Focus Area: Circularity

75% of packaging solution sales are more sustainable

As part of our circularity focus, we are piloting takeback programs in close collaboration with customers to recover used packaging and reintegrate materials into the value chain, bringing circularity to life through practical, scalable initiatives. Leveraging our global footprint and local expertise, we promote circular packaging solutions that, in most cases, involve improving already existing designs. That’s why we’ve set the target that by 2025, 75% of our packaging sales should be more sustainable, following four key criteria.

• Reducing CO2eq emissions
• Reducing landfill waste
• Increasing recycled content
• Materials from responsbily managed forests

Closing the loop for a better tomorrow

At Nefab, we are committed to advancing circular packaging solutions that minimize resource extraction while ensuring optimal product protection. Our circularity model prioritizes reducing, reusing, and recycling to ensure that packaging materials remain in use for as long as possible before reaching the end of their life cycle. Our goal is to maintain a closed-loop system by prioritizing material reduction as the most environmentally and economically viable approach, followed by reuse, with recycling as a last resort. The more closed the loop, the greater the sustainability impact.

Circular design approach

When designing new packaging and solutions, our engineering teams are strictly following the Nefab sustainability design guidelines. To make the process easier, we developed GreenCalc, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool that identifies potential CO2eq, and cost savings of packaging compared with the existing solution.

With the help of tools like GreenCalc, our engineers follow three design principles:

• Design with efficient resource utilization (reduce): Reduce environmental impact in transportation, reduce packaging materials use and reduce product fragility
• Design with extended resource utilization (reuse): Reuse packaging in the supply chain, reuse packaging multiple times, control returnable pool and design packaging to be repaired
• Design to increase material recovery (recycle): Increase recycled content, use material that can be better recycled, and design with a circular approach

Advancing circularity through Nefab’s Service Center

Since 2023, we established Nefab’s ongoing Service Center in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of our commitment to circular solutions. The facility focuses on the industrial repair of wooden crates, enabling customers to extend the lifespan of their packaging and reduce waste. Repairing crates is one of the most sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to single-use packaging, helping to save resources and lower carbon emissions—aligned with our efforts to promote a more circular economy and keeping the loop small. Building on this success, Nefab plans to expand Service Centers globally, following our customers’ footprints and supporting their sustainability and waste reduction goals. By scaling this initiative, we aim to drive greater material efficiency, cost savings, and environmental benefits across multiple industries.

Nefab operation waste management (as part of our Scope 3)

At Nefab, we are committed to continuously reducing waste within our own operations by optimizing material use at every stage, from design to waste management. Our goal is to ensure that all waste streams—wood, metal, corrugated & paper, plastics & foam, and general mixed waste—remain within the loop and are given a second life, minimizing the amount of waste sent to landfills. To strengthen our recycling initiatives and reduce waste in our operations over the years, we have implemented a series of ongoing strategies:

• Education and Training
• Waste Reduction Initiatives
• Partnership Development
• Waste-to-Value Projects

Through these initiatives, we aim to set a precedent for environmental stewardship within our industry, proving that sustainable practices can go hand-in-hand with operational success.