Getting More From Less
By Elisabeth Comere
With low oil prices continuing to foster uncertainty in Canada’s resources sector, the value of the Canadian dollar has declined rapidly, reaching a thirteen year low in January when it traded at $0.68 cents USD. While the dollar has rebounded since that time, exchange rate fluctuations are expected to continue to affect many Canadian companies throughout the remainder of 2016. Particularly hard hit are food and beverage manufacturers that import goods or source products from the United States. Not only are they dealing with an unpredictable dollar, increasing commodity prices continue to squeeze profit margins.
During times of economic hardship it is reasonable for companies to look for cost cutting opportunities and eliminate non-essential investments. Investments in sustainable packaging, however, shouldn’t be among the items on the chopping block. More and more companies are realizing that achieving sustainable packaging objectives can translate into cost savings while increasing brand equity driving greater sales and associated profits.
Elisabeth Comere is the Director of Environment & Government Affairs at Tetra Pak. Working out of the United States since 2010, Elisabeth is responsible for advancing Tetra Pak's commitment to sustainability in both the U.S. and Canada and oversees numerous industry and customer packaging sustainability initiatives.
