Green products deserve green packaging.

We’re always working to lessen the environmental impact of the materials and manufacturing processes required to bring our products to market. But what about the step between product design and consumer use—packaging?

Vishal Pandhare, Senior Engineer – Design, and his team are tackling this phase by incorporating Design for Environment (DfE) principles into product packaging.

"I see a great opportunity in assessing our packaging footprint," Vishal said. "Our engineers are coming up with innovative ideas which directly reduce Kohler's carbon footprint."

His team, which supports Kohler product teams in the U.S., U.K., and India, has implemented several seemingly simple solutions that have a big impact: standardized packaging designs to allow different SKUs to use the same boxes and pallets for transportation, stackable packaging to save space, while reducing carbon material required by 40 percent and optimized pallet-loading software so associates can select the most efficient transportation options, from pallets to packaging.

Vishal added that the data shows where we have inefficiencies in material and energy utilization within manufacturing. “Using DfE principles, we can improve our processes for better environmental performance as well as reduce operating costs.”