Aegg has just been announced as a finalist in the Packaging Recycling Project of the Year category within the UK Packaging Awards 2026.
Aegg is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has grown significantly over the past 5 years into one of the leading glass packaging distributors in the UK, as well as manufacturing/ selling recyclable plastic packaging. We have collaborated with one of our major customers to reduce usage of 46 tonnes of cardboard per year.
Aegg works in strategic partnership with key partners, both suppliers and customers, to investigate projects that can unlock cost savings, improve production efficiencies and deliver sustainability improvements.
Aegg’s sustainability journey has seen us measure and report our carbon footprint since 2023, achieve validated SBTis and commit to our Net Zero pathway. We are embedding sustainability in every area of our business by committing to seven UN SDG Goals and 22 targets. These targets drive us to work with our customers and suppliers to reduce carbon emissions and achieve zero waste to landfill.
We supplied a major customer with packaging that was historically stacked and delivered in cardboard cases, taped top and bottom and then sent for recycling after a single use.
Working closely with our customer's factory team, a trial was conducted to reuse and understand how many cycles the cases could withstand. We put in place a new procedure; once the cases were emptied at the factory, the bottom tape was cut, the case flattened and returned to Aegg. Each returned case was inspected for damage before reuse.
This trial has identified that over the course of 5 rotations there is a 0.2% loss of cases through damage. Based on 99% of cases being reused at least 5 times there will be a saving of 46 tonnes of cardboard annually. A seemingly simple review of the process has delivered significant benefits.
Now the project has gone live, the condition of the cases will continue to be monitored with the ambition that at least 75% will be used up to 10 times, delivering further savings.
The next step to further improve sustainability and reduce waste is to redesign the case to remove tape by introducing a crash lock bottom.
This project highlights that with excellent collaborative customer focus and a shared commitment to reducing waste, we can all contribute to improved sustainability and a reduction in the use of natural resources whilst saving money.