Sustainability

At Accurate Box, we regard environmental issues as integral and paramount to the running of our business. Sustainability is central to our overall business strategy.

Material is recyclable

Corrugated is recycled more than any other packaging material. In 2008, more than 80 percent of corrugated containers were recovered for recycling. The average corrugated box consists of 43 percent recycled fiber. Old corrugated containers are turned into containerboard, recycled paperboard, tissue, packaging and industrial converting, exports to other countries, and others.

Reduction in board fiber

1. We make stronger boxes using less material. For example, a high graphics corrugated box contains 15 percent less fiber than cartons. A carton made from 30 point virgin SUS board has a normal basis weight of 114 pounds whereas a high graphics corrugated box has a normal basis weight of 97 pounds consisting of a top sheet, medium, and liner. This equates to a 15% fiber reduction in using our constructed boxes. In the case of recycled fiber, our boxes represent a 19% fiber reduction.
2. Our Research and Development department perpetually evaluates and tests new high performing and lighter weight substrates in order to be on the leading edge of environmental stewardship (fiber reduction and increased recyclables) without compromising customer product performance.
3. Our product allows customers to cut down or eliminate secondary packaging. “From 1994 to 2008, the amount of corrugated used to ship a unit of domestic industrial production decreased by 21 percent.” We have contributed to this reduction by using stronger paper, efficient designs and improved manufacturing processes.

All major suppliers are Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified

We purchase our paper products from well managed forests. SFI participants are committed to maintaining, overseeing, and improving their sustainable forest lands. In fact, some suppliers are harvesting their sixth tree crop from the same plantation stands.

Reduce the carbon footprint

1. Accurate Box Company can ship nationwide without adding to the carbon footprint. Our east coast location permits us to arrange backhauls to virtually all customer locations, thus avoiding incremental CO2’s being emitted into the atmosphere.
2. Virgin fiber harvested from SFI forests is carbon neutral on the environment.
3. Fewer pounds of CO2 are emitted in transporting virgin fiber to paper mills than in transporting recovered fiber to paper mills (less distance travelled).
4. Reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and mercury: We are completing a program to replace all traditional lighting with compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs). These CFLs reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by some 75% to 80%. This new lighting requires less electricity than traditional lighting. This lower demand for electricity from coal-fired power plants will also translate into a reduction of mercury in the atmosphere.
5. Reduction in VOCs (volatile organic compounds): In order to reduce significantly the amount of VOCs released into the air during printing, we have switched to vegetable-based inks. Color in ink is provided by pigments, and traditional inks use petroleum based solution to carry the pigment in the ink. In vegetable-based inks, vegetable oil, such as soybean or corn oil, is substituted for petroleum as the pigment carrier.

Lean initiative to reduce waste

While the businesses philosophy is to minimize waste and increase productivity, many of the Lean techniques have environmental benefits. Lean results in less material use, less scrap, reduced water and energy use, and decreased number and amount of chemicals used. (EPA). In the coming months, we will share metrics that track the reductions in waste and raw material consumption.