Sustainability – Ingenia Polymers

OUR SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT IS THREE FOLD

PRODUCT

Develop products to support our customers sustainability efforts, allowing them to reduce, reuse, recycle, while using raw materials that are more sustainably sourced.

PERFORM

Reduce production waste, minimize water consumption, energy usage, emissions, and other environmental impacts in our facilities, by developing world-class sustainable operations & culture. Safety and health of our employees and the communities in which we operate are also integral elements of our sustainability focus.

PARTNER

Develop business relationships with suppliers and customers that support the drive towards the circular economy for plastics. Participate in industry acknowledged programs and be active participants in organizations that seek to enable the circular economy for plastics. Think globally, while acting locally, helping to protect the communities in which we operate.

PRODUCT

For over three decades Ingenia has helped to shape the plastics economy, as both a customer and a supplier to primary resin producers, as well as a valued supplier to downstream convertors. We have provided products and services to the industry and are proud of our role in helping to create plastic solutions to fulfill society’s needs. Plastics have made our lives healthier, safer and more convenient and we have supported developments in healthcare, food packaging and the efficient movement of materials throughout our economies. Continuing our history of support to the plastics industry, we are developing solutions to help our customers meet their goals in terms of sustainability and the development of the circular economy for plastics. We are proud to support our customers sustainability goals and the plastics industry as a whole with our INCIRCLE^® and INBIO^® brand of products.

INCIRCLE^® by INGENIA branded products are designed to support the circular economy through various types of product technology.

Ingenia Polymers’ recycle friendly technologies are designed to enable film structures that contain ever higher levels of recyclate resin to support evolving recycle content goals.
Use of functional additives or pigments that are derived from recycled sources and are themselves more easily recycled to support recycle content goals.
Compatibilization technologies to allow multi-material packaging to safely enter the recycle stream.
Functionalized masterbatches that allow for source material reduction, allowing for example, downgauged shrink films that maintain performance properties.
Upcycling enabling products, designed to support recyclers in their efforts to enhance reprocessed polymer material properties as well as improving downstream convertors’ product quality.

INBIO^® by INGENIA branded products are designed to support the drive towards compostability, whether that be industrial, home or marine-biodegradability.

Biopolymer based additive products, designed to support compostable packaging materials ever evolving performance requirements.
Use of functional additives or pigments that are derived from natural sources, supporting compostability.
Biopolymer mechanical property enhancement masterbatches to allow use of biopolymers in more applications.
Stabilization packages for improved process stability of biopolymers.
Enhanced rate of biodegradation through additive technologies.

PERFORM-WASTE REDUCTION

Ingenia has developed a strong management system and control mechanism to reduce all types of solid waste regardless of hazardous classification and quantity. Wastes such as styrofoam cups, plastic utensils, and paper products, etc. are as important as wastes from direct operation. Our controls, monitoring and continuous improvement efforts helped us to reduce operational waste by nearly 20% over the past two years.

AIR

All plants are equipped with state-of-the art dust collections system
100% compliance to dust control system and best practices.
Behavior based safety program are installed to minimize air pollution while running and cleaning of equipment.
Top class housekeeping practices and annual clean programs in place

WATER

Efficient cooling towers design to minimize water wastage.
Zero leak and closed loop process for water conveying.
No equipment clean up using water.
Well designed shutdown procedures to reduce water wastage.
Detention pond.
Focus on habits and behavior.

ENERGY

Enrolled in various local demand control programs.
Energy efficient control logics consideration in equipment design.
Installing energy efficient fluorescent and electronic ballast lighting.
Adding skylights, and placing occupancy and motion activated sensors.
Fully automated lines to reduce energy wastage.

All of our manufacturing sites have taken the OCS pledge with the goal below:

To develop and maintain a world-class housekeeping and containment practices to work towards achieving zero pellet, flake, and powder loss.

PARTNER – WORKING WITH INDUSTRY

Ingenia Polymers is now a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. We are partnering with other SPC members to bring new materials to market to improve the recycling of multi-material flexible packaging. This includes efforts to support “in plant film recycling” as well as designing recycle ready film structures containing Ingenia’s INABLE IP1600 Compatibilizer MB. Through the SPC, member companies can apply for the use of the How2Recycle label program for consumer packaged goods, which helps consumers properly recycle flexible packaging. Ingenia is proud to support the sustainability efforts of the flexible packaging industry!

Ingenia Polymers has joined the Association of Plastics Recyclers. We are partnering with APR to help our customers to develop innovation films that allow for recyclability of packaging that would otherwise end up in landfill. As well, growing the use of recycle content in flexible packaging and bringing end of life solutions to multi-material blow molded rigid containers are key areas of focus for Ingenia. Supporting the APR Design Guide program is a fantastic way to ensure our recycle streams continue to grow in value and can be used in more and more end markets. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we are contributing to the growth of the circular economy for plastics.

PARTNER – WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS

Ingenia plants are strategically located close to major resin producers throughout the world. With our local presence, we are able to offer products in re-usable and recyclable plastic container minimizing the impact of fiber drums or plastic supersack packaging wastes. We are also optimizing packaging dimensions & logistics to reduce shipping waste and lessen pollution from transportation.

WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY

Ingenia Calgary team volunteered for the annual River and Pathway clean up. Our team name was “Trash Masters”, we broke up into 4 teams and cleaned both sides of the creek from the path where we are standing to the bridge seen in the distance in the gap between the buildings as well as the same distance the other direction. We managed to pick up 12 large waste garbage bags full, some recycling, and identified a shopping cart in the river to be picked up by the city.

The city provided us with trash bags, rubber gloves, hand sanitizer, flags to ID dangerous items for the city to pick up and training to keep everyone safe. We provided our team with heavier gloves, Ingenia ball caps and dollar store grabbers to save our backs. This was quite enjoyable to get together on a nice day for the morning but it was also an eye opening experience. We found mostly fast food containers, shipping packaging, grocery bags and candy wrappers. Many of the items were plastics based, it was great to be part of the solution.