Sulapac® aims to minimize the environmental footprint of its materials and operations by careful selection of raw materials, and all suppliers and partners. The validation process includes all aspects of sustainability, covering environmental, social and economic topics. We conduct a sustainability and quality inquiry, and when necessary an audit on the supplier premises. The plant-based content of Sulapac materials is maximized with the aim to utilize recycled content and raw materials originating from side streams as much as possible. Sulapac has in place ISO 9001 Quality Management System and ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.
Background
The key feature ‘Sustainable sourced’ and the related criteria and validation focuses on the responsibility and ESG performance of the sourcing and production processes and the origin of the raw materials. Other sustainability aspects of Sulapac materials are covered in detail in the other key feature documents.
Sulapac is committed to operating with integrity, ethically and always complying with the law. Our purpose is to make a positive impact as an employer, as part of our communities and as an environmentally responsible company. Our suppliers must demonstrate compliance with Sulapac’s requirements on quality, sustainability and responsibility in various areas. Suppliers must be able to provide sufficient regulatory and sustainability information on the supplied raw materials, to pass Sulapac’s raw material evaluation process and enter production.
When choosing raw materials, Sulapac balances every aspect of sustainability while also considering functionality, economic viability and reliability of delivery. We identify potential risks within our supply chain from the perspectives of compliance, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. This information is shared with our customers when applicable, and when necessary, we work together to mitigate the risks and to communicate them to stakeholders. Changes in the value chain are managed by our sourcing team together with the quality department. Non-conformities are recorded and resolved with the supplier through Sulapac’s non-conformity process.
Key feature
Sulapac uses a selection of biopolymers and natural fibers with the aim to maximize the use of recycled content, side streams, and certified biomasses. E.g. the wood we use originates from industrial side streams from non-controversially harvested forests and constitutes a large share of the total composition of many of our materials. Most of our wood-containing material grades are also available as FSC® certified. We pay attention to that the biomasses from which our biopolymers originate are sustainably grown according to good land use principles.
Our leading design principle is to mimic nature. The use of biomass resources is based on the natural carbon cycle: in photosynthesis plants take CO2 from the air, water from the ground and convert it into biomass with the help of solar energy. At the end of the life cycle the carbon can be returned to the nature to facilitate the growth of new biomass (see further information in the key feature “compostable”).
Sulapac’s business model is based on partnerships and factory as a service concept, meaning we do not own any production facilities but partner with existing production plants. We combine material sales with consultative support throughout the product life cycle. Our materials are used on customers’ and partners’ existing production lines to replace conventional plastics. This business model already enables localized manufacturing of the end-products, and as our business grows, also the material production can be taken close to the customer. Our aim is to use local, nearby raw materials, as much as possible.
Criteria and validation
To ensure the compliance with environmental laws and regulations, chemical regulations, human rights and labor laws, we asses all our raw material suppliers and raw materials according to our Supplier and Raw Material Approval Process, which is specified in our Quality Management System ISO 9001. The assessment must be completed before a supplier or raw material can be approved for production use. We conduct a sustainability and quality inquiry, and when necessary an audit on the supplier premises. The procedure includes all aspects of sustainability, covering environmental, social and economic topics.
The suppliers of raw materials are subject either to the Sulapac Code of Conduct, or they must have an own code of conduct that has the same principles and values as Sulapac has.
To verify that the raw materials do not contain genetically modified organisms and that the wood is industry’s side stream, we require Declarations of Origin and Safety Data Sheets from all our main raw material suppliers. Furthermore, to make sure the wood we use is harvested from non-controversially harvested forests, we operate with timber goods companies who only process certified wood. Several Sulapac material grades are available as FSC® certified.
As the supplier network grows, we are constantly developing our verification processes and auditing protocol to guarantee sustainability throughout the value chain. In May 2020 Sulapac received the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Certification. When selecting suppliers, we prioritize those with ISO 14001 certificate in place.