Must Read | The State of Responsibility 2024 TABLE 7: Does your company have a sustainable packaging policy, such as recyclable, recycled, reused or compostable, etc.? Yes No Other PPAI 100 Distributors 68% 14% 19% Distributors $100M+ 61% 17% 22% Distributors $50M-$100M 73% 0% 27% Distributors $25M-$50M 78% 11% 11% Distributors $5M-$25M 68% 20% 12% Distributors $1M-$5M 88% 13% 0% Distributors Under $1M 58% 42% 0% Companies who responded “Other” mentioned that they’re either working on a policy or don’t have one in place but do encourage sustainable packaging. A representative from Boundless – the No. 7 distributor in the PPAI 100 – said that “while we don’t have a policy in place, the Boundless team strives to choose sustainable packaging options wherever available to coincide with our core value of ‘Do the Right Thing.’ We’re a paperless company and are a certified Austin Green Business.” TABLE 8: Roughly what percentage of the products you sold in 2023 were marketed as sustainable? PPAI 100 Distributors 23% Distributors $100M+ 27% Distributors $50M-$100M 21% Distributors $25M-$50M 12% Distributors $5M-$25M 21% Distributors $1M-$5M 38% Distributors Under $1M 22% Thomas Rector, CEO of ScreenBroidery – the No. 81 distributor in the PPAI 100 – finds it discouraging that most segments of distributors reported, just roughly a quarter of the products sold were marketed as sustainable. “This tells me the product supply has some catching up to do, knowing the importance that distributors are putting on sustainability,” Rector says. TABLE 9: Does your company have a carbon reduction plan that includes energy reduction, renewable energy efforts or contributes to renewable energy streams through your utility provider or RECS? Yes No Other PPAI 100 Distributors 56% 37% 7% Distributors $100M+ 67% 28% 6% Distributors $50M-$100M 64% 27% 9% Distributors $25M-$50M 44% 56% 0% Distributors $5M-$25M 56% 36% 8% Distributors $1M-$5M 38% 50% 13% Distributors Under $1M 4% 96% 0% Becker estimates that more than 90% of the carbon used in promo is from the raw materials being turned into products. “Everything has to do with the production of the product from the very start, how the raw materials are made right at the beginning,” he says. “Nearly all the items we sell in our industry are from overseas, and this data is very, very hard to produce. Those suppliers, at the very beginning, are the ones who have to want to work on the carbon impact and that is too far removed from our spot. Most of the time even our suppliers have no idea who the initial suppliers are.” TABLE 10: Does your company participate in any established give-back or charitable initiatives? Yes No PPAI 100 Distributors 95% 5% Distributors $100M+ 100% 0% Distributors $50M-$100M 100% 0% Distributors $25M-$50M 89% 11% Distributors $5M-$25M 88% 12% Distributors $1M-$5M 88% 13% Distributors Under $1M 58% 42% “It’s very encouraging to know that a majority of companies have dedicated staff, programs and initiatives dedicated to sustainability and givebacks,” Rector says. “It shows there is a true commitment from the industry that these initiatives are important.” 82 • SEPTEMBER 2024 • PPAI
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