ST. ANTIGO, WI - As a prominent and experienced player in the produce packaging industry, Volm Companies continues to sharpen its strengths in both innovation and sustainability. Part of this is driven by engaging in critical industry discussions, like those that recently took place at the International Sustainability Summit in Vancouver, British Columbia. Reflecting on the critically important event, Volm’s Sustainability Manager Leah Lex shared some key takeaways from the summit.
“When it comes to sustainability, progress can sometimes take two steps forward, one step back,” Lex wrote in a release. “There are many reasons for this—and many competing views. However, there is widespread agreement that the important work our industry is doing must not only continue but also accelerate. Given Volm’s ongoing efforts to prioritize sustainable options, we took a keen interest in the summit discussions. And while some of our beliefs were reinforced at these meetings, we also learned several things.”
The packaging innovator’s list of takeaways from the event included:
- Sustainability is good business—and good business is sustainable. Everyone who plays a role in the fresh produce industry has a responsibility to create and execute an ambitious sustainability strategy.
- Collaboration must trump competition—no exceptions. Making progress on sustainability is not a solo mission, but a collaborative effort where everyone in the industry must work together.
- Sustainability is not a sprint, but a journey. Change needs to happen strategically, collaboratively, and continuously.
- The industry deserves a set of universal standards. Packaging standards need to apply to everyone and they need to be applicable everywhere.
- Innovation doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel.
“Critical change is continuing to happen at the individual business level. At Volm, we take tremendous pride in doing our part,” Lex continued. “In fact, we continue to accelerate progress toward our goals so that we continue to be an industry leader. All of this is important work, but it’s also only the beginning. As we continue to make more and more progress, it’s critical that we keep our learnings in mind so that we stay on track. After all, making change is not only about working hard—but also working together.”
Dive into a full breakdown of these event takeaways here.
As our industry pushes further toward advancement in each of these areas, ANUK will be here to report.
