The approach towards plastic packaging is changing rapidly as consumers, society and governments see the impacts of virgin plastics and are increasingly applying pressure for more sustainable solutions. Even though alternative packaging solutions are coming to the market, plastic recycling is expected to be an important part of the solution in the short to mid-term.

Our client, a leading petrochemical company, and one of the biggest producers of virgin plastic polymers needed to define its strategy to enter the recycled plastics value chain to stay relevant whilst the demand for virgin plastics declines.

Moving to a Circular Economy model requires a reversed logistics chain of waste generators, collectors, and recycling companies working together. The dynamics of this reversed chain vary significantly per geography and good information on value chain operations or quantitative data is often lacking.

To understand the plastic recycling landscape and determine the most suitable model for our client, Integration visited and assessed multiple players in each step of the chain, understanding their operating model, volumes, margins, and service level including how they secure a constant availability of waste flows.

We worked with the client to create a comprehensive business case to introduce a post-consumption recycled polymer to the market. Our due diligence supported them in selecting strong recycling partners which could deliver the required volume and quality level and they are now proceeding with a full implementation.

Consumers are increasingly demanding more sustainable beauty products, and they are using their purchasing power as a mean to make their voice heard. This is placing pressure on businesses across the industry to make fundamental changes to the way they operate across sourcing, packaging, product development and marketing.

Our client, a local, lower price tier consumer beauty company faced the challenge on how to move towards the new industry standards in a balanced way, allowing for a gradual and feasible transformation, without jeopardizing current revenue streams.

The first step was to be very clear on the business case for sustainability among the leadership team. Why is sustainability key for business? What is the urgency? What is driving this urgency? What are the risks of not acting? What are the opportunities for embracing this change?

Integration prepared a detailed business case clarifying the market trends, competitive landscape, and forecasted impact on the company allow for clear decision-making on the topic. The case for change was clear and alongside the leadership, we progressed to defining the sustainability strategy, as well as a change management and implementation plan to engage the entire company. These activities embedded sustainability concretely into ways of working, processes and decision-making whilst allowing the company to react to new market demands.

Integration supported the leadership to define a clear sustainability strategy which they believed in. And through the translation of the ambition into concrete actions, projects, targets, change management activities and governance the company and stakeholders were fully prepared and motivated for the transformation ahead.

Companies are under increasing regulatory, consumer, societal and investor pressures to measure and improve their carbon footprint. With carbon taxing measures increasing around the world and carbon pricing expected to increase rapidly over the next years driven by more ambitious country commitments, emissions management is rapidly becoming a relevant cost factor.

Our client, a packaged food company, was looking for a more cost-effective and resilient logistic network and therefore sustainability was a key angle to review. Operating with an outsourced network of transportation providers and different modes of transportation they struggled to understand the complexities and implications of emission management, as well as understanding the range of opportunities to reduce emissions – from ‘simple’ process improvements to reduce fuels to more complex changes in technologies and modes of transportation.

Integration modelled, measured and simulated the emissions of its 3^rd party transportation companies in different logistic network scenarios. This enabled the company to gain visibility of their true carbon footprint and guarantee decision-making considered future legislation and carbon taxing. To lower emissions, different modes of transportation were investigated.

Through the modelling, the company was able to make a clear decision on which future logistic network would optimize cost and emissions impacts. Further recommendations on ways to lower emissions through process optimization, eco-driving training and technology optimization also provided the company with supplementary activities which could be later introduced.