Altria Group
At a Glance
Industry
Consumer Packaged Goods
Project Types
Engagement and Behavior Change, Sustainability and Energy Management Strategy
Year
2020
Location
Richmond, VA
Summary
Nidhi Singh created a baseline for Altria’s packaging and recycling goals.
Goals
Like every other consumer goods company, Altria Group is facing challenges in managing their product’s post-consumer environmental impact. Hence, Altria enlisted Nidhi Singh to explore packaging and recycling opportunities for their organization. The main goal was to create a baseline for the environmental impact related to packaging and recycling to help Altria set a broader sustainability goal.
Solutions
Nidhi approached the project in two ways:
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Identifying post-consumer waste opportunities – Cigarette butts are among the most discarded waste worldwide and are difficult to recycle. Nidhi initiated a discussion with the only third-party that is currently able to recycle cigarette butts. She successfully secured a financial proposal for Altria.
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Product packaging improvement – Tobacco product packaging cannot be easily altered because of regulatory requirements and product attributes. Hence, Nidhi only had limited opportunities to make immediate packaging changes. To better understand existing opportunities, she developed an environmental questionnaire for existing suppliers. This feedback from suppliers will help Altria assess their current supply chain and opportunities for future improvements.
Impact
These two exercises further helped Altria understand the major impact areas for an overall sustainability goal related to packaging and consumer waste. This project also helped Altria start the conversation with internal and external teams to support broader sustainability goals and develop innovative solutions.