Packaging Circular Solutions

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Techbuyer is a leading voice when it comes to IT sustainability worldwide – it's at the heart of who we are and what we believe in. We are focused on removing or reducing the negative effects business can have on the environment. As a big part of that, our Technical Facilities Teams strive to ensure the shipments our facilities handle are dealt with as efficiently and sustainably as possible.  

A primary concern is how we deal with waste and our use of plastic, especially with regards to packaging – an issue we explore in depth in our white paper, Packaging Circular Solutions White Paper. This paper highlights the team’s projects, processes and progress over the past few years. 

Waste Mountain is Growing 

Waste is a major problem globally and here in the UK with billions of tonnes of plastic packaging ending up in landfill every year. In fact, according to the World Bank, the UK generates more than 2 billion tonnes of solid waste every year – or 0.74 kg per person per day – and this is forecast to increase to 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050. 

So waste is a big problem with an enormous environmental impact. However, getting rid of it in an environmentally sound way is not straightforward as our white paper reveals: of the 222.2 million tonnes of waste produced in the UK in 2018, less than half was recycled or recovered.

What happened to the rest? Unfortunately, it ended up in landfill, was released into bodies of water, or was simply burned. As a result, waste management accounts for 4% of UK emissions – or ~16.2 million tonnes CO2e. 

Why is Packaging a Problem?

When it comes to packaging, plastic in one form or another is often a significant element. In general, it can’t be described as a basis for sustainable packaging. Plastic is environmentally harmful in a number of ways, aside from adding to the waste mountain. Its production requires the use of finite oil supplies, and it is also highly polluting. 

At Techbuyer, we fully understand that the use and misuse of plastic is a major problem, and our researchers have dedicated time and effort to get to grips with the issue and find solutions.  One of the main concerns is that around 60% of the plastic the UK brings to market every year is single-use and two-thirds of that becomes waste, according to Statista. 

So what about recycling, does that promote the sustainable packaging ethos? Well, that’s often put forward as a solution, but the fact is just 9% of plastic waste has been recycled and, according to Statista, the UK’s recycling rate stands at only 44%. There are many reasons for this, as our Packaging Circular Solutions white paper reveals. 

We are seeing sustainable packaging options becoming more prevalent: plant based packaging options are growing in popularity, reusable packaging is seen more throughout shops and biodegradable packaging design is increasing in use. At Techbuyer we are doing our part to innovate the way in which we create and deal with packaging solutions.

Sustainable Packaging Solutions 

Working with sustainability packaging companies, as Techbuyer does with our supplier Direct Foam and Packaging, is a positive step. In Techbuyer’s case, though, we’ve made determined efforts to find an answer to the question: what is sustainable packaging?

Our work with Direct Foam resulted in a new product that is made from 70% recycled material, rather than the traditional 7% of recycled plastic, and demonstrates a successful sustainable packaging example. This material is also a solution to recyclable packaging, increasing the circularity of the materials we use in our business.

In general, however, educating consumers and making the process as easy as possible are both critical in dealing with the problem on a wide scale. 

From an education perspective, for example, most consumers would assume that replacing plastic with supposedly sustainable packing materials like paper or card would resolve the crisis. Yet, while that can bring some benefits, 26% of paper and card still goes to landfill – just one of the problems associated with its production. 

However, there are legislative efforts being made to promote sustainable packaging in the UK and sustainable packaging design. A plastics packaging tax has been introduced across Europe, called the UK Plastic Packaging Tax, which penalises companies creating or using packaging with less than 30% recycled plastics.

In practise, it won’t apply to most companies because they have to import 10 tonnes to hit the threshold. However, this tax encourages the development of sustainable plastic packaging to avoid upcoming legislation. This one change has already made it easier to access more sustainable packaging materials from the market, as suppliers are bringing more products out with 30%+ recycled content. 

Techbuyer's recyclable and sustainable packaging solutionsTechbuyer's recyclable and sustainable packaging solutions

It’s Not Only Sustainable Packaging 

Of course, sustainability is not limited to packaging. Our research teams are actively involved in initiatives looking to boost sustainability across the board. For instance, in 2021, Techbuyer collaborated with the UK Research Institute to develop improved methods for measuring and improving data centre energy efficiency. We constructed a generic server wind tunnel that allows us to test the effect of temperature and air pressure on server performance. 

Elsewhere, our project with the University of East London is helping change the way that data centre managers think about server refreshes. That research has been added to the world-leading academic publication, the IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Computing. The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the world’s largest technical professional organisation dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. From this ground-breaking work, Techbuyer launched a new business, Interact.  

Since this launch, we have had further publications released, including our report on the effect of BIOS on server efficiency, published in the IEEE Explorer. Interact analyses the energy efficiency of server configurations across multiple brands and generations using its one-of-a-kind software tool. Read more about the Interact tool here.  

That’s a Wrap: The Last Word on Sustainable Packaging 

Not only does the move to developing and utilising sustainable packaging help the environment, it also has commercial benefits. 

In fact, as a recent article by Inc. reveals, sustainable packaging is the primary influence on buying decisions for environmentally aware customers. In addition, eco-friendly packaging also plays a major role in customer retention and therefore generates more sales, a crucial consideration for any business. 

Here at Techbuyer, we are dedicated to making the production and use of sustainable packaging the norm rather than the exception, and our efforts have already produced some remarkable results.  

A few of our achievements so far show that we have avoided 21,732 m2 of single-use plastic per year, and we’ve instigated 100% recyclable alternatives to envelope wallets and anti-static bags. On top of that, we’ve replaced 15,590 kg of unrecyclable packaging foam on an annual basis with a 70% recycled and 100% recyclable solution.

For further information on how you can become more sustainable in packaging and to gain a full picture of Techbuyer’s leading work in the sustainability arena, head over to our white paper: Packaging Circular Solutions. To find out more about how we can help you actualise your sustainability goals, explore our unique range of services here.