‘Sustainable Packaging Company of the Year’: meet the team behind the success
6 min read 09 July 2025
Environment and packaging
Part of our role as a leading packaging distributor is to responsibly drive sustainable change throughout the industry and ensure our extensive product offering aligns with our collective ethos. For this reason, recently picking up the ‘Sustainable Packaging Company of the Year’ silver gong at the Environmental Packaging Awards meant a lot to our employees, who dedicate time and energy to push RAJA UK in the most environmentally conscious direction possible.
In order to gain further insight into the win, we caught up with some of the highly-valued team members. They started off by explaining their specific contribution toward securing this year’s sustainable packaging honour.
Philip Price (Product Data Manager, Sustainability Champion): “One of my roles is to keep up to date with the up-and-coming packaging legislation and gather relevant information to ensure that we are compliant. Not only have we been able to do that for ourselves, but we have also been able to show packaging excellence by providing the data and guidance to our customers to enable them to be compliant.”
Emily Goss (HR & Corporate Social Responsibility Director): “I am dedicated to developing our CSR action plan, overseeing all related activities and award submissions. My work in this area includes ensuring our compliance with ISO and Ecovadis standards. I am passionate about this aspect of my role as it allows me to promote sustainability and our core value of ‘Do The Right Thing’ throughout the organisation.”
Sam Wort: Is there anything that makes you particularly proud, when reflecting on the award win?
Emily: “I’m proud of the recognition of the significant progress we have made over the past three years. To me, this award symbolises our unwavering commitment to innovation and creativity in driving sustainability within our supply chain, our customer interactions, and our internal operations. It is a testament to our collective efforts and our pursuit of progress in promoting sustainability and embodying our core values.”
Philip: “Knowing these awards have been judged by some high profile industry professionals, it means a lot to be winning and reflects our strong commitment to sustainability and innovation.”
Sam: I can see why. Why is sustainability important to you personally?
Philip: “I see sustainability as a responsibility and an opportunity to live with great intention, while having an impact on reversing the Climate Crisis that is facing us.’
“Professionally, I am lucky enough to be in a position where I can drive innovation in packaging that reduces waste, prioritises circular materials, and communicates RAJA’s commitment to the planet.”
Emily: “From my perspective, as an environmentally-minded CSR Director and mother of a teenager, sustainability holds a deeply personal significance. It is not just about fulfilling my professional responsibilities, but also about ensuring a better future for my son and the generations to come. Witnessing the rapid changes in our environment and understanding the impact of our actions on the planet, I feel a huge responsibility to lead by example.’
“In my role, I have the unique opportunity to influence and drive initiatives that promote sustainability within our organisation. This allows me to instil the values of environmental stewardship and social responsibility in our business. By doing so, I hope to inspire not only my colleagues but also my son, showing him that every effort counts and that we all have a part to play in preserving our planet.”
Sam: Well said. You’ve spoken about the platforms you have at the company, but what do you think sets RAJA apart from other packaging suppliers?
Emily: “We believe that every team within our organisation works collaboratively to drive sustainability initiatives, taking collective responsibility to continuously improve. Our Responsible Purchasing Policy clearly outlines our approach to working with suppliers, as we genuinely seek to create partnerships that enable us to bring innovative solutions for the market.’
“Moreover, we build strong, partnership-based relationships with our customers, ensuring that we can provide them with eco-responsible solutions that genuinely work for their operations while being mindful of the experience they need to deliver to their own customers. This holistic approach, combining ethical practices, innovation, and customer-centricity, truly sets RAJA apart in the industry.”
Philip: “Agreed. We already offer excellent quality and service, along with our constant strive for more innovative products. Now, we are also actively helping customers transition to more sustainable packaging and assisting them with every step along that journey.”
Sam: If you could give one piece of advice to businesses trying to become more eco-responsible, what would it be?
Philip: “Collaboration!! This is the key aspect to success, as you are not going to achieve this alone. I have gathered a network of industry professionals, who I can call upon to help us with all aspects of sustainability. Gathering a series of supply chain partners will be really important, and we can be one of them.”
Emily: “The key element of our approach to sustainability is our emphasis on collaboration and relationship building. Without the strong relationships we have built with our innovative, forward-thinking suppliers and the close partnerships we have developed with our customers, we would not be able to achieve the level of success we have in our eco-initiatives. Collaboration is the cornerstone of our sustainability efforts.”
Sam: Finally, what’s one eco-initiative at RAJA UK you think more people should know about?
Philip: “We have already achieved ECOVADIS Gold and were so close to Platinum last submission that we are pushing harder than ever before to achieve that. This is a testament to the teamwork right across the company and this benefits both our customers and the world we live in.”
To find out more, follow Phil and Emily on LinkedIn. Join the movement towards a circular economy. Partner with RAJA UK to implement smarter, greener packaging solutions that benefit your business and the planet. Get in touch to learn how we can support your journey to sustainability – email sales@rajapack.co.uk.
