Navico Launches New, Sustainable Packaging Program

Navico^®, parent company to the Brands: B&G, Simrad (Leisure and Commercial), etc recently announced its renewed focus on becoming a more sustainable company, dedicated to preserving the joy of being on the water for current and future generations.

The first step was a transition to feature 100% recyclable and sustainable packaging in new product offerings. Initial efforts will eliminate nearly two tons of plastic used annually. Additionally, last month the company announced its first-ever appointment of a Chief Sustainability Officer, Tara Norton.

“Sustainability is one of Navico’s core pillars and a key part of the company’s global strategy,” said Knut Frostad, CEO, Navico. “We are pleased to have made some initial strides with our sustainable packaging initiative over the past year, and we know there is a lot of work ahead of us as well.”

In 2019, Navico created its first-ever global team to design and produce new packaging that featured a premium finish, offered a great customer experience, and most importantly, was fully sustainable while remaining cost-effective. This cross-functional team featured specialists from different departments including R&D, supply chain, product management, marketing, and design.

The team initially focused on high-volume accessories such as display cables and sun covers, transitioning those products from plastic clamshell systems to 100% recyclable packagings such as cardboard and paper. Other changes introduced for new products this year include Styrofoam™ being replaced by Mushroom® Packaging, which is custom-molded material created by combining hemp and mycelium – it’s completely home compostable. Plastic bags will be eliminated by using Aquapak’s Hydropol™ bags made from polymers that are specially engineered to be non-toxic, marine-safe, and totally soluble in warm or hot water.

After more than a year of research, planning, and development, sustainable packaging was featured with the company’s recent product releases. For example, B&G’s Nemesis is a product family which does not require a retail-friendly presentation packaging. The design is made of an E kraft box with an eco-friendly label on top, as well as biodegradable ink and paper. The projected environmental savings for Nemesis include 70 pounds of plastic every year and 4,000 single-use plastic bags removed from hardware kits and documents.

While this is only the first phase toward Navico’s total sustainable packaging program, the move has been recognized as an important initial step; existing product inventory will be transitioned to sustainable packaging as the stock is replenished.

“We’re really proud of the work that the cross-functional design team has done in such a short time,” said Jordi Neves, Chief Marketing Officer, Navico. “The group had to work through a detailed flow diagram that categorizes our products, then designate the most suitable type of sustainable packaging to go with each. Their analysis ultimately took into account factors like where the product retails and whether it is part of a kit or sold individually. In the end, our plan is for all Navico packaging to be sustainable. This is an important goal to set for our company, our customers, and, most importantly, the environment.”

For more information on Navico Brands (B&G, Simrad, etc) and their products you may contact the Official Distributor and Support Center for Greece:

Aegean Electronics SA

4 Zosimadon Str, Piraeus 185 31, Greece

Tel: +30 210 4123000

E-mail: info@aegeanel.com