We're committed to clean manufacturing.
We're focused on reducing energy usage, water usage and air emissions through targeted facility investments and other sustainable manufacturing initiatives.
Fighting Climate Change
We recognize our responsibility to address the challenges of global climate change. We're committed to measuring and reporting our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy and water consumption and waste generation in our operations around the world.
We encourage our vendors, partners and contractors to do the same. We will continue to run our global business in conjunction with our climate strategy, which includes:
Investing in Timberlands to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Sonoco owns approximately 55,000 acres of timberlands in South Carolina. Using methodology developed by the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., we estimate these trees have captured more than 200,000 tons of CO2 in 2019, which have offset our total greenhouse gas emissions by 14%.
Our Packaging Sustainability Commitments for 2025
Operation Clean Sweep® Partners
By 2025, Sonoco plans for all production facilities utilizing plastic pellets to have systems to prevent environmental discharge. Several of Sonoco’s plants are Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS) partners, pledging membership to an organization with a goal to prevent resin from entering the environment. The plants actively complete projects to achieve this resin-prevention goal.
For example, the Sonoco Waynesville plant installed filters in storm drains to capture any resin that may get outside the plant and trained employees in the proper way to contain resin pellets, flakes and powder before disposal. Leadership continues to encourage all employees to come to the OCS team with new ideas for improvement projects.
Preventing Contamination
“These efforts to prevent contamination are good for our waterways and animals in our environment, and it promotes safety inside our plants. We might not be able to fully control how our trays are disposed of by the end-use consumer, but we can control how we handle the plastic pellets, flake and powder around our plant and make a difference by proving our commitment to the environment.”
Savannah Marsh, Plant SPS Coordinator, Waynesville, NC
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25% reduction in total water usage
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16% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
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16% reduction in energy usage
Creating a Brighter Future for Our URB Mill System
We’re investing $115 million to transform our Hartsville, SC, corrugated medium machine into state-of-the-art uncoated recycled paperboard technology with an annual production capacity of 180,000 tons. Our goal is to become the largest and lowest cost producer of recycled paperboard in the world.
Cutting Back on Coal Consumption, an Indonesia Success Story
Sonoco has multiple energy efficiency projects focused on implementing improvements around the world. One successful project involved our Subang, Indonesia facility. The facility reduced coal consumption per ton steam by 18% from 2005 to 2021. This was achieved through productivity and usage optimization. After seeing early success in Subang, the team in Indonesia quickly rolled this model out to its Magelang facility, which saw a 36% consumption reduction from 2006 to 2020.
Sonoco is proud to work with the following certifying and reporting bodies:
This list is not exhaustive of all organizations Sonoco works with.
Sustainability Insights
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We think about the future of packaging and how it impacts our planet. We work every day to make better products.