics.

We create packaging products with their death in mind^TM.

At JBM Packaging, every day is Earth Day. We’re on a mission to help our customers evolve to plastic-free sustainable packaging alternatives. Packaging affects the entire supply chain – from the material producer, to the brand owner and retailer, to waste and recycling organizations. And back again.

Our environmental commitment is embedded in our Core Values – Passion for a Better World. We create products with their “death” in mind. Understanding the overall environmental impact of the products we manufacture helps drive our Passion for a Better World. We consider the life (how it is created and used) and death (how it affects the environment thereafter) of our packaging products. We strive to manufacture products from renewable, paper-based substrates because we keep the death of our products in mind. Incremental steps lead to significant improvements.

We apply our innovation mindset to the environment. We can help you shift to paper-based packaging to keep the environment free from harmful waste. We evaluate multiple design options to solve the challenge of transitioning from plastic to paper packaging.

Sustainable packaging requires rethinking package design. We build in sustainability from the very beginning of our packaging development cycle with product design and raw materials sourcing. We innovate towards material and format designs for improved recyclability, without sacrificing functionality. Our Innovation Team custom designs solutions to reduce packaging materials and sizes and sources environmentally appropriate papers, biodegradable window sheets, and recyclable water-based and vegetable oil-based inks. Our team works with you to package your products in an effort to best balance sustainability with the needs of functionality, branding, or logistics. We help design and produce right-sized sustainable packaging to reduce waste, improve recycling opportunities, and increase efficiency.

We fully encourage recycling programs. Our paper-based products are 100% recyclable and fully biodegradable. From translucent glassine to Hydroblox^TM water-resistant papers. Glassine envelopes and bags are sustainable packaging alternatives to plastics, films, and foils. Free from coatings or dyes. The smooth glossy appearance is the result of the supercalendaring papermaking process, not waxes or coatings. Our paper suppliers are FSC® and/or SFI® certified mills and use the elemental chlorine free (ECF) manufacturing process.

Eco-friendly packaging doesn’t have to be brown.

Innovations in ink technologies unlock new opportunities for sustainable packaging. Not all inks are created equal. Recyclable water-based and soy-based inks significantly lower the environmental impact over solvent inks. Our expertise with premium printing applications such as strike through varnish, soft touch and spot coatings will make your packaging stand out.

Our Innovation Team has created custom printed sustainable packaging across industries – from apparel and food applications, to home goods and skin care pouches. By collaborating with JBM for your packaging solution, you’re sourcing a paper-based product made from renewable resources that’s also recyclable, helping you reinforce your eco-friendly brand image.

Supporting responsibly sourced materials.

Forests are a renewable resource that is continuously replenished using sustainable forest management programs. Forests supply us with a source of renewable material for our products while protecting wildlife, soil, and water quality, and provide habitat for many species and ecosystems.

Forest certification programs provide supply chain assurance of responsibly sourced wood. By using responsibly sourced paper products from renewable materials, you support healthy forests, wildlife, and responsible forest management.

Supporting responsible forest management is a rewarding part of the work we do. JBM Packaging has independent third-party certifications to the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) standards. These Chain of Custody certifications verify that the source of the wood supply is tracked from the forest to the product.

FSC® Chain of Custody Certified

The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) is an independent, non-profit organization that protects forests for future generations. FSC provides global standards for forest management which cover a balance of environmental, economic, and social aspects. The FSC system provides a way of tracking forest products through independently verified Chain of Custody certification. This has to cover every stage in processing, conversion, distribution and printing before the final product can carry the FSC® label. FSC certification is globally recognized as being the most credible and stringent system for ensuring well-managed forests.

SFI® Chain of Custody Certified

Internationally recognized and accepted, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) program is the world’s largest single forest certification standard. SFI is a solutions-oriented sustainability organization that collaborates on forest-based conservation and community initiatives that demonstrate and enhance our shared quality of life, while providing supply chain assurances through standards, data, and authentic stories. SFI Standards promote sustainable forest management in North America and responsible procurement of forest products around the world.

The success of our company depends on responsible environmental stewardship. JBM Packaging is committed to implementing and maintaining the procedures required to comply with the Chain of Custody requirements as set forth by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forestry Stewardship Council standards.

Packaging for a greener tomorrow.

Take a closer look at your packaging. We’ve helped customers evolve to plastic-free packaging alternatives. From replacing plastic bags with custom designed recyclable glassine sleeves for drinkware, to substituting polyester bags and stickers with custom branded envelopes sealed with Pull ‘n Stick adhesive for personal care products. With sustainability integrated into how we think and what we make, our customers are confident their packaging reflects their brand values and sustainability goals.

Our choices do make a difference. We persistently explore the best ways to create sustainable packaging solutions that lower our customers’ environmental footprints as well as our own. Read more about choosing a sustainable packaging supplier.

Sources: Paper & Packaging Board; EPA; PaperRecycles.org; Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Sappi; Ellen MacArthur Foundation