Novolex targets 20% GHG emission reduction by 2025, says third sustainability report

05 Aug 2021 --- Novolex has introduced new disclosure targets in its third annual sustainability report, relating to raw material sourcing and the company’s 2020 pandemic response. 

Notably, Novolex’s new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target is to achieve a 20 percent reduction per ton of production by 2025. 

Since establishing its global GHG baseline in 2019, the company has reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 10 percent per ton of production. This progress is driven by renewable energy purchases and energy efficiency investments in its facilities. 

“2020 was a demanding year for everyone,” says Stan Bikulege, Novolex chairman and CEO. “Expanded disclosures in this year’s report provide greater transparency around our key values, such as our new GHG emissions reduction target, the use of renewable and recycled content, diversity and cybersecurity.”

Novolex’s new GHG emissions target is to achieve a 20 percent reduction per ton of production by 2025.Moreover, 49 percent of Novolex’s raw materials were derived from renewable or post-consumer recycled sources, up three percentage points from last year. For the third consecutive year, the company’s use of recycled resin remained at 24 percent.

Since its last report, four additional plants received safe quality food certification, bringing the company-wide total to 37 food safety-certified facilities.

Transparency in water use and air emissions 
“Transparency Triumphs,” crowned Innova Market Insights’ top F&B trend for 2021, spills over into the packaging industry as well. 

Novolex reveals it has emitted 24 metric tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx) in 2020, down one metric ton since last year. However, the company jumped from 586 to 608 metric tons of emitted volatile organic compounds (VOC) from 2019 to 2020.

“To track implementation of our environmental management systems, we conduct annual internal audits focused on compliance management,” reads the report. VOC emissions primarily arise from the use of inks for our products, while NOx and sulfur oxide emissions are from the operational use of natural gas. 

“Our ability to manage these emissions is tied to managing how we use energy at our operations. We plan to continue being transparent about these emissions and our efforts to reduce them.” 

Meanwhile, in terms of water consumption, Novolex outlines it is “unable to report” on total water withdrawn and consumed at all its global manufacturing sites in 2020. 

“In the future, we will seek to further understand our water use and identify priorities for our more water-intensive operations, such as our two recycling facilities and injection molding operations,” reads the report. 

Novolex invested in a new water treatment system at its North Vernon, Indiana, US recycling plant last October.

Eco-Products, a Novolex brand, introduced compostable trays as the latest addition to its line of foodservice products in April 2020.Growth in plant-based packaging
As the trend for single-use, virgin plastic in food packaging surges, Novolex made plans to add a new manufacturing line to produce more of its polylactic acid (PLA)-based Eco-Products cold beverage cups in 2020.

“PLA is very heat sensitive. In combination with the hygroscopic nature of the resin, this causes faster degradation than traditional resins,” Kim Hoeg, engineering director of plastics technology at Novolex, explains.

“That presents a narrower processing window from the time you heat the resin to when you cool it down. This requires an added level of precision.” 

The new manufacturing line, located at the Novolex manufacturing complex in Chattanooga, US, features state-of-the-art technology in thermoforming and extrusion equipment. 

The new line marked the latest in a series of investments over the last two years to build new manufacturing capability and increase the company’s capacity to produce products with renewable, biobased materials. 

Cybersecurity and COVID responses
With both physical and digital safety top of mind, Novolex invested in a cybersecurity program based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework v1.1. 

In addition, the program incorporates elements consistent with the ISO 27001 Information Security Management standard. 

In a company first, several Novolex plants transitioned to manufacture personal protective equipment during the pandemic outbreak, such as face shields and sanitary garments.

Others met the expanding requirements of the food and delivery segment with tamper-evident packaging and other products that enabled consumers to order in or cook at home.

Edited by Anni Schleicher