i2M's Grover: Women can drive sustainability with diversity of thought

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—When Alex Grover thinks back to the beginning of her career in the polymers industry, she remembers feeling excited and determined—and nervous.

And being one of few women early on in her career, she said she had to work hard to make her voice heard.

"I had to build credibility in rooms where my voice was one of the only female voices," she said. "Not an easy task, but that journey taught me something very important, and that is that women have a unique kind of strength."

And this unique strength, she said, women can harness to drive sustainability, what she called one of the most critical initiatives in the industry today.

Because being sustainable requires a certain mindset many women are all too familiar with.

Grover, CEO at i2M, a manufacturer and gravure printer of flexible polymer films, spoke during the 2024 Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum in Nashville last fall, where she provided attendees with advice on taking ownership of sustainability initiatives at work.

"When people talk about women in the workplace, we often hear words like empathy and collaboration," she said. "And those are all very important traits that many women have, but I want to talk about some of the other traits that we have that I really think a lot of women within the plastics and rubber industry have a special knack for."

And those are traits like a relentless drive toward innovation and resilience in pushing past obstacles, she said.

"We are focused on results because we've learned how to make every single step count. But most critically, we are resourceful, and there is no more important trait to driving sustainability than resourcefulness," Grover said.

"Women in plastics know how to work with what we have with limited resources because we really never had it any other way," she said. "Sustainability requires that same exact mindset.

"It is about seeing opportunities where others may see obstacles, and it is about figuring out how to use resources that others might discard. It is figuring out how to have maximum impact with minimal waste. When we bring our resourceful spirit to sustainability, we can create smarter, planet-friendly solutions that truly drive our industry forward."

At i2M, Grover said that company breaks its sustainability goals into three categories: products, process and people.

This approach, she said, i2M calls Purposeful Polymers.

About four years ago, i2M launched its first product under its ReNew brand, a line of flexible plastic films made of recycled content.

Today, she said, the brand includes some of i2M's best-selling products that are proven to have smaller carbon footprints than their virgin alternatives.

When first showcasing this product to i2M's customers, however—some of which had their own ambitious environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals—Grover said they were hesitant to pursue the new product.

"A lot of customers said there was too much risk, or that people don't care," she said.

Until, finally, one woman, a known customer, agreed to take on the product because she saw the value in it, Grover said. Now, almost every one of i2M's customers carry that product.

The lesson here? Partner with others who understand and share your goals. Build your network, Grover said. "The power of resourceful partnerships cannot be understated."

On the process side of things, Grover said driving sustainability often means taking risks.

i2M took a chance on figuring out how to recycle a particular product for a customer by investing heavily in R&D, "and now it's a core capability for us," she said.

"Taking some of these sustainability risks is essential," she said, emphasizing, however, that it is critical to have measurable goals when taking these chances.

But it doesn't always have to be risky, she added.

When translating sustainable processes in your day-to-day, the acts can be simple—like having one less bag of trash at your desk per week.

These small acts can catch on across the company, she said, which fosters a mindset more geared toward developing sustainable initiatives.

"Sometimes it just takes those small steps forward to really make a difference," she said.

And sustainability isn't just about the products a company makes. It also includes how a company treats its people.

"It's about investing in our people and fostering a culture where everyone can thrive," Grover said, noting that i2M has certain programs in place to support its employees, like its Innovation to Education, or i2E, and Innovation to Transportation, or i2T, programs for childcare and transportation assistance, respectively.

Programs, Grover said, that allow i2M's employees to maintain stability and long-term careers with the company.

"These programs … are just as important to the future of sustainability as reducing our carbon footprint," Grover said. "Having a stable work force and creating a culture where your team feels incredibly supported and connected to your mission is going to yield the best results."

So how can women in the workplace champion for sustainability at every level—from entry to C-suite?

Grover says to look at it from the perspective of three lenses: outside the business (external), inside the business (internal) and through the self.

When looking externally, Grover said the best place to enact sustainable changes is with your suppliers.

For entry level workers, she suggests sitting in on meetings when possible and asking the right questions: "What are you doing to (minimize) your environmental impact? What are products that you're developing that are more sustainable that we should be aware of?"

Note their replies and share them with your team, she said.

For middle management, she encouraged attendees to proactively seek out and engage with suppliers who prioritize sustainability initiatives.

And as a member of the C-suite, "it's up to you to establish clear guidelines and make sustainability criteria mandatory for your suppliers," she said, suggesting creating preferred vendor lists based on their environmental impacts.

For internal impacts, Grover suggested entry-level employees consider where they can make an impact within the company, even if it's something as small as reducing paper usage to reduce waste and save money.

"If you're (in) middle management, choose a project that aligns with your company goals but also excites your team," she said. "Maybe implementing a waste reduction program or launching a pilot project with sustainable materials."

Senior and C-suite employees, she said, can select high impact initiatives, such as developing eco-friendly products, or simply using your platform to champion the importance of sustainable initiatives across the rubber and plastics industries.

"High profile initiatives can set the standard for the entire industry," she said.

At all levels, Grover emphasized the importance of tying a business case to any internal initiative and ensuring it's measurable.

And when it comes to sustainability from the perspective of the self, Grover said the opportunity is the same across all levels.

"If you are one of the few women on your team, … you bring a unique and powerful advantage: diversity of thought," she said.

Simply having different life experiences from your male colleagues can bring value to conversations on sustainability, she said.

"I think women bring this incredible, distinct experience that their peers may not have exposure to, and being able to leverage that to come up with ideas that'll drive sustainability in your organizations is paramount," she said.

Otherwise, "if you're reading what everyone else is reading, you'll end up with the same ideas as everyone else."