Packaging

Baxter works to decrease the environmental impact of packaging by reducing the amount used and substituting for environmentally-preferable materials. The company implemented projects in 2011 that reduced total packaging on an annualized basis by 402 metric tons. Total annualized savings since 2007 equals 4,300 metric tons.¹

China

Baxter’s facility in Guangzhou, China, decreased the packaging associated with one of its parenteral nutrition products, without impacting product protection and usability. Reducing the thickness of the aluminum cap and stopper and eliminating the plastic hanger produced annualized savings of 44 metric tons of a combination of aluminum and plastic material.

Europe

In 2008, Baxter and its corrugate supplier in Castlebar, Ireland, initiated a project to optimize corrugate use. Weekly calls to review the previous week’s performance incorporated with daily measurement of scrap at the carton manufacturing, and weekly inventory counts of corrugate helped save approximately $79,000 annually between 2009 and 2011. The total corrugate reduction from 2008 to 2011 was 99 metric tons. After introducing a new board grade in 2011, Baxter saved an additional $300,000.

In Lessines, Belgium, Baxter implemented a process to reduce the sheeting thickness of the extrusion process for many product codes, while maintaining overall specifications and ensuring quality standards. Depending on the product code, the company reduced sheeting thickness between 1% and 2.8%, saving $318,000 and 5.3 metric tons of plastic annually.

Latin America

Projects implemented in Latin America in 2011 to reduce packaging include:

• In São Paulo, Brazil, Baxter decreased the thickness of an overpouch for 500mL bags by 0.001 inch saving approximately 25 metric tons of plastic and $100,000 on an annual basis. In addition, a second project to reduce the box size will also save a metric ton of corrugate and an additional $116,000 on an annual basis.
• Baxter’s facility in Cali, Colombia, initiated a project in 2011 to reduce the packaging size of peritoneal dialysis (PD) solution cartons. A new design decreases the amount of corrugated material per carton by 40 grams while improving box strength. The project will save approximately 34 metric tons of corrugated material on an annual basis. The site also redesigned a product’s direction insert, reducing paper use by 85%, equaling 2.5 metric tons of annualized savings.
• In 2011, Baxter’s facility in Cuernavaca, Mexico, redesigned the cardboard boxes for Baxter’s Mini-bag, 50mL, and 100mL intravenous (IV) bags configuration. The changes will save 32 metric tons of packaging annually.

United States

In 2011, Baxter partnered with FedEx to use their Healthcare Shared Network to transport products with specific temperature requirements. This service provides temperature controlled delivery for the pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries, eliminating the need for packing materials such as coolers and gel packs to maintain required temperatures. Through this initiative, Baxter has reduced packaging by an estimated 144 metric tons on an annualized basis.

1	This equals the total savings attributable to identified projects across the company, counted only for the first year after the packaging innovation was implemented.