[NB] Four ways RAJA is working to reduce our environmental impact

RAJA Group has four focus areas that we prioritise in order for our business across Europe to reduce our environmental impact and become more sustainable:

1. Conducting sustainable procurement

2. Offering environmentally friendly products

3. Reduce our carbon footprint

4. Improve our operations

Within these focus areas, we are taking a number of actions to reduce our environmental impact. We also aim to strengthen our environmental management system.

1. Implement sustainable procurement

As a distributor, our business relies on a large network of partners, such as manufacturers of packaging, business equipment and supplies, transport companies and printers. Our purchasing decisions play a role that goes far beyond cost optimisation, as they help shape our offering and positioning.

Our purchasing practices follow several principles:

• Local sourcing: For example, 90% of RAJA Packaging’s suppliers are European.
• All RAJA suppliers must commit to complying with RAJA’s Responsible Purchasing and Sustainable Development Charter, which addresses respect for human rights, international labour standards, and more.
• Constant innovation and search for environmentally friendly products.
• Co-operation to build lasting relationships and make the companies in the RAJA group more robust.

2. Offer environmentally friendly products

The packaging industry is undergoing a “green revolution”, with the increasing use of paper and cardboard packaging, the development of mono-material packaging and the increasing use of recycled paper.

The RAJA Group has set itself the goal of offering alternatives to plastic in all our product ranges. We are also working to increase the proportion of recycled plastic in products where plastic is still irreplaceable.

We work with manufacturers and our customers to offer products that fulfil these requirements. Examples of products we have launched include bubble wrap made from recycled paper, padded envelopes made from paper, 100% recycled plastic bags and the recently launched Recycold climaliner thermal liner.

In addition, we endeavour to promote responsible use of packaging.

3. Controlling transport-related emissions

Lorries carry 77% of all goods transported over land in the EU. Heavy transport (trucks, trailers and buses) accounts for just over a quarter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from road transport, and around 6% of total EU GHG emissions.

In February 2023, the European Commission proposed tightening the regulation on CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles. Current legislation requires manufacturers to reduce emissions from new lorries by 15% by 2025 and 30% by 2030 (compared to a baseline of mid-2019 to mid-2020).

The review proposed by the European Commission increases the target levels to -45% in 2030, -65% in 2035 and -90% in 2040.

In 2022, RAJA France committed to reducing CO2 emissions from the transport of its products by 28% by the end of 2024. In total, this amounts to an annual reduction of 904 tonnes of CO2. To achieve this reduction, RAJA is working in three areas:

• Improving loading speeds and route planning to avoid so-called empty kilometres.
• Changing the engine type of the vehicles. In 2022, RAJA France purchased 23 biogas vehicles to serve its customers in the Paris region.
• Incentivising its transport partners to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Reducing the environmental impact of our activities

Waste reduction and sorting are at the core of the RAJA Group’s environmental policy.

Another priority is to reduce energy consumption. In the winter of 2022/23, the RAJA Group started an energy efficiency programme in certain offices and distribution centres. The idea is to encourage everyone to make simple changes, such as switching off lights when there is enough natural light, closing doors and windows when the heating is on, or switching off electrical equipment at the end of the day.

RAJA is also working to reduce the environmental impact of its marketing communication. All RAJA’s product catalogues are printed on recycled paper or paper from sustainably managed forests.

Strengthened environmental management

20 of the 26 companies in the RAJA group are environmentally certified (ISO 14001). This standard ensures that an environmental management system is in place to control waste management, greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, etc. In addition, 23 of the 26 companies have obtained quality management certification (ISO 9001).

In France, RAJA EcoVadis achieved gold certification in 2022. This also reflects the integration of CSR in the company’s management. With all subsidiaries combined, the Group ranks at silver level.

The priority in the coming period is to improve our system for measuring greenhouse gas emissions at Group level. The aim is to benefit from consolidated data and to better manage our environmental policy.

If you would like to know more about how RAJA works to reduce our environmental impact, you are welcome to contact us on 22 51 40 00 or post@rajapack.no.

See also our environmentally friendly packaging products here.