Environment
We care about our future
Opto Engineering® designs, manufactures and markets imaging components for machine vision applications.
Opto Engineering® cares about the environment
Opto Engineering® cares about the environment and since 2017 we have been working to reduce the environmental impact starting from our packaging. In March 2022, we have taken another step forward. We have designed and created a new clothing line for our Operations department inspired by the environment and our corporate values.
All Headquarters Operations employees who joined the initiative were distributed clothing during a dedicated event to use during working hours and beyond. Our new t-shirts are made of organic cotton and are certified OCS - Organic Content 100. This means that the fabric contains at least 95% organic fiber. The sweatshirts are made of 80% organic cotton and 20% recycled polyester. Each sweatshirt recycles 5 x 1.5L plastic bottles.
"I’ve learnt that no one is too small to make a difference."
- Greta Thunberg
Environmentally friendly packaging for a sustainable future
In 2017 Opto Engineering® decided to completely renew the packaging of its products, abandoning, where possible, the use of high environmental impact material, such as plastic foam.
In collaboration with Ratioform, a company famous for the creation of packaging for big brands, we designed and tested the new product boxes with the prerogative of making them totally recyclable and with low environmental impact.
All of 2018 and part of 2019 were years of tests and optimisations to obtain reliable packaging, in which the product was protected to cover long distances.
In fact, after encountering several problems we have now reached an excellent result.
Thanks to the Sealed Air® patent, we have developed a corrugated box, in small and medium sizes, with a plastic and glue content below 5% in weight.
On the other hand, the boxes of large, CORE and CORE PLUS telecentric lenses represent the new challenge for 2020. The goal is to replace the black shells, currently made of plastic, with cardboard shells. In fact, Opto Engineering® has set itself the PLASTIC FREE 2025 target for its own packaging by adhering to the campaign launched by Sealed Air® THE ONLY CHOICE IS CHANGE.
Graphic design
The graphic design of the new boxes is deliberately totally different from the previous blue versions, because in addition to the evolution of the brand, the intention is to communicate the new packaging concept, using all of the technical and aesthetic limits of sustainability to our advantage.
To be recyclable corrugated cardboard must maintain its original beige colour and the water-based inks tend to have an uneven and low binding yield.
After numerous tests and graphic concepts, the choice was a mimetic pixel texture: mimicry in nature represents the first form of adaptation to the surrounding environment through low visual impact.
The camouflage pattern is also aesthetically pleasing and "fashionable" as well as totally new in our sector.
Our irreverent spirit has given us the strength to implement this courageous choice which, today, is distinctive and appreciated.
Recyclable and recycled: the European standard is the most advanced in the world
Europe is the most attentive continent with regard to the issue of the environmental impact of packaging: there are numerous laws, associations and brands that represent and constitute a scheme to protect our planet.
The corrugated cardboard used for all Opto Engineering® packaging is recyclable.
Using material such as paper and cardboard for the production of boxes brings us closer to the topics of recovery and recycling.
The raw materials are completely recyclable, from paper to biodegradable inks certified for printing boxes that come into contact with foodstuffs.
Korrvu® Sealed Air® interiors of Opto Engineering® small and medium size boxes can be disposed of as waste paper thanks to their low plastic content.
The use of the RESY Marking guarantees that the corrugated cardboard packaging, bearing the symbol together with the identification number, has the necessary requisites to be recovered by the Association of secondary raw and/or waste material collectors (VFW vereingung fur Wertstoffrecycling GmbH) and to be recycled by the paper mill association (VPWP Vereingung packund wellpappenpaplere).
The RESY marking indicates that the raw material, paper and cardboard, is 100% recycled and recyclable.
The use of the Comieco trademark is important for certifying adherence to the Supply Chain Consortium set forth by article 40 of the Ronchi Decree and for reporting the fulfilment of producer obligations established by the legislation on packaging and packaging waste.
The DER GRÜNE PUNKT is the most widely used marking in the world, applied on millions of sales packages.
This logo tells the consumer that the contribution has been paid for the management of separate waste collection.
European association PRO EUROPE, owner of the DER GRÜNE PUNKT marking, grants the use of the trademark to national collection systems and organises collaboration between European countries.
The FSC® trademark identifies products containing wood from forests that are managed correctly and responsibly according to strict environmental, social and economic standards.
The forest of origin has been checked and assessed independently in accordance with these standards (principles and criteria of good forest management), established and approved by the Forest Stewardship Council® a.c. through the participation and consent of the interested parties.
Boxes made in the US
The boxes of some high resolution Opto Engineering® camera models were produced directly in the United States in observance of American standards for sustainability and recycling. The term Corrugated Recycles is both a statement of fact and a way of promoting recycling.
Applying the symbol on a corrugated container does not mean that "this container is made of recycled material". Rather, it simply means that "this container can and should be recycled". When you see one of the following three symbols on a corrugated container, you know it can be recycled. The symbol for recycling corrugated cardboard can be used all over the world both to promote the recycling of the cardboard itself and to advertise its maximum recyclability. The symbol can be used without cost or any registration process.
The use of the symbol on corrugated cardboard is strongly supported and encouraged provided that there are no national or local laws or regulations prohibiting its use.
Boxes made in China
In China, unfortunately, to date there is no law to protect the environment in relation to packaging, however our suppliers always require guarantees on the use of recyclable cardboard and the reduction of the percentage of plastic used in the product packaging.
Sealed Air against plastic waste in the environment
Sealed Air Corporation has joined Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a new global organisation composed of around 30 companies that have committed to investing $ 1.
5 billion in solutions to help eliminate plastic waste in the environment over the next five years.
“Alliance brings together key members of the entire value chain, from the suppliers of materials to waste management companies, to jointly develop solutions that can manage and minimise plastic waste and promote means for using them in a "circular economy", says Ted Doheny, President and CEO of Sealed Air.
"Our investments in innovation, including collaborations with partners such as Alliance, will help us accelerate progress towards our 2025 sustainability goals".
Alliance is a non-profit organisation that unites companies that produce, use, sell, process, collect and recycle plastics.
Plastic manufacturers, converters, consumer goods companies, retailers and waste management companies will work together for action to improve the environment and industry sectors.
"Keeping our environment waste-free is important for the future of our planet", says Jim Fitterling, CEO of Dow.
"Working with companies like Sealed Air allows Alliance to accelerate efforts and take decisive action to end plastic waste in the environment".
In addition to participating in Alliance, Sealed Air recently announced the "2025 Sustainability and Plastics Pledge", committing to making 100% recyclable or reusable packaging, with an average recycled content of 50% by 2025.
Sealed Air also participates in the New Plastics Economy initiative of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and recently became a signatory of the global New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.
http://packagingspace.net/it/news/sealed-air-contro-i-rifiuti-plastici-nellambiente
