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Our Approach to Sustainability
Great Northern feels a responsibility to help the world and people around us. We have the means to make a difference and we intend to take advantage of our position to help others and the environment.
Materials
Paper-based packaging is made from natural renewable sources such as trees. Over 50% of paper packaging is made from logging that is done in a controlled, renewable process. Forest product companies are in the business of growing and harvesting trees. In fact, each year in the U.S., it’s estimated that the logging industry harvests 900 million trees and replants 2.5 billion according to Daneson, an American toothpick manufacturer.
Production
Great Northern manufacturing facilities meet all applicable Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state, and local environmental rules and regulations to minimize our impact to the air, soil and water. To protect the local communities in which we operate, Great Northern strictly follows the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act reporting thresholds for any hazardous chemicals that may be used.
Distribution
Working with our internal logistics partner, the Great Northern team has successfully implemented several initiatives that have enabled us to improve our logistics through more efficient routing, better cube utilization of trailers and fewer empty hauls. Our own System 3000 inventory management program is user-friendly and allows you to quickly and efficiently replenish packaging inventories.
Use
Our structural design team will work with you to create impactful, efficient packaging solutions. Whether it’s SKU consolidation, setup labor savings, size and orientation analysis, cube utilization, trailer or warehouse maximization or package equipment recommendations — we have over 70 experienced structural designers and engineers on staff to provide you with innovative packaging solutions to safely get your products to market.
Product End of Life
When all is said and done and the package is no longer needed, it gets thrown away. Since corrugated packaging is renewably sourced, it has a high recycling rate, of 93%. It decomposes about 400 – 1,000 years faster than plastic. Finally, when corrugated is recycled it can be used 7-10 times to make new boxes and other paper products.
Watch our recorded webinar Paper vs Plastic: Which Solution Is More Sustainable? to learn more about the benefits of paper packaging!
VIDEO: SAFELY DELIVERING GOODS TO CUSTOMERS
Check out this video from the Fibre Box Association (FBA): Corrugated Packages – Safely delivering goods to customers worldwide.
ACCESS OUR FULL CSR PROGRAM
Learn more about our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and request to download the full version of our Corporate Responsibility Report:
Learn More About our CSR Program