Environmental
Bemis Company views environmental responsibility as an integral part of good corporate citizenship and an essential consideration in the products we manufacture, the processes we employ and the research and development activities that we carry out. The following general principles summarize our commitment to sound environmental practices:
Products
- Function
- We manufacture lightweight, energy-efficient packaging that performs a highly utilitarian service. For example, our primary market is the food industry, for which we provide quality flexible packaging that plays a major role in reducing losses and extending freshness of perishable foods in the lightest types of protective materials available.
- Purity/Integrity
- We produce packaging designed for hygienic product delivery, reducing food spoilage and protecting the purity of food, pharmaceutical and other products. Our packaging also provides valuable consumer information. In all of our products we strive to use environmentally safe materials.
- Overall Environmental Impact
- We view our products in regard to energy-efficiency and environmental impact throughout the entire life cycle—from raw materials acquisition, processing, manufacture and distribution to reuse, disposal or recycling. Our products are environmentally compatible: they generally are lighter weight than alternative types of packaging, create less solid waste, are energy-efficient to produce, are generally chemically inert and desirable for incineration because of their high fuel content, and in many cases are recyclable.
Processes
- High Environmental Standards
- We are committed to operating clean, safe, energy-efficient manufacturing facilities, and work to comply with or exceed community, state and federal standards. Environmental considerations are a component in all capital investment decisions to increase operating efficiency, expand manufacturing capabilities or further reduce waste or emissions.
- Quality and Consistency
- We strive to achieve consistent high quality in every run, order and re-order, with minimal defects and waste. To assure quality, we carry out ongoing employee training and product testing. We support our quality improvement programs by operating some of the industry’s most technologically sophisticated testing laboratories.
- Source Reduction
- We are committed to continued product downsizing, where applicable, and to the reduction of manufacturing wastes and emissions through: equipment advances, process changes, employee programs and in-line recycling. For example, in our Polyethylene Packaging Division, we operate our own repelletizing equipment and reprocess or re-sell the majority of our in-plant polyethylene trim. We strive to dispose of any remaining wastes in the most responsible manner. We also are involved in numerous programs to evaluate disposal options available, such as new markets for re-use of scrap and new incineration technologies.
- Research and Development
- We are committed to a strong research and development program that is designed to give our customers cost-effective solutions, technological advances, improved products performance and environmentally responsible developments. We routinely work on a partnership basis with our customers and our raw materials suppliers, drawing upon the multiple resources of our related businesses to responsibly meet changing needs.
Disposal
- Landfill
- Our products are generally light weight, low volume and compactible, thereby providing a significant source reduction in landfill disposal over heavier, bulkier materials. Our plastic packaging products are also chemically inert, preventing deterioration into harmful components.
- Incineration
- With current technologies, most of our products can be safely incinerated. Because of the high BTU value of our plastic materials, these products can greatly improve combustion and help create a more efficient, more complete incineration process.
- Recycling
- After the primary mission of our products is completed, most are recyclable into similar or other usable products, or into energy through the incineration process. We support and encourage environmental labeling or coding that is voluntary, accurate and informative. Where appropriate, we imprint our rigid plastic containers with the Society of Plastics numeric codes to facilitate sorting for recycling.