41 SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production – PackSize

Group Reflection

For our AIM2Flourish assignment, we chose the company Packsize. This is a packaging company that is changing the packaging industry with a business model that drives efficiency and promotes eco-friendly leadership within its industry. Packsize introduced the On Demand Packaging system, which enables Packsize to create custom-sized boxes in real time, eliminating the need for pre-made boxes. This innovation greatly reduces the excess material used in the packaging process as well as reduces the carbon emissions from transportation by utilizing the space used in shipments to maximize efficiency.

Packsize’s Senior Director of Global Marketing Adam Fray reinforced that: “Since 2013, there’s been over 1.3 billion pounds of CO2 removed from the environment by right size packaging” (A.Fray, Personal communication, November 1st, 2023). This displays the overwhelming difference Packsize is making on the planet. Not only is Packsize implementing these principles in their company, but by also making their packing machines available to other companies further makes a positive impact on the environment.

In the interview, Adam Fray explains: “If you purchase one of our larger machines… you will have a Packsize employee in your facility managing [the machine] for you, it’s really a service that we provide” (A.Fray, Personal communication, November 1st, 2023). We believe that this innovation is groundbreaking for the packaging industry because Packsize demonstrates that you do not need to sacrifice the efficiency of a business to support practices that take action against climate change.

In addition, Packsize goes above and beyond by offering their machines as a purchasable service, allowing other companies to take part in improving the environment whilst optimizing their supply chains. The majority of companies disregard the importance of eco-friendly goals to instead focus on maximizing profits and production. Therefore we believe that offering their business model as a service is equally as important as the creation of the machines themselves. It makes the concept of a pro-environment business model more approachable and easy to adapt. This type of innovative thinking will be the catalyst to moving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals further and making the planet a healthier place.

The on-demand packaging system, for instance, significantly lowers carbon emissions and material waste overall, which is in line with sustainability principles. This is the fundamental concept for having a sustainable business and an environmentally friendly mindset. This helps with both the needs of the future and the current global issues. We were taken by surprise by how their on-demand packaging system, with proper sizing packaging, has contributed to the removal of over 1.3 billion pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere. Should Packsize succeed in implementing a substantial sustainable strategy, all businesses need to be contributing positively to the reduction of CO2 emissions and the overall mitigation of global warming.

Regarding the triple bottom line, Packsize’s approach demonstrates the social, environmental, and economic factors. Packsize demonstrates an integrated business model that other companies could replicate to have a total contribution of reducing CO2 emissions through their commitment to lowering CO2 emissions and material waste, offering a service to other companies, and positively impacting the world.

Packsize’s choice to rent out their machines shows how responsible they are for things bigger than just their daily business. Through the sharing of their technology and knowledge, they are assuming accountability for the packaging’s overall environmental impact across industries.

Regarding our story, the difficult idea is that companies must decide between profitability and environmental responsibility. In this instance, Packsize demonstrates how a sustainable business strategy can be profitable and even increase productivity. This questions the idea that environmental efforts are only expensive or a barrier to corporate success.

In general, the story of Packsize was consistent with the main ideas of corporate responsibility, sustainability, and the triple bottom line. It also reflects doubt on assumptions regarding the balance to be put between sustainability and profitability, supporting the idea that companies can make a big difference in addressing environmental issues.

Over the past few weeks our group as a whole has learned a lot about the impacts of a business through communicating with Packsize and writing our Aim2Flourish story. Understanding the impacts a business has on society, sustainability and its own community has opened the business world from a new perspective for us as a group.

When deciding what company our story should be based on we eventually decided on Packsize. Through the interview and individual research we developed a mass understanding on how a business that is economically profitable can provide such an impact on the globe, society and sustainability.
Through the whole project, as a group we found some very interesting innovations and ideas that we believe all of us will look for within the business world. Such as the fact that Packsize offers their machines as a purchasable tangible. This allows for supply chains around the world to develop and introduce a technology that has such a positive impact on the environment and sustainability. This expands their business operations from not just the max amount of clients and packaging they can develop through their own manufacturing but opens up the opportunity to anyone around the world.
As future persons in the business world as a group we believe whether it’s developing, obtaining or brainstorming innovation and ideas such as the basic operations of Packsize or offering the machine as a service to purchase.

Within the idea and standpoint of sustainability is something we can all take into the business world with us. We believe this knowledge is beneficial to bring into the business world
as a connection to how we will act then for two main reasons. The first reason is the continuation of innovation. Innovation is key to grow any business. The second reason being aspects of sustainability.
● “Global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least the middle of the century. Unless we make sharp reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in coming decades, global warming will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius, after which climate consequences will be even more severe.”
● “Adaptation to climate change safeguards people from higher temperatures, rising seas, fiercer storms, unpredictable rainfall and more acidic oceans. Some people are more vulnerable to these effects, such as those living in poverty.”
● “Global surface temperature has increased faster since 1970 than in any other 50- year period over at least the last 2000 years.”

Based on only 3 statistics and critical information from the United Nations. Innovation that deals with sustainability will need to be even more prominent in the business world from when our group reaches that stage of our life. Therefore, as a group we believe that as a businessperson we will see a connection to this project. Based on the idea of innovation of all aspects of business and efforts for sustainability within business operations.

Overall, as a group we believe the project as a whole, the Aim2Flourish story, research on SDGs and sustainability and our conversations with Packsize. We will take important aspects into the business world with us. Innovation and sustainability are important factors that will influence decisions in the future as a group. Packsize’s key efforts opened our eyes with how sustainability can still promote a successful and economically profitable business.

Individual Reflections

Ben: Overall, the group project was exciting and different than most projects I have experienced in my schooling career thus far. Although the project was massed with assignments and due dates each week as well as challenges within the group being virtual. The internal drive and the aspect of working with people all around the world made the project intriguing and interesting. Which overall displaced the idea of the project feeling like work. Using “WhatsApp” and “Zoom” our group was able to meet every week. In these meetings we would lay out an overall plan for the week assigning tasks to individuals or pairs. If tasks were assigned in pairs it was often two group members from the same school. This allowed for optimal efficiency on certain tasks or problems. Although time zones were a challenge, our group was able to find a meeting time we could use every week for when everyone was available and engaged. Overall, the whole project was a success and I believe it was because of communication and planning with group members. Furthermore, being honest with each other about quality and internal group deadlines to create that standard our group wanted to succeed.

Freddy: I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first heard of the AIM2Flourish Assignment. The idea of working on a project with peers from around the world feels like the experience of a lifetime. A difficulty our group faced was planning our meetings/interviews, due to the numerous time zones within group 67. We were able to overcome this obstacle by using WhatsApp and Zoom to communicate our plans efficiently. Group projects can sometimes be a disaster if group members are not willing to cooperate effectively. Luckily, I feel that my group were all very kind, hard-working, and easy to collaborate with, making this project a pleasant experience. In addition, during my research for the assignment, I became overwhelmed with all the amazing businesses around the globe that are making their unique efforts to make the world a better place. It has inspired me to look at Commerce from a new perspective, a perspective that has improved the health of our planet as the main focus. Specifically with Packsize, I feel that the offering of the packaging machines as a service is monumental to the success of the company.

Jesse: To start off, this group project was an amazing experience to meet new people from across the globe with different cultures and time zones. Which also made this experience challenging in figuring out the best time to meet as a team and have a team initiative week in and week out. I really liked my group and how they all took initiative in their own ways. I felt that we clicked from the beginning through our engaging and eager personalities. We managed to have a very well structured plan when it came to our big assignments and we effectively executed each assignment. It was hard to juggle between this project and my other 5 classes and their assignments, but it was something that I looked forward to finishing strong and in time. I am very grateful to know that my group was a very well rounded group to what I have heard from other classmates and their miscommunications. Overall, this project was a nice experience for the cross cultural difference and the new people that I met.

Maria: Participating in this activity was an enriching experience, since working in a team with people across the world was completely new for me. Dealing with time zone differences was a bit of a hassle, but since we shared similar cultures, understanding each other wasn’t too tough. Everyone was super nice, creating a really positive vibe, and I have learned a lot about teamwork and environmental causes, as well as from the companies all around the globe that offer all those opportunities for cooperating to a better environment while making profit. We were able to get all the work done thanks to Whatsapp and it amazes me how nowadays thanks to the internet people from all over the world can work together, this project made me realize how grateful we should be for it. Our virtual meetings have been very interactive, everyone has been able to speak freely and has participated. Overall, this experience has given me a new and better perspective about environmental causes and teamwork.

Helena: Being part of this team experience was really cool. We had people from different places, and that brought in a lot of different ideas. Figuring out when to talk was tricky because of the time zones, but we found ways to make it work. We used tools like time zone converters and WhatsApp to talk easily. We also took turns deciding when to meet so everyone could join. It made a nice and friendly atmosphere where we could share our thoughts without any problems. Juggling school and other things I do was hard, and I didn’t always get it right. But even with some challenges, working together taught us a lot. We learned about being clear about what we expect, being flexible, and supporting each other. I want to thank my team for being so helpful and making our teamwork a big part of my learning in school and for my future job. Their teamwork made our virtual meetings a great experience for me.

Malia: When I was originally told of what we were doing for this project I was very hesitant to proceed with it and I usually have negative experiences with group projects. Who knew what the language barrier may be, the dialect differences, the assertiveness, etc, was going to be like. But overall it was a great experience, as a group we were able to overall keep it serious but also light-hearted which helped us work together. We did as a group have our time zone problems though we overcame that by WhatsApp anyway being able to communicate when we were not able to meet at that time. When having meetings, we were very efficient on what was needed to be done for that week. Hearing from other teams and their experiences with their own groups, I am blessed to be able to have a Team like Group 67. They were a great group of people who are going to be very successful and took a great understanding of working with new people.