Curtis Packaging Expands Its Environmental Leadership

Curtis Packaging, a luxury folding carton converter based in Newtown, Conn., has earned a reputation as one of the most environmentally conscious package printing companies in the industry. In April, packagePRINTING caught up with Curtis Packaging’s president, Don Droppo, Jr., to discuss the company’s history and the emphasis it places on environmental responsibility.

Don Droppo, Jr., president of Curtis Packaging

According to a press release issued by the Connecticut Green Bank, Curtis Packaging has just about completed a $2.5 million project, which includes natural gas conversion and the implementation of energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, and a solar array.

Curtis Packaging is financing the project through the Connecticut Green Bank’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program, the press release states.

From the release:

“Green companies want to work with other green companies,” Droppo said. “So this has opened up an entire new avenue of growth for us. Curtis is the first luxury packaging company to be 100% carbon neutral and the first to rely on 100% renewable energy. With the help of the C-PACE program, we were able to further our sustainability efforts and make these most recent upgrades, including getting rid of a 50-year-old oil burner with very little out of pocket investment. Everyone wins in this deal and we couldn’t have done it without the Connecticut Green Bank.”

In addition to this current project, Curtis Packaging has implemented several other environmental initiatives in recent years. In our conversation earlier this year, Droppo told us about Curt Coat, a high-gloss UV coating that can be used to simulate an acetate high-gloss lamination, but is easier to recycle. Plus, Droppo explained that the company strives to continually learn about sustainable initiatives through its partnership with the Yale School of Forestry, which also provides students with hands on experience in the industry.

Packaging Perspective: Expecting every package printing company to take sustainability to the level of Curtis Packaging is not reasonable. However, it is encouraging to have a leader in this arena that can serve as a resource to peer converters seeking be a little greener. Packaging often gets a bad rap in the sustainability realm, but there are innovators out there who are setting the standard for turning this perception around. Consumers are demanding recyclability aspects in their products and packaging and brands are taking notice. Sustainable initiatives are no longer just about corporate responsibility. They’re good business, too.