Happy Thanksgiving! 2021 has brought unique challenges to business—but also trends to be grateful for, too. We’ll give you two examples.
First, the increased push for sustainability reflects a greater interest by our customers and consumers for products that are recyclable, compostable, and/or biodegradable. In turn, that demand has spurred innovations in terms of what packaging can be made of and what it can do.
For example, Premier offers packaging with Paperlock™ technology that gives paper all the advantages of plastic—strength, can be printed in up to 10 colors, and the ability to run on regular machines—while being 100% recyclable and compostable. You can just throw the packaging in your recycling bin at home; you don’t need to take it to a special recycling center. This technology is a huge step toward reducing the mountains of plastic waste that take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills and threaten marine life in our oceans.
Meanwhile, other companies are offering natural, 100% renewable and recyclable substances such as seaweed and micro-fibrillated cellulose as packaging materials, aqueous barrier coatings (rather than laminated), even algorithm software that mimics 3-D printing and metallic coatings with regular inks, paper, and printers.
Innovations like these will ultimately save our natural resources and help protect our environment for future generations.
Likewise, across the country the “Great Resignation” is creating labor shortages short-term, but it’s going to be a good thing for all of us in the long run. Because the pandemic forced many of us to work from home for a time, people began to reevaluate their relationship with work and their priorities in life. Many of them realized they want jobs more fulfilling to them personally, and that their families matter more than anything else.
Both are key ingredients in the recipe for happiness. This familiar quote has been attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
We at Premier have long understood the importance of family. As our President and CEO, John Gaynor, wrote in this year’s Thanksgiving message to employees: “Please put your phone away on this holiday and concentrate on enjoying your time with family and friends. Those connections are really what life is about, so savor every moment.”
While the “Great Resignation” is causing employers pain now, we’ll have a happier workforce once we get through it. That will be good for business.
And speaking of business, we would like to thank you on this holiday. If you’re one of our customers, we are grateful that you chose to work with us. We will strive hard every day to provide everything you need to stay successful. If you’re one of our employees, we are grateful for your commitment, creativity, and high standards that make Premier thrive. We hope you enjoy every moment of your Thanksgiving.