SmartPak is committed to helping the environment by maintaining a green footprint. From the materials used to manufacture products, to the processes that get them to your barn door, SmartPak aims to be an environmentally friendly company.
Recycling in the horse barn
SmartPak has an aggressive recycling program in the office: separating all recyclables into paper, glass, plastic, and garbage, creating over 200 tons of recycling in a year!.
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“We know that like us, our customers also want to have the smallest impact on the environment as possible," said Sarah Mann, Vice President of Brand and Customer Experience. "That’s why we've always made our SmartPak strips from #1 PET plastic which means that they’re not only recyclable, but that they're also made from recycled material. And our commitment to the environment doesn't stop there!”
When feeding supplements with SmartPaks, some horse owners initially see the amount of waste building up in the recycle/or trash bin and may feel bad about it. However, what many don’t realize is that SmartPak strips were designed to stack neatly when empty, which can save a lot of space as you save them up to toss in the recycling bin at the barn, or at home. If you can recycle them, almost every recycling center can easily take and process them and send them along to their next life (#1 PET is the same plastic used in water bottles).
For barns that aren’t able to recycle, the amount of perceived waste being sent to the landfill can be top of mind. However, there are still two reasons to feel great (and green!) about choosing SmartPaks over buckets. First, SmartPaks use about 60% less plastic compared to the same days' supply of supplement buckets. One of SmartPak’s own employee’s even put this to the test and compared a year’s worth of SmartPak strips to a year’s worth of buckets, you can read about it in her blog: What One Year of SmartPaks Looks Like. Secondly, you can feel good knowing that the plastic used to make SmartPak strips is 100% recycled, so the plastic is already on its second life, unlike buckets, which are usually made from virgin plastic, and often can't be recycled at all.
When preparing the SmartPak strips for shipping, SmartPak takes numerous things into consideration to make the process as efficient as possible. All of the cardboard boxes are made from certified recycled cardboard. In addition, the boxes are custom-sized so that the SmartPaks fit so tightly, there is no need to use void fill, like packing peanuts, which often can’t be recycled. When the SmartPak strips leave the facility, SmartPak aims to have them delivered in an efficient manner too, which is how the Barn Saver Shipping program was developed. This program gives SmartPak the opportunity to send multiple packages to the barn in a single truck, reducing the impact to the environment and providing customers with free shipping.
SmartPak’s office operations also aim to work greener. SmartPak has an aggressive recycling program in the office: separating all recyclables into paper, glass, plastic, and garbage, and amassing over 200 tons of recycling in a single year! Warehouse lighting has also been replaced with modern, efficient options – just to name a few!
To learn more about all of the ways SmartPak works to help the environment, visit www.SmartPak.com
About SmartPak
From the feed room to the tack room, SmartPak offers innovative solutions to help riders take great care of their horses. SmartPak was founded in 1999 with the introduction of the patented SmartPak supplement feeding system. The revolutionary, daily dose SmartPaks are custom-made for your horse, individually labeled and sealed for freshness. With the success of this simple and convenient feeding system, SmartPak has continued to expand its offering of quality products, including its own line of more than 55 supplement formulas called SmartSupplements, and a wide variety of tack, equipment, and supplies. The company has grown rapidly each year and is now the largest retailer of equestrian products in the United States. SmartPak’s success has been powered by a passion for delivering an unbeatable customer experience, and the company has been recognized with a Bizrate Circle of Excellence award eight years in a row, as well as receiving an “Elite” rating from STELLAService. A nine-time Inc. 500/5000 honoree, SmartPak is the only equine company ever named to the Inc. 500 list.