Q&A

2020 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING REPORT“We realized our products
have a global impact, andwe knew that anything wecould do to reduce ourcarbon footprint would havea ripple effect.”

Kwik Lok has been increasing its commitment
to sustainability ever since co-owner Stephanie
Paxton Jackson took the helm with her sisters fiveyears ago. She shares the story of how and why
the company is focusing now more than ever onsustainable packaging initiatives.

Sustainability has becomesuch an important issue
in the food and beverage
marketplace. When andwhy did Kwik Lok decide toescalate its commitment
to implementing moresustainable businesspractices?
Stephanie Paxton Jackson: Mysisters and I took over the familybusiness five years ago, after thepassing of our father. At that time,
we really wanted to concentrate
on being socially responsible.
We realized our products have aglobal impact, and we knew thatanything we could do to reduce
our carbon footprint would havea ripple effect. We wanted todrive meaningful change in ourindustry and beyond.
What are some of theinitiatives you’ve recently
launched that focus
specifically on sustainable
packaging? Any new products
or plans you’d like to share?
Last year, we launched theworld’s first bag closure mademuch packaging; we call the machinery Kwik Link. We are proudof this new technology, because
it gets the message out to a challenging part of the grocery store,
which has been produce and it’soverpackaging.
How can Kwik Lok help
retailers and CPG companies
alike communicate a message
of sustainability to thecustomers they serve?
We believe our message to retailers and other CPG companies isto “just start.” They already may
be doing some great things anddon’t even realize it. When we
first started down the sustain-

with renewable plant-based resin called Eco-Lok. We are excited, because this closure uses up
to 20% less petroleum-basedmaterials when produced, andwhen our customers buy/use
Eco-Lok, carbon emissions arereduced by up to 20%. We havealso developed a way to bindand label produce without using

Kwik Lok is owned by Melissa Steiner (from left), Kimberly Paxton-Hagnerand Stephanie Paxton Jackson.

11ability path, we were looking forsomething to use as a foundation. Then we realized we’re oneof the best in the U.S. at keeping
our workers safe—zero hours lost
to injuries. So we built on that.
Why not take the same care andattention we give our employees
and give the planet a little love, aswell? We took a good, long lookat everything, from product conception to production and sales.
Then we went all-in and not justin one department, but on everylevel. And in the process, we realized countless opportunities toincrease sustainability across allof Kwik Lok as a whole.
Can sustainable packaging
actually help boost sales?
Yes, we believe that we can“do good and do well.” Inother words, we could do goodenvironmentally as well as
financially—those two things are
not mutually exclusive. You canmake an impact on both sidesof the scale. Consumers are, as
a whole, conscious of the needto care for the environment,
and many take sustainability
into account when choosing aproduct. We are seeing bakery
and produce customers aroundthe globe, for example, adopting
our sustainable solutions aspart of their own environmental
goals to cut carbon and reducepackaging impact.