|
New book makes sense of sustainable packaging
Field Guide to Sustainable Packaging, published by Packaging World, is an 80-page handbook that motivates and informs organizations about how to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging. It is available for purchase online and will be at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2007.
Early reviewer Scott Vitters, director Sustainable Packaging, The Coca-Cola Company, said about the Field Guide, "Whether just starting out or a seasoned veteran on the journey to sustainability this book is a valuable read."
Kay Cooksey, professor of Packaging Science, Clemson University said the Field Guide, "will be helpful for brainstorming activities and group discussion for developing truly sustainable packaging for today and the future." President of Cargo Cosmetics Hana Zalzal said, "This book is a must-have resource—informing and inspiring—for any business embracing the new rules. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. But read this book regardless."
The Field Guide to Sustainable Packaging traces the origins of sustainability by examining economic, social, and environmental trends over the last 30 years, including the impact of books, films, and world events on perceptions of sustainability. Two definitions of sustainable packaging are presented, and the author offers insights on how to use those definitions to make sustainable packaging actionable.
A discussion of the Wal-Mart Packaging Scorecard is the jumping off point for strategies and tactics for implementing sustainable packaging programs. Several case examples illustrate best practices. One chapter is devoted exclusively to resources, including online tools, sustainability organizations, schools, and associations. The guide concludes with sustainable packaging stewardship profiles from the Field Guide's many sponsors.
"Readers are not only going to be surprised at how motivational the Field Guide is, but also delighted by the enormous amount of valuable resource information easily accessible in its 80 pages," said Joseph Angel, vice president and publisher of Packaging World magazine. "The author, Steve Sterling, has taken a complex technical topic and transformed it into a compelling story illustrated by the men, women, and organizations that are making a difference. We believe the Field Guide will become the most often used desk reference on sustainable packaging."
Volume discounts are available by calling Summit Publishing at (800) 355-5595.
2007 Sustainable Packaging Forum
Informative and Valuable
By Steve Sterling, Editor
In only three years, Packaging Strategies' Sustainable Packaging Forum, held this year in Pittsburgh, September 26-27, has become "the" annual event for taking the pulse on all things sustainable. Every seat within the Sheraton Station Square's largest conference area was taken by the more than 500 attendees. Those registering at the last minute missed out—there was no more room. The conference started with higher-level business issues, then progressively drilled down to ever greater levels of detail.
Sustainable business consultant Andy Savitz described the trends leading to environmental, social, and economic—triple bottom line—business considerations that lead sustainable practices. One of the event's sponsors, Community Energy, Inc., not only offset the electricity used at the forum with renewable wind energy, the company bought a copy of Savitz's 2006 book, The Triple Bottom Line, for every attendee.
Harris DeLoach, chairman, president, and CEO of Sonoco, presented a detailed picture of the social, environmental, and economic commitments at Sonoco. DeLoach detailed the energy, solid waste, water usage, and greenhouse gas reductions at the company. A number of presenters at the conference pointed out that water would be the next big environmental issue.
Following DeLoach, speakers representing DuPont, Alcoa, and Kraft Foods described how their respective companies were approaching sustainability. A key theme running through all of these presentations was that sustainable practices are woven into the fabric of each organization.
A block of presentations from the World Wildlife Fund, Starbucks Coffee Co., and Nike explored the value of engaging non-government organizations in sustainable initiatives and projects. This section of the conference generated the most questions from attendees.
In his talk about the theory and practice of life-cycle inventory and analysis, Dr. Matthew Realff of the Georgia Institute of Technology explained that, "rarely can sustainability questions be answered without information that stretches significant distances backwards and forwards in the supply chain and across multiple supply chains."
Dr. Pertti Häkkinen, a principal at Gradient Corp., described the implications of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) in Europe—a comprehensive system to document toxicity and safe use of chemicals. He said that U.S. regulatory agencies are likely "to adopt ideas from REACH."
Anne Johnson, executive director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, described SPC's effort to collect and make public new life-cycle inventory data, including an update of the MERGE tool. Howard Mallen, executive vice president of Winterborne, presented a tutorial on the Wal-Mart Scorecard.
Julian Carroll, managing director of the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN), talked about an effort in Europe to boil the sustainability of a package down to a single number as in the case of the Wal-Mart Scorecard and what the packaging industry discovered in the process. (See the first item in the news section for details.)
Myles Cohen, vice president and general manager of Sonoco Recycling, made a strong case for controlling and recycling manufacturing waste. He stated that comprehensive efforts to do so reduce hauling and landfill fees, convert waste streams to revenue streams, and offer corporations a number of strategic benefits.
The conference concluded with presentations on the business and operational constraints of a commercial recycling operation and technology briefings on a number of topics, including new bio-based monomers and recyclable barrier coatings on paperboard.
Ample breaks were scheduled for networking and talking with peers. A comprehensive evening exhibition from industry suppliers was also held. Register early for the 2008 event. It is likely to be even better attended.
Noteworthy Items Gleaned From the World News
By Steve Sterling, Editor
- In an address to delegates at the Third Annual Sustainable Packaging Forum in Pittsburgh, Julian Carroll, managing director of the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN), stated that "EUROPEN believes we should all avoid the risk of the Wal-Mart Packaging Scorecard becoming a de facto industry standard. Not only could such an eventuality disrupt the market but even worse, it risks evolving in such a way as to become an inhibitor of innovation rather than a stimulator. Just getting a high score for your packaging with Wal-Mart should not be a reason to rest on your laurels. In our dynamic industry this is clearly something we do not want." Visit Europen to learn more.
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., announced a partnership with the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) to measure the amount of energy used to create products throughout its supply chain, including the procurement, manufacturing, and distribution process. Using this measurement tool, Wal-Mart will initiate a pilot with a group of suppliers to look for new and innovative ways to make the entire process more energy efficient. The announcement is part of Wal-Mart's Sustainability 360 approach to extend sustainability to products, suppliers, associates, communities, and customers.
- The Netherlands has passed a first-of-its-kind carbon-based tax on packaging that will mean higher costs for processors. The law is due to be implemented in January and could start an EU-wide move to force companies to add CO2 emissions to the list of criteria they use when choosing their packaging. The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN) will calculate the tax based on the CO2 emissions from the production of each kilogram of packaging material put into the Netherlands market and, presumably, the embedded carbon content of the packaging.
- Two-thirds of chief financial officers at leading U.S. retailers say their company is actively involved with "green" or environmentally friendly practices, and 44% of those indicate they have increased their investments in these practices during the past two years, according to a new study by BDO Seidman, LLP. Among the 100 largest retailers, 83% are involved in green practices and a majority of those (62%) have increased their green investments during the past two years. Read more at Green Practices of Large Retailers
- Napco announced the availability of its 100% recycled pulp paper CD and DVD ECOtrays. The company said the environmentally friendly packaging solution provides outstanding performance for disc retention and full automation on select automated pack-out lines. More details and information at Environmentally Friendly Packaging
In other news: |
