To enhance supply chain efficiency and sustainability for Jack Link’s® Beef Jerky, Presto Products Company (fresh-lock.com) enrolled the company in Presto’s Fresh-Lock® Zipper Spool Recycle and Reuse program. Annually, Jack Link’s will support the reuse of 30,000 pounds of High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), reducing the environmental impact of its supply chain. This initiative is just one of several measures in which Presto has assisted Jack Link’s in advancing packaging operations.
Presto offers its Fresh-Lock Zipper Spool Recycle and Reuse program to help manufacturers enhance the sustainability of their supply chains. Since 2009, Presto has championed the reuse of 3,000,000 pounds of High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) across various product categories, diverting this material from landfills and reusing the spools in new shipments of Fresh-Lock Zippers.
Jack Link’s participation in Presto’s Fresh-Lock Zipper Spool Recycle and Reuse program – coupled with the company’s state-of-the-art central warehouse distribution program to streamline efficiency, fuel and energy usage across its supply chain – have helped the meat snack manufacturer achieve a zero-landfill plant in Alpena, South Dakota.
“This is part of an comprehensive sustainability program at Jack Link’s,” Thomas Myers, director of corporate sustainability for Jack Link’s explains. “At Jack Link’s, we strive to be great stewards of our natural resources. Our policy is to incorporate sustainability throughout our business practices and procedures, with the ultimate goal of minimizing our environmental impact and strengthening the communities where we do business. Three key initiatives drive our current sustainability efforts: reducing energy consumption, reduction in overall waste and increasing our supply chain and packaging efficiency.”
Working hand-in-hand with Presto is part of the strategy. The relationship between the companies dates back nearly a decade, when Jack Link’s engaged Presto to help them recreate a discontinued material formulation from an earlier supplier. Since then, Presto has provided Jack Link’s with press-to-close (PTC) zippers for small, medium and large pouch formats used for all of its branded products as well as technical service and consultation to support the company’s deep commitment to green initiatives.
Made from Presto’s proprietary soft-seal resin, the most recent PTC innovation rolled out by Jack Link’s since August 2014 features a blend of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). This unique material provides a high-melt index, giving operators more time to ensure the zipper adheres properly to film pouches and reducing the number of imperfect pouches that come down the line. By minimizing the number of imperfect pouches, the solution helps to decrease costly product waste and increase the efficiency and quality output of the facility.
In addition to providing Jack Link’s with PTC closures that advance sustainability and efficiency, Presto also provides the company with technical service and support to speed delivery times, streamline processes and respond rapidly to urgent order requests, as well as proactive consultation for ‘big picture’ improvements to packaging operations.
“Closures represent a frequent point of interaction between the product and the consumer, so it is critical for brands to put their best foot forward here.” says Brad Hansen, President of Presto Specialty Group, Presto Products Company. “We love working with companies like Jack Link’s that share this belief and understand that the design, engineering, materials and natural resources that go into delivering a quality closure are all important factors that can impact their supply chains in a positive way and contribute to building brand loyalty.”
