Adrian Botoș (DS Smith Packaging): speaker at Environmental & Sustainability Summit 2023

Adrian Botoș, Cluster Sales, Marketing & Innovation Manager at DS Smith Packaging Romania, will be a speaker in Panel 2 of Day 2 at the Environmental & Sustainability Summit 2023. The event, hosted at The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection, will take place on October 4-5 and will approach crucial topics such as sustainable food and water consumption, eco-communities, renewable energy sources, and circular economy.

Adrian Botoș leads a team of 33 specialists who develop, innovate, and promote sustainable packaging solutions for clients in Romania and abroad, across all business segments: from complex solutions for the industrial, automotive, pharmaceutical sectors, to packaging for consumer goods and eCommerce. With extensive experience of over 17 years in developing attractive and logistics-optimized packaging for clients, Adrian inspires his team and clients to work collaboratively, focusing on results and added value. In his management position for the past 7 years, he has had the pleasure of supporting tens of thousands of packaging projects, addressing market needs, tracking trends, and facilitating the transition to a circular economy for DS Smith Packaging Romania’s clients. During the event he will focus on integrating sustainability into business processes, complying with European regulations, and the evolving landscape of sustainable business models.

“We support our clients in their transition to the circular economy through the tools at our disposal, providing them with packaging solutions that meet their sustainability goals. We assist those of them at the local level who need to align with international requirements and regulations, all while considering trends and the most innovative solutions under the DS Smith brand,” says Adrian Botoș.

Adrian Botoș also sat down with Business Review in anticipation of #ESS2023 to preview DS Smith’s sustainability strategy and actions:

Can you share specific initiatives or projects that your company has undertaken to reduce its environmental footprint and promote sustainability? How have these initiatives contributed to your overall sustainability goals and outcomes?

To achieve our 2030 target, we need to deliver multiple decarbonisation projects across our Paper, Packaging, and Recycling sites. We will do this through continuing to invest in engineering solutions and technology that increases energy efficiency (less energy = less carbon) and through the use of biofuels and renewable energy sources to reduce GHG.

We have worked with many customers to help them improve their sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint. For example, we have helped customers reduce the weight of their packaging, switch to renewable materials, and optimize their supply chains to reduce waste and emissions.

In what ways does your company integrate sustainability practices into its core business operations and corporate culture? How do you ensure that sustainability is not just a buzzword but a fundamental part of your organization’s identity and strategy?

We are recognized around the world for our innovation and for the quality of our packaging. Our products can improve transport and storage efficiency, boost retail presentation and increase product sales for our customers – and we do it with sustainable corrugated cardboard. By recycling over 75 percent of the paper fibers in our cardboard, we save over 160 millions trees every year from being cut down. We can make, use, collect and recycle cardboard packaging within 14 days. We are ambitious in using innovation to tackle some of the world’s most complex sustainability challenges. Our Now and Next Sustainability Strategy focuses on the Circular Economy, it leads our ambition and positions us as a sustainable leader within the industry. Through our goal of “Redefining packaging for a changing world” and „Our Now and Next Sustainability Strategy”, DS Smith is committed to accelerating the introduction of the circular economy. The company provides its customers and the public with green solutions – replacing problematic plastics, eliminating the carbon footprint from the supply chain, and providing innovative recycling solutions. Under the program, the company replaced 300 million pieces of problematic plastics with its cardboard solutions for supermarkets and online retailers worldwide. The company has committed itself to net-zero emissions by 2050, a state in which its actions and related CO2 emissions have no impact on the climate. By 2023, we will only produce packaging that is 100% reusable or recyclable. DS Smith’s work on replacing plastics is supported by the £100 million Circular Economy research and development program. By 2025, we will optimize the use of fibers in individual supply chains in 100% of our new packaging solutions. By 2025, we will eliminate 1 billion problematic plastic packaging from store shelves. Together with our partners, we will look for solutions to replace ‘hard to recycle’ packaging. By 2025, we will engage 100% of our coworkers in a circular economy.

DS Smith has a Recycling Division, and is a Net Recycler. If you take all the boxes we produce in Europe, versus all the waste paper and corrugated we recycle across Europe, you will find the recycling number to be higher.

There isn’t yet a reliable way to track individual fibres and prove that a specific fibre started as your box, was recycled, and became one of your boxes again. But we can use mass balance and supply chain mapping between paper mills and packaging sites, to help you to prove the circular and closed loop nature of your packaging. In fact, we’ve already done it with several customers, and you can read about it on our website.

Collaboration and partnerships are often key drivers for achieving sustainability goals. Could you highlight any strategic collaborations your company has engaged in to address environmental and sustainability challenges? How have these partnerships enhanced your ability to make a positive impact on the environment and society?

DS Smith launched its Now & Next sustainability strategy in 2020 with a focus on Circular Economy (inspired by the Ellen MacArther Foundation, of which we are a strategic partner). It was designed in response to the changing environment in which we operate and achieving impact beyond our own organisation. We believe we are in a position to influence in a positive way and demonstrate a bigger contribution to society, as well as collaborating with our customers to achieve their own sustainability targets and ambitions.

As we transition to a Circular Economy, DS Smith is committed to designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use for longer through our circular business model, and regenerating natural systems

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Adrian Botoș and other industry experts at the Environmental & Sustainability Summit 2023. Join us at The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection, on October 4-5, and take an inside look at what the top speaking guests have to say about creating a new normality through sustainable means.

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