We are pleased to share the coverage we have received since reaching out to the press to demonstrate how we are helping to drive plastic-free solutions.

It’s great to be recognised by Fleur Anderson MP who tabled the Parliamentary Bill to ban plastics in wet wipes.

Nice-Pak is on board and driving at full speed to a plastic-free future – and we welcome retailers, brand-owners and MPs on the journey!

See below news article issued and printed in The Leader:

Flint wet wipe manufacturer leading way to plastic-free future

A Flint wet wipe manufacturer is heading towards a plastic-free future, having removed more than 15,000 tonnes in the last three years.

Nice-Pak International, which produces wipes for global brands and retailers, has been working with customers to cut out plastic from more than 60 per cent of its products, up from less than 10 per cent in 2018.

Banning plastic in wet wipes has been tabled in a Parliamentary Bill proposed by Labour MP Fleur Anderson, with Nice-Pak welcoming the politician on the journey.

Robert Woodall, Managing Director at Nice-Pak International, said: “We have big ambitions for the future, as we are aiming to eliminate plastic from 80 to 90 per cent of the wipes we supply to the UK by the end of 2022.

“As the UK’s leading producer, we have invested millions of pounds into our facilities to create sustainable products and recyclable packaging and since 2018, we have removed plastic from more than 250 million packs of wipes.

“We pride ourselves on being an innovative and forward-thinking manufacturer and want to help make a positive change and encourage more consumers to use plastic-free wipes.

“Showcasing more ecological and UK-made solutions has been made possible thanks to Nice-Pak’s progressive approach, which included our sustainability pledges launched in 2019.”

Nice-Pak, which also has factories in Wigan/Flint and Germany, actively promotes sustainable solutions to customers as part of its sustainability pledge.

Alison Roberts, CSR and Communications Manager at Nice-Pak, said: “It’s encouraging to see our long-standing work creating an impact on our business and the environment.

“By pioneering the development of sustainable products, recyclable packaging solutions, and forming strong partnerships with suppliers and customers, we have eradicated more than 3,600 tonnes of plastic for one leading retailer alone.”

Earlier this year, the company was awarded the gold medal for sustainability for the sixth year in a row by EcoVadis, a global sustainability ratings provider. Nice-Pak placed in the top five per cent out of more than 75,000 organisations evaluated.

For more information on Nice-Pak International, visit www.nice-pak.co.uk

Further press coverage:

https://www.wigantoday.net/business/wigan-wet-wipe-firm-on-the-way-to-a-plastics-free-future-3480980

https://www.insidermedia.com/news/north-west/wet-wipe-manufacturer-makes-plastic-commitment

https://www.wales247.co.uk/flintshire-wet-wipe-manufacturer-leading-the-way-to-a-plastic-free-future

https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2021/12/01/wet-wipe-manufacturer-leading-the-way-to-a-plastic-free-future

https://businessmondays.co.uk/wet-wipe-manufacturer-leading-the-way-to-a-plastic-free-future/

8.11.2021

Dear Daniel,

I read your Daily Bread on 2^nd November, “Plastic-free wet wipes are a no-brainer”, following the Bill proposed by Fleur Anderson, MP and would like to offer an industry perspective.

As the leading producer of wet wipes to the UK market for global brands and leading retailers, I’d like to assure you and your readers about the significant steps we have already made to move towards a future of plastic-free wipes.

The COVID pandemic reminded all of us of the need for effective hygiene. Wipes play an important role in maintaining consumer health and wellbeing both in the home and in healthcare settings. The challenge has always been to provide sustainable solutions, which still meet the quality, safety & performance standards required by consumers, including newborn babies.

For several years, Nice-Pak as a premium, innovative supplier has been working behind-the-scenes to offer a range of plastic-free, environmentally sustainable wipes through strong partnerships with both suppliers & customers. We introduced our global sustainability pledges to drive change across our products, brands and packaging.

As a result, we have successfully reduced the amount of plastic used in wipes. For example, we’ve helped a leading UK retailer to remove plastic from their core range of baby wipes, saving over 3,600 tonnes of plastic. Through partnerships such as these, we’ve increased the proportion of business accounted by non-plastic wipes, from 9% in 2018, to over 60% this year. Over 250 million packs of wipes have successfully become plastic-free. What’s more, we anticipate around 80-90% of the wipes we supply to the UK market will be plastic free by the end of 2022.

We don’t believe the story stops with the wipes themselves: we have developed recyclable packaging solutions and conduct our business in an ethical and sustainable way – with accreditations from a range of objective third-party auditing associations, such as SEDEX, Ecovadis, ISO 50001 and the Carbon Disclosure Project.

You’re correct to highlight the problem of irresponsible product disposal, and we need to understand the difference between flushable and non-flushable wipes.

All of Nice-Pak’s range of flushable wipes are already plastic-free, and we were the first manufacturer to be assigned a universal ‘Fine to Flush’ accreditation, meeting standards set by the water industry. For non-flushable wipes, Nice-Pak consistently & clearly uses the ‘Do Not Flush’ logo on the front of each pack, as endorsed by our trade association.

We all want to maintain high levels of health & hygiene; the key is achieving this through expertise to deliver plastic-free wipes. Nice-Pak is on board and driving at full speed to a plastic-free future – and we welcome retailers, brand-owners and MPs on the journey!

Sincerely,

Rob Woodall

Managing Director

Nice-Pak International have become Associate Members of The UK Plastics Pact.

This initiative is the first such in the world working to create a circular economy for plastics, in line with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy targets. We are excited to join forces with WRAP, businesses from across the entire plastics value chain, UK governments and NGOs to tackle plastic waste.

We are one of sixteen UK Plastics Pact Associate Members now on board, which include representation across a variety of sectors including: – Textiles, Clothing, Food & Drink, Retail and Packaging.

Nice-Pak’s Group Environmental Manager, Fiona Mclachlan:

“The UK Plastics Pact’s Associate Membership category has enabled Nice-Pak to ensure that what we place on the UK market contributes to the overall goal to create a circular economy for plastics in line with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy targets. Being an Associate Member gives us the opportunity to be closer to the work being done by our peers who already sit within The Pact and provides us with insight into upcoming policy, changes to the UK’s recycling infrastructure, and guidance on how to produce packaging sustainably”.

This development contributes to our commitment to sustain our environment and operate in both an ethical and responsible way.

For more information visit: https://wrap.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/uk-plastics-pact-expands-reach-associate-membership-model

Businesses that wish to find out more about becoming an Associate Member of The UK Plastics Pact should email UKPlasticsPact@wrap.org.uk

Nice-Pak International has been awarded a gold medal by global sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis. Placed in the top 5% of over 75,000 companies evaluated, it is the sixth consecutive year that Nice-Pak have achieved the gold standard.

EcoVadis assesses businesses on the quality of their sustainability practices, focusing on 21 criteria based upon international sustainability standards such as the Global Compact Principles, the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard, the ISO 26000 standard, and the CERES principles.

The evidence-based assessment covers policies, actions and results across four themes:

• Environment
• Labour & Human Rights
• Ethics
• Sustainable Procurement

We are thrilled that the combined efforts of our employees and supply chain partners have been recognised in this way. In particular, we have been praised for our advanced management systems on environmental issues and sustainable procurement.

This achievement demonstrates our commitment to sustain our environment and social responsibility, through continuous improvement and innovation across all areas our business.