Parkside’s SME Climate Hub pledge

Parkside, a UK-based packaging solutions provider with manufacturing sites in Asia, has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable operations following its successful pledge to the SME Climate Hub as part of the United Nation’s Race to Zero campaign, the company said. 

In June, the flexible packaging manufacturer completed its first public report, which came with an official badge, after initially pledging to the scheme last year.

Pledging to the SME Climate Hub commitment guarantees a business is actively working to reduce its environmental impact through targeted strategies to lower both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions up and down the value chain.

In order to fulfill their pledge, businesses must take concrete steps to halve their emissions by 2030 and be Net Zero by 2050, in line with the UN’s recommended targets. “Public pledges like this prove that small-to-medium-sized companies can take real, measurable action in the fight against climate change,” said Sarah Cadwallader, Sustainability coordinator at Parkside. “Sustainability is ingrained in our DNA, and we know how important it is to many of our customers too.

“Businesses of all sizes can play a huge part in fighting climate change, and we’re proud of our team who embody our sustainable values every single day. We’ve always been committed to helping our customers meet their sustainable packaging goals – and now we have a public pledge to demonstrate our commitment.”

In order to publicly report Parkside’s emissions via the SME Climate Hub, a thorough analysis of the company’s daily operations, supply chains, and customer relationships is conducted. Parkside has adapted its business operations to keep emissions to a minimum – for example, holding virtual meetings where possible to reduce transport emissions, and strategically ordering materials to reduce the number of inbound deliveries it receives. It also utilizes waste materials for make-ready, reclaims the solvent it uses, and constantly innovates to provide new recyclable or compostable packaging solutions for its customers.

“Sustainability is a process, not a destination, and so there is always more we can do,” added Sarah. “But this pledge proves we are prioritizing sustainability and moving in the right direction. Parkside is proud to be a business set for the future.”

Parkside is a packaging solutions provider specializing in compostable, recyclable, paper-based and innovative plastic flexible packaging solutions for the food, personal & household care and tobacco sectors. The company is a global supplier with manufacturing sites in both the UK & Asia and is headquartered in Normanton, West Yorkshire.

7 pillars of sustainability packaging

Earlier this year, Parkside had launched its new strategy refocusing its position as an innovator and fully encompassing sustainability-based solutions provider. 

Over the last decade, Parkside says it has focused on its popular range of flexible packaging solutions including a market leading compostable range, alongside its long-standing tobacco offering, enjoying significant success in markets across Europe and Asia. Building on this success, Parkside has announced the launch of a comprehensive range of sustainable solutions after identifying key USPs and gaps in the flexible packaging market. The refocused offering considers factors such as responsible resourcing, product protection, and end-of-life options. 

The ‘7 Pillars of Sustainability’ portfolio reflects the company’s significant expertise in flexible packaging development. The range comprises light weight and low carbon footprint designs, solutions utilizing recycled content, recyclable monopolymer films, renewable paper and certified compostable materials (home and industrial), formats with high barrier performance for extended product shelf life and reduced waste, and new structures to maximize reuse and refill options. 

Group Sales director, Paul McKeown, said, “Despite the pandemic, we have had a remarkably successful couple of years. We redefined our full range of capabilities during this period and believe we now have a unique offering in the flexibles market. From renewable paper solutions and packs containing post-consumer recycled content, to lightweight low carbon packs or reclosable lidding films, we have a unique capability to provide brands with a solution, whatever their sustainability objective. At the end of the day, there is no single answer to developing a sustainable pack. It depends on the lens you choose to look through and the goals of the business. 

“With new legislation and increasing demand for packaging innovation, we are strategically positioned to capitalize on our ability to offer a full range of sustainable flexible packaging solutions, whatever the goals of the brand, retailer or packer from an environmental perspective” he said. 

“The key to sustainable packaging is creating solutions that help brands and consumers to reduce, remove, reuse, recycle and renew. At Parkside, we have the capabilities to address all these needs,” said McKeown. “We can also apply these to a wide range of market sectors, enabling us to simultaneously move into new categories and grow in the ones in where we already operate.” 

To support the new offering, Parkside has redesigned its website to showcase the complete range of technologies, alongside industry-leading knowledge, latest innovations, packaging expertise, and an overview of the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy all of which is now accessible on a contemporary interface. The new-look website boasts a host of additional features and updates, with the fresh layout enabling easier navigation and sourcing of accurate and straightforward information. 

McKeown continued, “Developing the new website has enabled us to present our full range of innovative solutions and expertise to our customers in a more user-friendly way. The updated platform is easier to navigate and enables us to bring our knowledge and assistance to our customers seamlessly. All information can be found quickly and easily, and the new design has been specifically created to handle this significant extra web traffic and improve the overall user experience.” 

Success at awards event

Parkside took the spotlight at the UK’s Environmental Packaging Awards following a double win at the inaugural awards ceremony.

The Environmental Packaging Awards brought together leaders from across the industry to celebrate the latest and greatest sustainable innovations. Parkside won a Gold in the fresh food category for its compostable lidding film developed for organic veg box company Riverford Organic Farmers, and a Silver in the Chilled and Frozen Food category for its recyclable freezer-ready paper pack, produced for supermarket giant Iceland.