Cop26: What are we going to do about it?

As the dust settles on Cop26, it remains for businesses around the world to consider their environmental impact and the role they will play in helping to meet their country’s commitments to the Climate Pact.

At Duo, we’re more committed than ever to drive positive change and be transparent about what we do, and why we do it.

The majority of our customers are retailers, for whom sustainability has been top of the agenda for a number of years and is one of if not the main driver for most business decisions. Particularly with the growth in ecommerce from the pandemic, and the rise in consumer demand for retailers to evidence their sustainability claims and demonstrate how they’re using more sustainable processes and materials – especially when it comes to packaging.

So here are some of the changes we’ve already made, and what you can expect to see from us over the next 12 months.

1. We’re continuing to pioneer closed-loop recycling – a method that recycles plastics in isolation to protect the performance of the material. This means the same material can then be recreated and reused. This year to date, fossil derived virgin plastic has accounted for just 46% of our material output; the majority of our products have been produced using renewable GreenPE and recycled material.

2. Ecommerce growth is continuing at an incredible pace and demand for our products has increased considerably. We’re approaching this market growth both in the UK and internationally by putting sustainability first. We’ve identified opportunities for innovation and further growth via circular economy principles. Focusing on end-of-life packaging solutions, we’ll continue to work with our customers and suppliers to scrutinise any products that we bring to market to ensure they meet the necessary requirements to reduce environmental impact across the whole supply chain.

3. Since 2019 we’ve reduced our gas and electricity usage by investing in energy-efficient manufacturing equipment. Since January of this year, we’ve produced more than 730 tonnes of material made from carbon negative GreenPE.

4. We’ve developed a Carbon Footprint Calculator for our customers, so we’re able to accurately evidence the carbon footprint of their packaging and find ways to reduce this by working together.

5. Our waste partner helped our Manchester site to become a zero waste to landfill site, and we’re also an active member of the Manchester City of Trees initiative.

6. We’ve already helped over 65% of our customers meet the minimum threshold for recycled content in their packaging ahead of the UK Plastic Packaging Tax coming into effect from 1st April 2022.

To find out more, read about our Pact for the Planet here, or get in touch with our team today to discuss how we can make your packaging more sustainable.

As featured in Insider NW