Objectives of the initiative
At Cascades, the ecodesign of our products is the foundation of our sustainability principles. With this in mind, we launched a source reduction project for our low-density polyethylene (LDPE) packaging.
Specifically, we optimized the weight of nine toilet paper products packaging of Cascades Fluff & Tuff brand. Although this packaging is already made from 100% post-industrial recycled (PIR) plastic resin, we chose to go a step further by reducing the amount of material used.
This ecodesign project supports several complementary objectives, ranging from reducing the amount of plastic used at source to improve operational efficiency and to lower manufacturing costs.
Challenges
The ongoing challenge with this type of optimization is maintaining quality standards. In the case of our packaging made from 100% recycled resin, reducing the amount of material used could increase the risk of visible impurities in the plastic. Furthermore, too much variation could also cause issues at the production lines, as machines are programmed to seal the plastic at a specific temperature and speed. Working closely with our printing partner, we determined a film thickness that would not compromise quality and would remain consistent for sealing at the production lines.
Benefits
The LDPE packaging weight reduction—which had already been implemented for some of our products—has now been extended to nine additional products. This means that 100% of the Cascades Fluff & Tuff brand portfolio now features optimized packaging, with an average weight reduction of 6.6%.
There are many benefits to this approach:
Environmental Benefits:
Based on a life cycle assessment (LCA) conducted in 2023 by an independent third party, we know, for example, that packaging can account for approximately 6% of the total carbon footprint of a tissue paper product made from recycled fibres.
Therefore, reducing waste at source helps to:
- Reduce environmental impacts associated with the processing of plastic resin, the raw material used in our tissue products packaging.
- Lower environmental impacts associated with the end-of-life phase of LDPE packaging, since less material is introduced into the market per package
- Contribute to the overall reduction of our products’ environmental footprint, supporting Cascades’ ecodesign objectives
Economic Benefits
- Reduced raw material costs
- Optimized production costs through packaging standardization
- Increased efficiency for printing partners
Operational and Logistical Benefits
- Simplified and standardized packaging
- Improved production performance
