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Dordan has celebrated nearly 60 years of Christmas together. This year, we want to celebrate the blessings of the last ten, to offer hope and inspiration for the next decade. In looking back, we recall Kierkegaard's saying that "life is lived forward, but understood backwards"; never has this rung so true as we reflect on 2020. 

Wishing you and yours health, wealth, and happiness this holiday season. 

Dordan's Top Twenty of the Last Ten

Yes, that is a thermoformed Christmas tree, made by Dordan ;)

2010

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Dordan joins the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, an industry association committed to leveraging supply chain collaboration to work towards more sustainable packaging systems. Dordan subscribes to the Walmart Packaging Scorecard and life-cycle modeling software, COMPASS. This allows Dordan to quantify the environmental impacts of its packaging:

2. Screen shot of COMPASS data-output dashboard
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4. 2. Dordan's Sustainability Coordinator becomes the co-lead of the PET subcommittee of Walmart Canada's Material Optimization Committee, which works to address the challenges to PET recycling in Canada. 

5. 3. Dordan begins its research into bio-based/compostable/ 'green' plastics, which culminates in the publication of its 'Bio Resin Show N Tell.'

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8. Dordan's sampled 'green' materials

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2011

4. Dordan publishes its first report on clamshell recycling, "The Truth about Blister/Clamshell Recycling in America, with Suggestions for the Industry"; this kicks off a five-year clamshell recycling initiative that culminates in the inclusion of PET clamshells in the recycling infrastructure in 2015. Dordan is awarded the cover story of Green Manufacturer Magazine for its efforts to recycle clamshell packaging.

Report author and Dordan's Sustainability Coordinator, Chandler Slavin

2012

5. Dordan implements a zero-waste to landfill program; and, develops a community garden to donate produce to local charities.

Chandler performs a waste audit at Dordan, AKA, dumpster diving

6. Daniel's son-in-law, Daniel Haavig, joins the family company as Quality Manager. 

Daniel Haavig, Dordan's Quality Manager

2013

7. Dordan publishes its second report, "The State of Post Consumer PET Recycling: Past, Present, and Future"; this discusses the progress that the industry has made towards overcoming the obstacles to PET container recycling; and, what still needs to be done to establish the economic equilibrium necessary for recycling. Dordan is awarded the cover story of Plastics in Packaging Magazine and invited to be the keynote speaker at RECOUP's international plastics conference.

8. Dordan becomes ISO 9001:2008 certified for the design, manufacture, and distribution of thermoformed packaging.

2014

9. Dordan conducts a vote at PACK EXPO, where attendees interact with 5 different 'easy-open' clamshell designs and vote on which design was the easiest to open. Roughly 500 attendees voted, and the winner was the standard platform snap clamshell. 

Dordan's voting booth at PACK EXPO

2015

10. Dordan publishes its last report, "Postconsumer PET Thermoformed Containers: Recyclable vs. Recycled"; this discusses why, even though the barriers to recycling PET clamshells had been overcome, recycling clamshell containers still pose challenges. Dordan is awarded the cover story of Plastics in Packaging Magazine for its research on recycling clamshells.

11. Dordan's blog, Recycling in America, tops 100,000 views.

2016

12. Dordan's Chandler Slavin becomes a contributing writer to Packaging Digest on sustainable packaging. Slavin joins Packaging Digest at SustPack, an annual conference produced by Smithers Pira, as a reporter and journalist.

Chandler and Lisa Pierce, Executive Editor @Packaging Digest, at SustPack

Interview with co-founder & co-CEO @Loliware, an edible packaging company

2017

13. Dordan's Twitter account, @DordanMfg, reaches 1.5K followers.

14. Dordan's Packaging Digest article, "How to Change Plastic's 'Waste' Reputation," is one of the top-five most viewed articles of the year.

2018

15. Dordan begins construction of its ISO Class 8 fully enclosed and complete hardwall construction cleanroom for the production of medical packaging.

16. Aric Slavin, Daniel Slavin's son, becomes General Manager of Dordan Manufacturing, after 20 years at the company.

Daniel and Aric Slavin at Dordan's 2019 Christmas party

2019

17. Dordan completes construction of its ISO Class 8 cleanroom for the production of medical packaging. Dordan procures a new medical packaging thermoformer for its cleanroom.

18. Dordan designs and manufacturers a thermoformed 'shoe box' for Nike's new sneaker, debuted at three boutiques worldwide.

Dordan's thermoformed shoe box

2020

19. Dordan manufactures plastic face shields for healthcare workers to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Chandler models Dordan's face shields

20. Dordan launches its YouTube channel, which discusses sustainable packaging.