Product Packaging and Transportation | ACER ESG

Product Packaging and Transportation

Product Packaging and Transportation

Product Packaging and Forest Conservation Policy

We released our “Sustainable Paper and Packaging Policy” in 2012 in order to enhance the sustainability of global forest ecosystems, and in 2022, it evolved to become Acer Group’s “Product Packaging and Forest Conservation Policy”. Acer understands that deforestation will seriously impact the stability of the forest ecosystem, and we recognize and appreciate the efforts taken with our suppliers and partners to conserve forest ecosystems. Acer prohibits all business relationships with suppliers that are involved in deforestation and illegal logging. We only permit the sourcing of supplies from non-controversial sources and responsibly managed forests. We maintain forest productivity through reforestation where appropriate and work with relevant stakeholders toward the goal of ending deforestation in the supply chain. 

Acer incorporates the below principles to strengthen the responsibility of our products and operations. We also encourage our suppliers and partners to adopt the same principles to promote the conservation effects of the whole value chain:

  • Ensure that businesses of the entire group comply with international, national and local forest conservation related regulations, that raw materials are obtained legally, and that suppliers do not violate forest conservation laws or be involved in illegal practices in the countries and regions where they conduct business.

  • Maximize the use of eco-friendly paper in all operations, including recycled contents, and recyclable and renewable materials with the goal of achieving a low environmental impact throughout our operations.

  • Work with suppliers and/or partners to increase materials efficiency of product packaging and minimize the consumption of paper products containing virgin pulp to reduce the harvesting of raw materials.

The policy is reviewed, approved, and supervised by Acer's Board of Directors.

Use of environmentally friendly materials with streamlined design

Based on supplier information, Acer estimates that in 2022, a total of 7,322 tonnes of paper packaging materials (including cartons and paper cushion materials) were shipped along with the notebooks, desktop computers, and displays.

Through the Acer Packaging Design Principles, we are able to examine the life cycle of our packaging and make informed decisions about the environmental impact of our packaging at every stage, from initial R&D and selection of materials through fabrication and transportation, to use and eventual waste processing. For example, we are reducing the volume and weight of packaging by simplifying packaging, standardizing package sizes and printing, and further reducing energy consumption for transportation.

In 2022, the entire line of notebook products has removed the external heat-shrinkable film of the printed document package and the transparent plastic bag of the power cord. For non-gaming models, the use of disposable plastic packaging materials such as plastic handles has been eliminated, reducing a total of 593 tonnes of plastic packaging materials in 2022. Taking 15-inch notebooks as an example, for every 10,000 units shipped, 890 kg of plastic packaging materials can be reduced. We also adopted about 135 tonnes of FSC-certified paper for the operation instructions attached to the products in 2022. Acer will continue to remove the outer cartons of notebook R&D prototypes and adopt material sharing to minimize carton types and wastes.   

In the past, with the large size and heavy weight of desktop computers, the cushion materials were mostly limited to Styrofoam or EPE for protection and buffer. Acer is also trying to use paper cushion materials instead of Styrofoam or EPE to reduce the use of disposable plastic packaging materials. Thus, compared with 2018, the proportion of shipments using paper cushion materials has increased from 12% to 31% in 2022. In 2023, Acer plans to introduce paper cushion materials to two new commercial product series and small gaming models.   

As for displays which are heavier and larger than notebooks and desktop computers where most of the cushion materials are still made of Styrofoam to ensure the cushioning and buffer for protection, there are five models in 2022 that have adopted paper cushion materials in line with the product strategy, and it is expected that more models will use paper cushion materials in the future.

Green Packaging Policy 
 

Acer continued to make use of environmentally friendly packaging for our notebook computers

Cardboard Boxes

Made from recycled paper

90%

Moulded Pulp

Made from recycled kraft paper

100%

Polyethylene foam(EPE)

Made from recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE)

100%

 

Posters

Made from FSC certified paper

FSC

Printed Matter

Made from recycled paper

40%

Non-woven Fabrics

Made from recycled PET

100%

Aspire Vero notebook green packaging design won Red Dot Design Award for Packaging Design

In 2022, Acer Aspire Vero packaging design maintains the concept of reducing and reusing plastic, replacing heat shrinkable film and plastic bags with recycled paper, and improving the functionality of reusable packaging materials. For example, the package box can be easily assembled and repurposed as a storage box, and the internal partition can be turned into a notebook stand with just a few simple steps. Furthermore, the paper tray and cushion can be used as nursery pot, prolonging the lifespan of the package material that should have been discarded after unboxing, and echoing Acer’s concept of circular design.    

The package box for this year uses 90% recycled pulp where 100% recycled pulp is used to make molded pulp cushion materials. The notebook sleeve and the protective sheet between the keyboard and the screen are all made of 100% recycled PET material.

Improve the efficiency of Product Shipping Efficiency

Every day, tens of thousands of Acer products make their way to consumers' hands. Acer strives to reduce the volume and weight of our packaging, thus improving transportation efficiency and reducing the fuel consumed in the course of transport. This helps further reduce the carbon emissions generated during transport, while also reducing the overall cost of that transport. We have reduced CO2 emissions by changing our distribution modes and improving our supply chain management.

Changing Shipping Modes

After Acer notebooks are manufactured in Chongqing, Acer continues to implement land transportation optimization through close collaboration with logistics suppliers. In 2022, 58-foot trucks were used to consolidate 40-foot and 20-foot shipping containers to Shenzhen, achieving a consolidation rate of 85% and saving more than 700 trips. With each trip of about 1,600 kilometers from Chongqing to Shenzhen, the annual carbon reduction exceeds 528 tons

Consolidate shipping containers and the annual carbon reduction exceeds

528 tons

Acer's products are directly or indirectly delivered to customers by marine transportation. In 2022, the proportion of air freight dropped from 18.8% in 2021 to 5.9%, which is equivalent to a carbon emission reduction of 70,000 tons. To further reduce carbon emissions in transportation, Acer piloted the transportation of biofuel in Q4 of 2022 and collaborated with the logistics supplier KUEHNE+NAGEL to transport 50 standard shipping containers from China to Europe, reducing a total of 40 tons of carbon emissions. Also, environmentally friendly notebooks shipped from China to Malaysia have begun to use biofuels for transportation.

The proportion of air freight drops, which is equivalent to a carbon emission reduction of

70,000 tons

Improving Supply Chain Management

In addition to two major suppliers that are already members of the GLEC (Global Logistics Emissions Council), Acer's logistics suppliers' measures for low-carbon issues in 2022 includes more than 50% of the major suppliers collaborating with EcoTransIT to provide a more comprehensive carbon emission data. It is expected that more logistics suppliers will join and use the industry standards to provide higher quality data.   

In the future, Acer expects to pilot new energy electric vehicles in China and continues to promote biofuels in marine transportation to reduce carbon. At the same time, Acer will promote carbon reduction benefits to customers, and increase the use of new energy through customer participation to achieve carbon reduction goals and ultimately raise the awareness on carbon issues for all logistics suppliers. In addition to joining GLEC and EcoTransIT to improve carbon data collection, the logistic suppliers are required to invest in carbon reduction solutions for low-carbon transportation, and to combat climate change with Acer.