PMMI reports on sustainability

When we asked Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development for the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), to comment on sustainability, he referenced a report the PMMI released this spring: Journey to Sustainability Excellence, created by the Sustainability Solutions Group of the Alliance for Innovation & Operational Excellence (AIOE). The report covers sustainability across three aspects: The Triple Bottom Line, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Indicators. It identifies the 18 attributes of a sustainability program in parallel for three life-cycle stages: beginner, intermediate and advanced.  Some highlights:

• Sustainability programs need management support and a point person devoted to sustainability. “When the CEO is committed to the program and defines a clear plan, it makes things much easier, and the probability for success increases significantly,” comments Izquierdo.  
• Measuring sustainability is one of the keys for success. “Companies know now what to measure, and are getting more sophisticated in measuring and auditing their sustainability programs,” says Izquierdo. “Managers have a better understanding on why they are doing this.”

Finally, it’s also about education of the above to company employees, suppliers, customers and consumers, Izquierdo points out. For more information, visit PMMI.org.