Sustainability has always been at the forefront of SMC Corporation’s (SMC) values in product development. The J-Series compact actuators, for example, were released nearly a decade ago in efforts to help reduce air consumption and material usage. Since 2018, SMC has released annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports, which outline its commitments to the environment and guide the company’s strategy to meet sustainability-focused benchmarks. Adopted in 2020, SMC ramped up its efforts toward meeting robust sustainability goals by implementing the “SMC Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Project,” directed by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals initiative of creating a shared blueprint for prosperity for people and the planet.
In addition to focused product developments and sustainable improvements pushed from SMC’s headquarters in Japan, SMC Corporation of America has taken new approaches within its corporate operations, including the launch of new sustainable packaging for deliveries to customers from its warehouse in Noblesville. The new SMC boxes are made with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content (PCR), with the goal of averaging 75% PCR content. This reduces the organization’s carbon footprint while enabling the packaging to be further recycled after use.
Furthering their commitment to sustainable business practices, SMC announced their decision to join the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, whose mission is to bring sustainable packaging stakeholders together to catalyze actionable improvements to packaging systems.
Expanding on this impact and furthering its commitment to reaching the established SDGs, SMC hosted two community e-waste recycling events that generated over 7,000 pounds of waste that would have otherwise been diverted to landfills.
