RCPA cuts its carbon footprint by 66%
The challenge
The RCPA has ambitious ESG targets; they aim to become carbon neutral by 2050. Eliminating polystyrene was a key step in decarbonising its supply chain. The challenge was finding a sustainable replacement that maintained temperature stability and fit within their budget.
Planet Protector’s solution
WOOLPACK reduced the RCPA’s carbon footprint by 66%. It also lowered its costs; it requires less space to transport and therefore lowered incoming freight costs by 66%. WOOLPACK has also saved the RCPA 80% of space compared to its previous packaging.
Introducing the RCPA
The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) is the leading organisation of Pathologists and Senior Scientists in Australasia. Its mission is to support pathologists and improve the use of testing to achieve better healthcare. As a centre dedicated to studying the causes of diseases, it regularly examines samples that require strict temperature control.
The RCPA’s mission: find packaging that supports ESG targets
While it had used polystyrene boxes in the past, the RCPA recognised that this harmed its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) targets; namely, to become carbon neutral by 2050. Polystyrene is made from non-renewable fossil fuels, so the RCPA was actively looking for a sustaina ble alternative. Additionally, the bulky nature of polystyrene meant that it limited warehouse space, had significant transport costs, and was extremely difficult to dispose of.
With a cramped warehouse, excessive costs, and a big carbon footprint, the RCPA knew it needed to find a solution. The new packaging had to maintain samples between 2-8°C. Having examined the market and identified Planet Protector as a values-aligned company with a scientifically proven solution, it reached out.
| “It was an incredibly smooth journey. Planet Protector helped design their packaging to fit perfectly with our product”
The results: lower footprint and reduced costs
In the RCPA’s words, “the pharmaceutical industry is averse to change”. When the company looked into switching to a sustainable packaging solution, it received pushback from the industry.
However, the results speak for themselves. When it came to supporting the RCPA with its ESG targets, WOOLPACK didn’t disappoint; it lowered the company’s carbon footprint by 66%. With polystyrene, the RCPA was struggling with warehouse storage. With WOOLPACK, it saves 80% of space compared to its previous packaging.
WOOLPACK also helped the RCPA lower costs; it requires less space to transport and therefore reduced incoming freight costs by 66%. Its compact nature means it requires fewer trucks to transport, lowering the RCPA’s carbon footprint even further.
While polystyrene boxes are infamously difficult to dispose of, WOOLPACK is home-compostable and recyclable, making it easy for the end consumer to discard. This highlights the RCPA’s commitment to not only reducing its carbon footprint but also eliminating waste.
| “With EPS we needed 3 b-doubles to transport the product into our facility. With WOOLPACK we only need 1!”
WOOLPACK was the perfect solution to the RCPA’s requirements for temperature stability and sustainability. It has not only found a solution to its packaging needs but also made a conscious decision to support sustainable practices that benefit both the business and the environment.