Prysmian Group’s sustainability agenda increases momentum

As part of its sustainability drive, Prysmian Group has begun an initiative to reduce the amount of unnecessary paper and plastic used in the packaging of its communications products.

Progress tracking only began officially at the start of March 2021, but already the totals in saved paper encompass more than 51 trees.

The main elements of the agenda include streamlining the numbers of unnecessary plastic bags in boxes of products and the inclusion of QR codes instead of printed installation guides to cut down on paper used. Paper installation guides can range from one double sided sheet to 25 pages, depending on the product.

“The initiative to introduce the QR codes allowing customers to download installation guide PDFs was the beginning of this journey, starting in 2019,” explained Kris Roberts, Connectivity Research and Development Manager for Prysmian UK, Telecom Solutions. “We have been aware that the amount of paper used within our product packaging had to change, and this development is a great milestone for us in becoming a more sustainable company.

“The events of 2020, though stressful for everyone, has accelerated both our sustainability and digital agenda in a very positive way, as increased digitisation has become essential to our way of working. The two projects have come to work hand in hand.”

“Installation guides are often lengthy, and because they are produced in multiple different languages, this often triples their size. Offering digital versions of these guides allows us to include more detail as we don’t have to consider the paper required and end users can download them in their own language with ease.”

The initiative is part of an ongoing review, with a promising trajectory.

In May this year, 313,641 pieces of paper were saved, compared to March’s figure of 228,574. The number of bags and labels saved in March and April jumped from 44,097 pieces to 67,245, respectively, whilst in May, a further 18,528 bags and labels were added to this.

On an individual product level, plastics bags have gone from numbering up to 20 in one box to just three. These savings have resulted in a CO₂ reduction of 6418kg since tracking started.

Marcello Del Brenna, U.K CEO of Prysmian Group commented: "Prysmian Group is accelerating its Sustainability Agenda, with very ambitious 2030 targets in all areas. These range from Diversity & Inclusion to Carbon Footprint and Social Responsibility, which are deployed across all regions.

In the UK, our products are a key pillar of our Sustainability roadmap: to improve their carbon footprint, be it in their packaging, their specifications and/or their performance, means to actively contribute towards the country's Net-Zero ambition."

Prysmian Group’s sustainability drive is set to accelerate even further in the latter half of 2021. One project currently underway is to make video guides available to download, also by QR code, to further enable customers access to information while continuing to keep paper and plastic use to a minimum. Eco labels for all products are also in the pipeline, which will detail the sustainability benefits and impact of each product.

To see more on Prysmian’s wider sustainability strategy, visit: www.prysmian.com/en/sustainability

 

Prysmian UK

Prysmian – manufacturer of the famous fire protection FP range for more than 30 years - is the largest cable manufacturer in the UK with over 100 years of experience. The UK operation employs more than 1,200 personnel across four sites and is well placed to support its local and global customer base with energy and telecom cables and accessories with varying voltage capacities. At higher voltages, Prysmian offers a maintenance and installation service via its Energy Network Solutions business unit. Its XLPE Xpress service delivers high voltage cables and accessories from stock. At lower voltages Prysmian's comprehensive range of building wires, power cables and related accessories are available through a first class network of wholesalers and distributors.