Our Environmental,

Social & Ethical

Commitment
S P E C I A L T Y

P A C K A G I N G

S O L U T I O N S

By choosing Detpak packaging you are supporting a company deeply committed to

environmental and social responsibility and its not just about carbon footprinting and
protecting old growth forests but also looking after the people that work for us.
Supporting Our People. Corporate Social
Responsibility is a big phrase for a very simple
idea taking care of the community in which
we operate.
Detpak holds its responsibility in high regard
and our Social Accountability is audited regularly
by major global customers. We focus on areas
including fair hiring practices, safe working hours,
fair compensation and benefits, and workplace
safety in all manufacturing facilities.
Further to this, we ensure that pay is at or above
award wages for normal time and overtime it
all sounds simple but sadly some overseas
facilities do not conform to this thinking. Detpak
also chooses to invest in local communities
where plants are situated through sustainability
projects and infrastructure. We support many
charities including Ronald McDonald House, the
Breast Cancer Council and the Red Cross.

Sustaining Our Future. Being environmental is

an evolving process, and we learn more every
day about how our business can improve its
systems and processes to sustain the future
of this planet we all share.
We champion paper and board as t he
preferred packaging solution because it is
environmentally responsible. Strongly committed
to environmentally sound practices at all sites,
we ensure responsible sourcing, maximise the
re-use and recycling of materials, undertake
safe disposal of waste and encourage waste
minimisation throughout all processes.
Our products play an important role in the dayto-day operations of foodservice operators
worldwide, and we remain commit ted to
providing our customers wit h a range of
environmental choices for their packaging.

Sustainable Sourcing
Detpak uses paper and board only from
ethical and sustainable sources. Detpak
regularly audits its suppliers for evidence
of sustainability, such as FSC or PEFC
accreditation.
Sustainable Manufacturing Practices
In Detpak manufacturing plants we employ
practices such as: disposal of waste in line
with EPA-approved practices; minimisation
of manufacturing inputs, such as minimal
use of power, and minimisation of solvent
based inks and adhesives; re-using

M A K I N G

Your Environmental
Questions Answered
Do Detpak products contain
virgin or recycled content?
Detpak uses both virgin and recycled
material in its products. Every Detpak
product is designed specifically to be fit
for the purpose it was intended for - the
key f actor in determining t he t ype of
raw material we choose. We aim to use
mat er ials wit h a signif icant postconsumer recycled content, however
this is not always possible due to it s
limited suitability for food contact and the
reduced strength of the recycled fibre.
Are Detpak products recyclable?
Yes, because paper and board is a
natural product it is readily recyclable
if food contamination is minimal. Some
of our products contain a thin plastic or
foil lining for functionality, and for these
products you should check with your local
authorities to learn about their recycling
capability and infrastructure.
Are Detpak products biodegradable
and/or compostable?
Ye s , o u r 100 % p a p e r a n d b o a r d
products are naturally biodegradable

production set-up materials; and, using the

minimal amount of outer packaging.
Carbon Footprinting
Det pak is current ly wor king wit h an
external carbon management specialist
to provide independent analysis of
our carbon footprint, and strategies for
ongoing reductions.
Closing the Loop
Detpak are pro-actively working with
w ast e management and r e sour ce
r ecover y st akeholder s t o de velop
increasingly sust ainable out comes
for disposal of our products, such as
new recycling streams.

Use of Water, Soy or UV Inks

In excess of 90% of Detpaks products
utilise either water, soy or UV inks. These
inks are more environmentally friendly
than solvent based inks as they use
less non-renewable resources and
have low le vels of Volat ile Organic
Compounds ( V OC s), w hic h can be
hazardous to health and welfare.
Sourcing Alternate Materials
Detpak already offers, and is actively
invest igat ing and trialing, alternate
renewable materials to provide further
environment ally friendly opt ions for
its customers.

E N V I R O N M E N T A L
and compostable. Some of our products
contain a thin plastic or foil lining for
functionality, and for these products it is
only the paper/board component that will
biodegrade. Detpaks new Rebbit range
of products uses a bio-film lining, and so
is fully compostable where commercial
composting facilities are available.

Environmental
Jargon Explained
The environment is at the forefront of
everyones mind, but we know just how
confusing environmental jargon can
be! We are committed to educating our
customers so they can make informed
environmental decisions about their
packaging. The following terms may be
useful:
Renewable / Sustainable Resource:
A resource which can be sustained at
current levels if the current consumption
t r e nd cont inue s . A s con v e nt ional
plastics are derived from oil, they are not
sustainable resources. Paper and board
derived from properly managed timber is
a sustainable resource.
Sustainable Sourcing: Refers to the practice
of purchasing raw materials derived from

L E A P S

sustainable resources which are properly

managed to ensure ongoing feasibility of
that resource, e.g. plantation forests are a
sustainable source of paper.
Recyclable: A product or material is
recyclable if it can be separated, collected
and remanufactured into a new product.
Recycling facilities vary widely between
countries, and even within countries, so
the best policy is to check the capability
of your local authorities.
Biodegradable: Biodegradable items
are t hose in which t he degradat ion
result s f rom t he act ion of nat ur ally
occurr ing microorganisms such as
bact er ia, f ungi and algae. Nat ur al
materials such as paper are
biodegradable.
Compostable: Where products are correctly
described as compostable, this refers to
their suitability for treatment in a commercial
composter where they are exposed to the
optimal amounts of sunlight, temperature
and moisture to break-down in a set period
of time. The European Standard EN13432
is one of the most globally recognised
accreditations for composting, and outlines
the criteria a product must meet to be
considered 100% compostable.

F O R F U R T H E R IN F O R M AT IO N P L E A S E V I SI T O U R W E B SI T E : W W W.DE T PA K .C O M
Printed on 100% recycled paper.

Gen 09/2011

Detpak has worked with sustainable

practices over many years and it is an
area we continue to develop in fact
it has become second nature to us!