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Packaging Sustainability

Protecting products while protecting the planet

Packaging serves the key function of protecting a product from damage during transit and storage. At Cisco, we are working to remove unnecessary packaging and make what remains reusable and easy to recycle.

Beyond basic packaging and material requirements, Cisco evaluates its packaging design based on principles that allow for more sustainable materials, overall material reduction, and optimal space efficiency.

Our packaging sustainability goals

50 %

A 50 percent improvement in product packaging cube efficiency by fiscal year 2025 (FY19 base year)
75 %

A 75 percent reduction in Cisco packaging foam use, measured by weight, by FY25 (FY19 base year)
100 %

100 percent of new Cisco products and packaging to incorporate Circular Design principles by FY25

Removal of single-use plastic bags in packaging wherever possible by FY25*

Packaging sustainability in action

Bundled multipack options

Cisco works to identify opportunities to bundle offerings into multipacks. By offering our customers consolidation options specific to their order, we can reduce the overall amount of packaging materials used per shipment. For example, Cisco's Internet of Things (IoT) business unit now offers a multipack option for the Cisco Catalyst IR1101 Rugged Series Router customers with large orders, reducing cardboard use by an estimated 7500 pounds per year.

Foam reduction

Packaging for the Cisco Catalyst IR8140 Heavy Duty Router is the first solution at Cisco to use a fiber-flute material suited to protect heavier products. The change eliminates an estimated 661 pounds of fossil fuel-based foam each year.

Thermoform designs

We are working to replace traditional expanded foam end caps with thermoform cushioning end caps that are made of at least 50 percent post-industrial recycled content. This change is expected to eliminate approximately 200 tons of foam from 1.1 million units per year.

"Box patch" for minor cosmetic damage

The "box patch" is an adhesive label that covers minor cosmetic damage that can occur during shipping. This prevents the need for reboxing and shipping between logistics centers, reducing corrugate waste and transportation emissions while avoiding shipping delays.

Learn about our "box patch" program

Plastic bag elimination

We are rethinking product packaging by removing excess materials and sourcing alternatives to conventional plastic. Our strategy includes eliminating single-use plastic bags in our packaging wherever possible.* For example, in our power cable products, we have removed plastic bags and converted our old sticker labels into a new flag label configuration. As a result of this change, we avoided shipping an estimated ten million plastic bags, representing 28 tons of plastic.

How we are reducing plastic

*Excluding Electro Static Discharge (ESD) bags which are required to protect sensitive electronic equipment from electrostatic discharge during storage and transport

Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO)

APCO is a not-for-profit leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. With its network of partners, they are working to transform the way packaging is managed in Australia and the wider region. As a member, Cisco voluntarily reports on product packaging that is shipped to Australia each year.

Learn more about APCO APCO Annual Report and Action Plan