At Sigma Stretch Film we pride ourselves in providing and maintaining a healthy environment for our employees and the citizens of the communities where we do business.
Our policy, to this end, includes:
- Minimizing emissions from our operations.
- Complying with all local, state/provincial, and federal environmental laws and regulations.
- Being open and communicative with information on environmental issues relating to our employees and to the local communities.
- Constantly reviewing and incorporating technical improvements into our facilities to protect the environment.
- Conserving our natural resources through reduction, recycling and reuse.
- Ensuring that we reuse all internally rejected product in our manufacturing process.
- Diligently collaborating with our supply partners to develop new products and processes that reduce our GHG emissions.
- Utilizing our Packworx facility to create tailor-made solutions to enhance our clients’ efficiencies and the reduction of damaged goods in the distribution channel (Rite-Gauging®).
- Provide sales and technical training to our distribution partners’ Sales Professionals to support the development of creative, customized packaging solutions that minimize the amount of film required to safely unitize products for shipment.
Sustainability and plastic are two words that most people believe
“DO NOT BELONG TOGETHER”
but this simply is not true.
At Sigma Stretch Film we believe that they go hand in hand, but this requires a broader, more in-depth understanding of the true benefits of stretch film and the positive environmental impact of our products.
Reusing Cores as well as reducing the wall thickness of Machine and Hand Film cores by approximately 20%. The result is a reduction in CO2 equal to 10 tons per truckload of Machine grade cores and 6.7 tons per truckload of Hand Film cores. In addition, 5,600 fewer gallons of water are used per truckload of Machine grade cores and 3,300 gallons less in Hand film cores.
Sigma’s manufacturing locations are intended to minimize transit of finished goods to our customers. One of the largest contributors to a company’s carbon footprint is transportation of the finished product. By having all products in all locations and spacing the locations out across North America, Sigma has a network of plants that keeps transit distances short.
We continue to look at new ways to package our product to minimize the amount of packaging required to effectively protect the film during transit. We offer a multitude of handwrap products in a bulk format eliminating the need for any corrugated boxes.
Everything that comes out of our dies is either sold as first grade product or recycled internally and used in less demanding products. We do not throw away or sell plastic scrap! We actively promoted recycling stretch film before it was the political and social hot topic it is today.
We built our Packworx facility in Shelbyville, KY. Packworx is an education center aimed at reducing damage resulting from improperly wrapped loads. By reducing typical damage and preventing returns and re-ships, we can take thousands of trucks off the road every year. By the end of 2020 we have trained over 2000 stretch film sales professionals, engineers, technicians, and clients on the proper way to use stretch film.
Reducing the amount of packaging we use to protect our products is a key initiative and the most important consideration is ensuring the product is adequately protected from damage during transport, so it does not end up having to be landfilled. We spent months engineering, sourcing and testing various designs and developed a solution that not only enhances the protection and safety capabilities of our palletized products, but also requires 300,000 LBS less polyethylene.
Energy efficiency is also of paramount importance to Sigma Stretch Film. Our newest lines are 15% more efficient than the older styles. Additionally; as older DC motors wear out, they are being replaced with more efficient AC motors and drives. We are also replacing warehouse lighting that is 50% more efficient than the older technologies.
We have developed a holistic approach, based on sound scientific and engineering principles for wrapping pallets, called Rite-Gauging®. This proprietary process determines the correct amount of film required to unitize and transport goods from point A to point B, in as-made condition, reducing unsaleables (products that cannot be sold due to damage).
Some key elements to the Rite-Gauging® methodology:
Properly maintained equipment: Equipment should be running at its peak performance to get the most out of the wrapping application. Poorly maintained equipment creates poorly wrapped products & wastes film.
Operator training: Everyone involved in wrapping pallets needs to understand the requirements of each pallet in order to unitize it properly, regardless of whether it is a machine or hand application.
Consistency: Develop a wrap standard that meets the requirements for safe transport and ensure that EVERY pallet is packaged to that standard.
Monitoring: Periodic assessment of how pallets are being wrapped to ensure they are within the developed standard.
The simple steps of Rite-Gauging® can have a positive impact on the environment by reducing damages of products during transport as well as using less stretch film to achieve that goal.
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