How Hi-Tech Packaging Ltd Cut Its Carbon Footprint with Smarter Waste Management and Sustainable Packaging
At Hi-Tech Packaging Ltd, sustainability isn’t just an idea — it’s a measurable, everyday commitment.
Over the past three years, we’ve taken bold steps to lower our carbon footprint by tackling one of the biggest contributors to emissions in the packaging industry: waste.
The Challenge
Traditional packaging operations generate a significant amount of landfill waste, often tied directly to material usage and operational scale.
With growth in sales and production, Hi-Tech Packaging faced a clear question:
How do we grow sustainably, without growing our waste?
Our Strategy
We put a multi-pronged strategy in place:
Increased Recycling Rates:
- Rolled out expanded cardboard and plastic film recycling bins across our facilities.
- Actively tracked monthly recycling and landfill diversion rates.
Material Efficiency:
- Optimised packaging designs to use less raw material without compromising quality.
- Promoted the use of recyclable and compostable materials across our product lines.
Waste Monitoring and Benchmarking:
- Measured “kilograms of waste per $1,000 of cost of goods sold (COGS)” — making waste relative to business activity, not just raw tonnage.
- Implemented continuous improvement targets.
The Results
The numbers tell the story:
- Waste per $1,000 COGS reduced by ~27%
From highs of 1.92 kg per $1,000 in early 2022, we steadily improved down to 0.59 kg by 2025. - ♻️ Recycling performance up
Cardboard and plastic film recovery steadily increased, with plastic recycling efforts expanding notably since mid-2023. - Operational Growth Without Proportional Waste
Despite substantial increases in monthly COGS, our waste levels stayed stable or even declined relative to output.
|
Metric |
Early 2022 |
Early 2025 |
Change |
|
Waste per $1,000 COGS |
1.92 kg |
0.59 kg |
↓ 69% |
|
Cardboard Recycling (avg/month) |
97 kg |
2667 kg total (higher consistency) |
↑ |
|
Plastic Film Recycling (avg/month) |
Low (sporadic) |
2309 kg total (consistent growth) |
↑ |
What’s Next?
Hi-Tech Packaging Ltd remains committed to pushing these numbers even lower. Our next steps include:
- Develop a tracking of key waste streams
- Reduce overall general waste stream by 10% each year
- Divert old or unwanted office equipment, devices or tools from landfill
We’re proud of the progress we’ve made — but we’re even more excited for what’s next.
Because a more sustainable packaging industry benefits everyone.
