Nike’s ambitious project centred on mitigating the carbon footprint associated with its cardboard packaging suppliers. The primary objective was to identify measures that could significantly reduce Nike’s packaging carbon footprint over the next five years without compromising the established look and feel of their products. The project kicked off with an in-depth exploration of the environmental impact of paper and cartons. This involved a meticulous examination of the entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. Concurrently, interviews were conducted with industry experts and corrugated suppliers to gather insights into best practices and innovative solutions.
Taking a highly quantitative approach, the project team developed a sophisticated evaluation tool. This tool utilizes a set of pre-defined criteria to assess suppliers comprehensively. The resulting tool equips Nike with a robust framework for evaluating and benchmarking the sustainability performance of any newly onboarded packaging suppliers, ensuring a consistent commitment to environmental responsibility across the supply chain.
