November 2023

In the areas of the country where the trees are casting off the last of their leaves, we’re reminded of the cyclical rhythm of nature and the important role trees play in our lives. From slowing climate change to improving our mental health, trees are a catalyst for positive environmental, societal and economic change.

At PCA, trees are essential to what we do. So as we prepared our 2022 Responsibility Report, they continually took center stage — so much so that the sub-title for the report naturally became "It All Starts With a Tree."

In our latest Responsibility Report, we discuss how we plan to leverage the power of forests within our existing value chain, as well as future carbon-pollution-free opportunities, to become a net-zero emissions company by 2050. Learn more:

2022 Responsibility Report | Packaging Corporation of America

While emerging technologies will help us get to net-zero, the corrugated industry’s commitment to sustainability is hardly new. In 2011, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) was one of the first manufacturing industries to set quantifiable sustainability goals. PCA’s operational performance helped the industry achieve many of the AF&PA’s Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 goals. We will continue to build on this progress and are committed to helping the industry achieve the ambitious 2030 goal of reducing total scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 50% from a 2005 baseline.

To learn more about the AF&PA 2030 goals, visit 2030 Sustainability Goals | AF&PA (afandpa.org).

As the undisputed champion of recycling and reuse, the corrugated box was into circularity long before it was cool. Now, we could describe the roundtrip the corrugated box makes from the mill to the recycling center in great depth and detail here. But wouldn’t you rather watch it for yourself? That’s what we were thinking too, so allow us to present “The Life Cycle of the Corrugated Box.”

Even though most boxes are used just one time, their fibers can be used 5–7 times through recovery and recycling efforts. As a result, corrugated is the single most recycled packaging material in the U.S. In 2022, the recycling rate for corrugated was 93.6%, and it has consistently exceeded 82% since 2009.

Corrugated was sustainable long before sustainable became a forethought, and it will remain the most sustainable option available long after other products have their day in the sun. To understand why corrugated always was and always will be the most sustainable option from start to finish, come explore our latest article.

We hope you enjoyed this “Corrugated Connections” issue focused on sustainability. And fear not! It certainly won’t be the last time we talk about sustainability.

Thanks for reading and see you next time!