JP Brooks, Technical Sales Manager at Arden Dies with the cardboard packaging that is now used for all external packaging

Leading manufacturing firm the Arden Group has gone plastic-free – banning plastic in all its external packaging.

The Arden Group, which has its headquarters in Stockport, Greater Manchester, specialises in die and tooling manufacture for the paper-based packaging and carton industries.

In its Dies and Engraving divisions, the company has completely removed all plastic in its tooling shipments to customers.

The company, which was founded in 1964, has replaced its plastic shipping containers with cardboard and switched from bubble-wrap to card-wrap as part of the organisation’s ongoing commitment to cut its carbon footprint and help tackle plastic pollution.

The ban on plastic packaging is the latest eco-friendly move by the Arden Group after it become the first die-making and engraving company in the UK to achieve a coveted accreditation in recognition of its eco-friendly operations.

In 2020, it became an ISO 14001 certified company - an international standard which recognises organisations that have a successful environmental management system in place.

Sarah Poynter, Operations Manager at Arden Engraving, said: “Every year 12 million tonnes of plastic is swept into the ocean and packaging makes up for almost half of all plastic-use in the UK.

“Single-use plastic has led to a global crisis and organisations and manufacturers must be part of the solution and switch to more environmentally-friendly alternatives.

“Everyone has a part to play in doing their bit to protect the environment, and here at Arden we’re part of the supply chain for sustainable packaging anyway, creating the tooling for the carton and paper-based packaging sector, so it’s a natural next step for us to ban plastic within our own external packaging.

“It’s never been more important to promote sustainability within the packaging industry and we’re committed to doing our bit to turn the tide on plastic pollution.”

The Arden Group, which comprises of Die-making, Engraving and Software divisions, recycles or re-uses where possible, has cut its energy usage and promotes a green culture amongst its workforce. The company also no longer uses chemical processes in its production and the majority of the products produced across its Dies and Engraving divisions are between 80-100% recyclable.

This month is Plastic Free July – a global movement to raise awareness about plastic pollution and encourage people and organisations to reduce their plastic waste.