Sustainability Guidelines and Best Practices

NuGen is committed to revolutionizing the packaging industry through innovative, eco-friendly solutions. Our comprehensive sustainability guidelines and best practices ensure that every product we create minimizes environmental impact while maximizing performance. Discover how we’re shaping the future of sustainable packaging.

Sustainable Packaging Guidelines

We adhere to key sustainability principles, ensuring packaging solutions contribute to a circular economy and minimize environmental impact:

Prioritize highly recyclable materials

We focus on materials with the highest recycling rates—aluminum, glass, and paper—ensuring they remain in continuous use and out of landfills. Aluminum and glass are infinitely recyclable without losing quality, while paper is widely accepted in recycling streams and sourced from responsibly managed forests.

Incorporate recycled content

We use post-consumer recycled (PCR) and post-industrial waste materials, particularly in aluminum, glass, and paper, to extend material lifecycles and reduce reliance on virgin resources.

Optimize plastic use

While plastic poses significant environmental challenges, we prioritize PCR plastic to mitigate plastic consumption and reduce landfill waste. We encourage brands to choose recyclable plastic formats that fit into existing recycling systems.

Explore compostable innovations

For applications where compostable solutions make sense, we offer biodegradable and compostable packaging that meets industry standards. However, we emphasize that compostable packaging should be used only when it is the most effective and sustainable option for a product’s lifecycle.

Minimize material use

Our designs embrace minimalist and right-sized packaging, reducing excess materials without compromising protection or functionality.

Ensure safety and compliance

We rigorously test for material safety and environmental impact, ensuring our packaging meets regulatory requirements while being safe for consumers and the planet.

Support a circular economy

Our packaging is designed for continuous cycling, prioritizing recyclability and reuse over single-use disposal.

By following these guidelines, we help brands make responsible packaging choices that align with both sustainability goals and market demands.

Best Practices for Sustainable Packaging

To complement our sustainability guidelines, we implement the following best practices to ensure our packaging solutions support a circular economy and reduce environmental impact.

Sustainable Material Selection

Choosing the right materials is essential for creating truly sustainable packaging. We prioritize:

Highly recyclable materials:

Aluminum, glass, and paper lead our selection due to their high recycling rates and circular potential. Aluminum and glass can be infinitely recycled without degradation, while responsibly sourced paper is widely accepted in recycling streams.

Recycled content:

We incorporate post-consumer and post-industrial recycled materials, particularly in aluminum, glass, and paper, to extend material life and reduce reliance on virgin resources.

Optimized plastic usage:

We prioritize PCR plastic to mitigate plastic consumption and encourage recyclable plastic formats that fit into existing recycling systems, ensuring plastic remains in circulation rather than in landfills.

Compostable solutions where applicable:

While we explore biodegradable and compostable packaging options, we recognize that they are most effective in controlled composting environments and should be used only when they are the best fit for a product’s lifecycle.

Our material selection considers the entire lifecycle … from sourcing to disposal … ensuring optimal sustainability at every stage.

Eco-Friendly Design Principles

Packaging design must focuses on reducing waste and maximizing efficiency while maintaining product protection and appeal:

Minimalism

We prioritize reducing excess materials and right-sized packaging to cut down on waste.

Mono-material construction

Wherever possible, we use single-material designs to facilitate easier recycling and processing.

Modular designs

We create packaging that enables easy disassembly, ensuring materials can be efficiently recycled or repurposed.

Reusability

Whenever feasible, we design packaging for multiple uses, extending its life cycle and reducing environmental impact.

By adhering to these principles, we create packaging that is not only sustainable but also innovative, functional, and aligned with the needs of brands and consumers.

Energy-Efficient Manufacturing

Our commitment to sustainability extends to our production processes:

Renewable energy: Powering our facilities with solar, wind, and other clean energy sources
Energy recovery systems: Capturing and reusing heat and energy from manufacturing processes
Low-emission equipment: Investing in state-of-the-art machinery that minimizes carbon output

These practices significantly reduce our carbon footprint while maintaining high-quality output.

Sustainable Partnerships and Education

We believe in extending our sustainability efforts beyond our immediate operations:

Sustainable manufacturing partners: We collaborate with partners who support eco-efficient practices and clean technology, ensuring our entire supply chain aligns with our sustainability goals.

Educate customers: We actively teach our customers how to recycle or reuse packaging materials, empowering them to participate in our sustainability efforts.

These practices significantly reduce our carbon footprint while maintaining high-quality output.

Continuous Innovation and Improvement

Sustainability is an ongoing journey, and we’re constantly pushing forward:

R&D investment: Dedicating significant resources to developing new sustainable technologies
Collaboration with companies and universities: Partnering with like-minded companies and academic institutions to drive innovation
Customer feedback integration: Using real-world insights to improve our products
Regular sustainability audits: Continuously assessing and improving

Our commitment to innovation ensures we remain at the forefront of sustainable packaging solutions.

Sustainability Guidelines and Best Practices