Their goodbye to plastic foam saves tons of CO2

Colleagues at Danfoss Drives’ factory in Gråsten, Denmark, have started using cardboard instead of polystyrene – plastic foam – to protect small VLT® drives during shipment.

By July 2024, they will also have switched to cardboard when they pack their mid-size drives. And then the factory will say goodbye to more than 300 tons of plastic foam annually – tons and tons of CO2.

According to Kenneth Petersen Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering, Danfoss Drives, Gråsten, plastic foam is cheaper than cardboard packaging. So, the switch costs money for Danfoss.

“Still, it’s the right thing to do. Plastic is very slow to degrade in nature and, in many parts of the world, you do not have the infrastructure in place to recycle or dispose of it. Cardboard, by contrast, is easy to recycle. Customers also begin to ask for alternatives to plastic and polystyrene. So, we’re actually future proofing our business here.”

He adds that selected customers are now testing and providing feedback on the new packaging, thereby helping Danfoss ensure that quality and function is top-notch.

Sustainability improvements are key

The factory’s initiative is fully in line with a recent update of Danfoss’ Packaging Standard. It mandates that sustainability improvements be considered a key criterion when Danfoss’ business segments select and design new packaging.

The reason is that packaging will be a factor if Danfoss is to reach its 2030 ambition on Environmental, Social, and Governance issues.

“Switching to cardboard like they are doing at the Gråsten factory is an excellent example of a change with a direct, positive impact. Similar initiatives are going on across Danfoss. I am confident that we will see considerable movement toward more sustainable packaging going forward,” says Sustainability Integration Manager Lina Psarra, Danfoss Group Sustainability.

Danfoss’ Packing Standard outlines key criteria and considerations that should drive the selection of packaging and its design in the company. Subjects include materials selection, volume reduction, recyclability, and much more.

Facts