Published 08-01-23
Submitted by MilliporeSigma
Over 120 distribution points worldwide … 300,000-plus products across a diverse portfolio (in a multitude of shapes and sizes) … specific shipping requirements, such as controlling for temperature, sterile conditions or transportation regulations to ensure safe delivery. Clearly, with these (and more) considerations, optimizing product packaging is a complex task for the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada. Undaunted, the company rises to this challenge with a holistic, global approach called SMASH Packaging.
In 2019, the company created this four-year plan that defines its strategy for driving significant improvements in packaging sustainability while still exceeding customer expectations. It focuses on four pillars—SHRINK, SECURE, SWITCH, and SAVE—to optimize resources, design for a circular economy, and choose more sustainable materials.
Since SMASH Packaging’s inception, over 100 packaging improvement projects have been completed or are underway. View the company’s detailed progress in its 2022 update.
Key achievements to date under each pillar include the following:
With its Design for Sustainability scorecard and framework, MilliporeSigma is able to holistically measure sustainability characteristics of new product packaging. Moving forward, the company expects to see transformational results due to the design-thinking approach it has implemented for new product design packaging.
In the coming weeks, the company will introduce the next generation of SMASH Packaging and will set new goals to continue to improve the sustainability of its packaging, while contributing to Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s, global sustainability strategy and its 2030 goals to reduce resource consumption.
To learn more about SMASH Packaging and the company’s other sustainability initiatives, please visit the company’s SSBI webpage.
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