We design our packaging with the environment in mind. For every product, Lexmark packaging engineers determine the shipping requirements, including all forms of transportation within the supply chain. Determining shipping requirements includes consideration of the type of product, overall size and weight of the product, its shape, included accessories and overall ruggedness to ensure shipping standards are met. The ruggedness of the printer is one significant factor in achieving a successful circular economy and ensuring the product is both safely shipped to the customer and maintains its long life at location. The team carefully considers types of materials selected to minimize environmental impact, ensure compliance with worldwide standards and eco-labels and enable the use of recyclable materials.
Types of packaging materials and packaging reductions are considered in each product family and transportation simulations are performed on each of our products throughout the development stages. Lexmark ultimately aims for the least amount of packaging required to securely ship all of our products. Less packaging lowers costs and reduces environmental impact. Driving these efficiencies for each product results in energy and natural resource savings and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Lexmark is focused on reducing the amount of single use plastics in packaging. We have a goal to decrease our use of single use plastics Lexmark designed and branded hardware and supplies packaging by 50% from 2018 to 2025. By the end of 2023, the total amount of single use plastics was reduced by 33% in Lexmark designed and branded hardware and supplies packaging.
In 2013, we made improvements to existing non-plastic cartridge packaging cushions, improving from corrugated fiberboard made from 35% recycled material to molded pulp. The molded pulp cushions are made from 100% recycled waste paper. This effort gave a second life to waste paper and continued to avoid single use plastics in our cushions. Lexmark contributes our waste paper from product testing to this initiative.
With continued commitment to reducing single use plastics, packaging changes to our midrange mono imaging unit packaging in 2018 has prevented over 324 metric tons of single use plastics from being shipped. The smaller, more robust package was made to tightly protect the imaging unit without the need for end caps, resulting in 1400 fewer shipping containers.
Where plastic cannot be currently removed, single use plastic is reduced by the incorporation of recycled materials. All high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bags in Lexmark designed and branded printers and cartridge packaging now incorporate 30% PCR materials. Also, extruded polyethylene (EPE) cushions incorporate a 40% PCR material blend.
Our packaging materials are derived from both renewable and nonrenewable sources. Those derived from renewable sources include corrugated fiberboard boxes, molded pulp cushions, and wooden pallets. Those derived from nonrenewable sources include cushions made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polyethylene (EPE); polyethylene bags; fasteners such as staples, twist ties, and tape; plastic strapping and plastic stretch wrap. At Lexmark, we evaluate the supply chain and determine levels of either renewable corrugated materials or increasing the level of post-consumer recycled corrugated materials.
Lexmark packaging engineers intentionally design our supplies cartons for durability. They are designed to be shipped twice. Once to ensure that the product is safely delivered to the customer; the second to ensure the product is securely packaged in its return trip to Lexmark.
Lexmark makes it easy for customers to participate in sustainable practices by using our free Lexmark Cartridge Collection Program to return cartridges and packaging.
At Lexmark, we apply this eco-logic not only to printers but also to supplies and service parts. New package designs for the Lexmark 9-Series printers (announced in 2024) improve container efficiency during shipping by over 10% through volume-efficent packaging compared to the previous generations. The new packaging design uses 33% less plastic and has a 50% reduction in single-use plastic when compared to the previous generations. These changes facilitate an increase in recovery and recycle of packaging material.
Lexmark's Packaging team is responsible for maintaining the Packaging Environmental Specification. Lexmark's Packaging Environmental Specification, which is available online, defines the minimum environmental and material requirements associated with the design, sourcing, manufacture and marketing of Lexmark packaging. The criteria takes into account global regulations, international treaties/conventions and specific eco-label requirements. The Product Environmental Specification is revised annually to include the latest regulatory references, including packaging materials and updates and leverages digital platforms to educate and publish those requirements to our packaging suppliers. Lexmark is active in educating and communicating to its packaging suppliers and in gauging for readiness toward new environmental requirements.
