FACC commits to sustainable packaging, aims for carbon-neutral manufacturing by 2040

From left to right: Gernot Valentin (outbound logistics), CEO Robert Machtlinger, Mario Einheller (expert packaging), COO Andreas Ockel and Florian Moser (outbound logistics). Photo Credit, all images: FACC - Rambossek

Aerospace company FACC (Ried im Innkreis, Austria) introduces its new sustainable packaging concept to optimize its high transport volumes of aircraft parts each month. As a company with an export quota of 100%, logistics and thus packaging play an important role, the company notes; its goal is to achieve carbon-neutral manufacturing by 2040.

For smaller parts, only packaging and filling material made of recycled cardboard are used, avoiding all uses of plastic. For larger packaging units, destined for overseas deliveries and complex systems requiring additional filling material, air cushion foil is produced at FACC from sustainable materials. It has a recycled content of 40% and is produced in a 100% carbon-neutral process. It is essential that the foil is inflated with air only after reaching its destination: In this way, transport of the foil requires around 25 times less space than before, according to FACC. This alone saves 30 truck trips per year. In total, this amounts to CO₂ savings of approximately 40 metric tons, equivalent to the consumption of around 20 single-family homes per year.

The foil was tested and certified by FACC specifically for use in aviation. Two newly acquired machines will supply logistics with the sustainable packaging material in the future. For the past three years, FACC has also been using sustainable eco-liners for transport. Including these, annual CO₂ savings amount to more than 400 tons.

A QR code on each packaging allows customers of FACC to centrally access total CO₂ savings online.

“In the best case, greater sustainability goes hand in hand with greater efficiency,” CEO Robert Machtlinger emphasizes. “With these measures, we have not only minimized our environmental footprint, but also cut costs.” In addition, total packaging effort at the newly constructed ergonomic packing table was reduced by half by improving processes. This translates into significant savings, given that approximately 100,000 square meters of cardboard are required per year.

Moreover, for transport within Europe, FACC has been using round-trip boxes instead of packaging material for years. These are unloaded by the customer, returned to FACC and then reused for shipping.

To provide transparency to customers, FACC provides a QR code on each package to centrally access total CO₂ savings. Moreover, the packaging design has been revised and a new logo for green logistics developed.

Ultimately, FACC notes, all production processes at FACC are to be carbon-neutral by 2040. To achieve this, FACC is currently working on a number of small and large adjustments. Space heating is supplied 100% by geothermal energy and heat recovery, and in addition to the company's own photovoltaic system, the company only sources electricity from hydropower. Energy-saving LEDs are used for lighting.