Asaleo Care has become the first tissue manufacturer in the region to publish Environmental Product Declarations. Asaleo Care commissioned Environmental Product Declarations from thinkstep-anz to identify environmental hotspots across their lifecycle of some of their most popular products. The results showed that the main environmental impact comes from what happens to a paper towel or napkin after it is used through emissions generated in landfill. Asaleo Care finds that EPDs enable them to have honest conversations with their customers about the environmental impact of their products.
To address the impact after use, they have now launched a campaign to inform consumers on the benefits of composting paper towels and napkins, and help consumers compost hand towels after use, featuring on-site worm-farms. They teamed up with local company Low Impact, who manufacture and supply Hungry Bins, to provide a solution for large corporate customers using thousands of paper towels daily. Hungry Bins are a worm compost system which breaks down food waste and paper towels on-site into a significantly smaller quantity of waste which can be reused in local gardens.
The collaboration between Asaleo Care and Low Impact provides a creative solution for growing concerns of staff in large offices who are unsure of the composting process for hand towels or do not have access to adequate services. Hungry Bins are already a staple at Westpac New Zealand, with the team in their Britomart headquarters using the compost generated to grow food on the balcony. The rising trend of EPDs for consumer products and such partnerships reflects a growing awareness of environmental impact for both businesses and consumers.
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