Indianapolis — Plastics firms can embrace sustainability as a way of overcoming negative perceptions of the material.
That was the message from Teresa Schell at the 2019 MAPP Benchmarking & Best Practices Conference in Indianapolis. Schell is owner and president of the Vive LLC marketing firm in Milwaukee.
"Branding with sustainability makes a difference in how customers value your priorities," she said Oct. 3 at the event. "The issue isn't going away, and you don't want your company to be stuck in the past."
The biggest need for plastics firms in the sustainability area, Schell added, is simply getting started.
"There's a big gap between what you know you should be doing and what you're doing," she explained. "Companies really need to see the advantage of a sustainability strategy and how it can help them connect with prospects."
Schell admitted that getting plastics firms interested in sustainability "can be a hard sell."
"Companies will say they don't have time for it," she said. "You really need an internal champion at the company."
Schell cited injection molder Plastic Molding Technology Inc. of El Paso, Texas. PMT created a video on its website to show its ability to be "a green supplier."
"This is great marketing to promote sustainability," she said. "And the company can repurpose it into other channels."