How can you have an eco-friendly supply chain?
The EcoBoard collection comes in six stock colours; White Ribbed, Black Ribbed, Blue, Grey, Kraft and Matt Black in various sizes ranging from a ring box to a postal box from the EcoPostal series. Our box makers have a readily available supply with the addition of the bespoke service to further customise the EcoBoard range with over 1000 additional colours to choose from, including Neenah and Extract paper made from recycled paper fibres and coffee cups, so you can get creative with your branding without compromising on quality or waste to give your customers the best initial experience with your product to meet their demands.
Since our inception in 1846, Potters has been at the forefront of sustainable packaging solutions. We currently use a cyclical supply chain to produce our EcoBoard boxes from our Kidderminster BoxMakers site, meaning our raw materials have been reused or recycled from another product or source from a UK-based supply chain. 'Normal' supply chains often produce a product, which gets used and then later discarded and often ends up in a landfill or worse, our rivers or seas – this is widely considered to be the norm in the UK with The Guardian stating plastic is in every river in the UK.
Before we start looking for other substances, we need to do a much better, more responsible job of what we do with the material we have already got.
Why do people not recycle?
Knowledge – Everyone knows the benefits of recycling, but not everyone knows what can be and cannot be recycled as not all plastic is recyclable.
It's an inconvenience – In England, local authorities dealt with over 1.13 million cases of fly-tipping in 2020/21 and the cost to taxpayers of cleaning up fly-tipping was £11.6 million. The trend of fly-tipping has been on the rise in the past few years.
It can be expensive – Coffee cups are not usually recyclable as the inner plastic must be removed from the paper cup through a specialised process and then the paper fibres can be recycled up to another six times!
The incentive is not obvious – Recycling waste properly may cost you money, but you could rest easy knowing your actions have made the effort to prevent further pollution and help drive the change of a cleaner future for generations to come.
What is a cyclical supply chain?
Cyclical supply chains operate like a flowing circle. Firstly, inputs and raw materials enter the supply chain to be manufactured into a product. Once the product is made it can then enter the relevant distribution channels, this could be through a distribution centre, a third party or direct to consumer. The product then reaches its final destination, this is where traditional supply chains would end however, in cyclical supply chains the product can either leave the cycle as waste or re-enter the start of the supply chain and be recycled to be used in manufacturing or reused.
How does EcoBoard use a cyclical supply chain?
The cyclical supply chain used in EcoBoard products means the paper fibres once came from recycled sources such as recyclable packaging and other paper waste. Paper on average can be recycled around five to seven times, which ensures that EcoBoard boxes are kind to the planet by reducing pollution and providing a high-quality packaging solution for your products.
The EcoBoard lines include EcoPostal which are designed to post as a Royal Mail large letter. They are made here in the UK at our Kidderminster BoxMakers who are artisan personified using traditional handmade methods dating back to the middle of the 20th century. This is to ensure every box produced is made with individual love and care, from the paper fibres responsibly sourced to the option of vegan glue from our bespoke service so our product can be fully customised to your every need.
