There are several environmental considerations that must incorporated into the strategic decision-making process:

• Sustainability
• Resource conservation
• Reuse
• Recycling
• Emissions & waste reduction

What does this mean, & how can companies initiate change?

Sustainability allows us to continue doing what we do today, into the future. It’s a recognition that our planet has finite resources that need to be conserved so that others can enjoy them into the future. There is also an acknowledgement that past practices have harmed the environment & need to be improved.

Governments & industry have established targets, enacted legislation & are implementing changes to meet consumer demand for sustainability. At Lafayette, we have developed a framework that places resource conservation, waste & emissions reduction, & a circular economy at the forefront of all strategic decision-making.

Circular economy

The majority of single use consumables & food packaging end up polluting the environment or buried in landfill. A circular economy promotes reuse & recycling of resources to eliminate waste.

This concept helps to:

• preserve resources,
• reduce emissions, &
• divert waste from landfill.

There are multiple facets to this concept: selecting raw materials that can be/have been recycled, product design innovation, diverting waste from landfill to composting services & more. An easy way to remember our overriding goal is to consider the 3 “R”s: Reduce, Reuse & recycle.

We elaborate on the operation of circular economy, & outline ways Lafayette is making a difference

• choosing rapidly renewable resources to replace traditional raw materials. Our EcoSafe washroom range is made from bamboo, & is 100% tree-free.
• transitioning from single-use plastic packaging to more sustainable options.
• utilising resources in a sustainable manner: Lafayette uses FSC-certified paper. FSC has created global standards designed to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial & economically viable management of the world’s forests. FSC certification confirms that forests are managed in a way that preserves biological diversity & benefits the lives of local communities, whilst ensuring it sustains economic viability. Visit https://fsc.org/en for more information
• innovative product design & development to reduce the amount of raw materials required to make products without impacting functionality or performance. Illustrations are abundant, & include: the supply of napkins made using 25% less paper, the sale of napkin dispensing systems proven to reduce consumption by more than one quarter, increasing the yield on thermal paper rolls to generate twice the output, using less paper to make toilet paper & paper hand towels etc.
• removing contaminants so products can be safely recycled: soy-based inks are used to produce our coloured paper cutlery pouches, & our range of thermal paper rolls is predominantly made using BPA-free paper.
• Demonstrating a preference for raw materials that are recyclable or compostable: this diverts waste from landfill & reduces harmful methane emissions.

What is carbon neutral?

It’s been recognised globally that we need to reduce carbon emissions to stop global warming as this will have irreversible effects on our environment & wellbeing. Carbon neutral refers to a state where carbon emissions are completely offset by initiatives to reduce C02 output- including technological advancements in manufacturing, preserving forests, reducing transport, purchasing carbon offsets. Lafayette has recognised the importance of becoming carbon neutral & is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint:

• sustainable sourcing: substituting normal paper (made from trees) with bamboo or recycled material. Bamboo is rapidly renewable & grows at a rate of up to 90cm per day. It also plays a crucial role in forest restoration & helps to reduce carbon emissions. Similarly, recycled paper allows us to conserve forests & their natural habitats. The reuse of paper also diverts waste from landfill thereby, reducing harmful emissions.
• Stock control: Lafayette maintains healthy stock levels to ensure deliveries can be completed in full. This contrasts with other businesses that need to make multiple trips due to regular out-of-stocks. The transport industry is a huge emitter of Co2, so reducing the number of trips make a valuable contribution to emissions reduction.

Product packaging: we are phasing out single use plastic packaging & replacing it with more sustainable options including paper & board (with a preference for recycled paper). This is evident through the transition to sustainable packaging across various product ranges including paper hand towels, toilet tissue, kitchen towels, garbage bags & more.