Confidence in the choices we make
Earlier this fall, Terravera and Lerum announced a new partnership. As a nationwide supplier of jams, syrups, and juices, it is crucial for the company to achieve more environmentally friendly packaging production.
Hans Christian Bjerketveit, Director of Business Development, expressed optimism about the partnership and an expectation for a fact-based approach to sustainability for Lerum. They sought assistance in running simulations to understand the consequences of various choices in their value chain, particularly related to the industry’s challenges around transport and packaging.
Foto: Hans Christian Bjerketveit
Quick Results Providing New Insights
“One of our most important insights has been understanding how much recycled plastic we actually need to use in our bottles to achieve a real environmental benefit,” says Bjerketveit. “Previously, we relied solely on Infinitum’s guideline that 80% recycled plastic is optimal, and that anything above 80% creates challenges in the recycling process. Now, we have scientifically based findings that help us navigate between the EU’s requirement of 25% recycled plastic and Infinitum’s recommendations regarding environmental benefits. This also aids our communication around our choices in our efforts toward sustainable plastic use. Increasing our knowledge on this contributes to our competitive edge and is an important part of our environmental commitment.”
Terravera has developed a model to analyze the environmental impact of different production methods and transportation routes. The focus is on maximizing the use of recycled materials while reducing CO₂ emissions.
“Perhaps we could have tried to model and analyze this ourselves by diving into sources and data, but the collaboration with Terravera, which connects us with young talents from academia, truly enriches the process. It brings freshness and relevance to the work we do, making the whole process not only educational but also incredibly exciting,” says Bjerketveit.
A Balance We Take Seriously
“As part of our sustainability efforts, we have learned a lot through this process, which contributes to evaluating our goal achievement. With new knowledge about the environmental impact of different materials, we see that pure, unused materials are often cheaper than recycled alternatives. This presents challenges in balancing costs versus environmental impact — a balance we take seriously. Our dialogue with suppliers and other partners is central to this process, where we jointly explore how we can best act for the climate, knowing that every small change helps, but greater changes are necessary to make a real difference,” concludes Bjerketveit.
