Stockport manufacturer, Arden Group, has gone plastic-free, no longer using plastic in all its external packaging for customers.
The Arden Group, which has its headquarters in Marple, specialises in die and tooling manufacture for the paper-based packaging and carton industries. In its Dies and Engraving divisions, the company has completely removed all plastic in its tooling shipments to customers, switching to cardboard and card-wrap for all its packaging. The move is part of the manufacturer’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and taking action on plastic pollution.
Sarah Poynter, Operations Manager at Arden Engraving, said:
Every year 12 million tonnes of plastic is swept into the ocean and packaging makes up for almost half of all plastic-use in the UK.
“Single-use plastic has led to a global crisis and organisations and manufacturers must be part of the solution and switch to more environmentally-friendly alternatives.
“Everyone has a part to play in doing their bit to protect the environment, and here at Arden we’re part of the supply chain for sustainable packaging anyway, creating the tooling for the carton and paper-based packaging sector, so it’s a natural next step for us to ban plastic within our own external packaging.
“It’s never been more important to promote sustainability within the packaging industry and we’re committed to doing our bit to turn the tide on plastic pollution.”
The ban on plastic packaging is the latest eco-friendly move by the Arden Group after becoming the first UK business in its industry to be accredited for environmental practices; the Stockport manufacturer became ISO 14001 certified for its environmental management processes in 2020.
In addition to banning plastic packaging, the group recycles or re-uses where possible, has cut its energy usage and promotes a green culture amongst its workforce.
Photo: JP Brooks, Technical Sales Manager at Arden Dies with the cardboard packaging that is now used for all external packaging.