The Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) and UK Government Agency Envirowise have collaborated on a new design guide aimed at helping product and packaging designers, as well as marketing and procurement managers, improve the sustainability of a package’s design. The guide explains how to minimize the total amount of resources consumed. The guide covers all stages of the packaging lifecycle from production to end-of-life management. Read more...
In his new book Strategies for the Green Economy, Joel Makower distills his more than 20 years of reporting on and consulting with green businesses. Makower offers insights for understanding the complexities and controversies of profiting in a green economy. Read more...
PMMI added a new interactive educational feature to Pack Expo 08. The Sustainable Packaging Scorecard Information Center was staffed by a team of scorecard consultants and trainers who offered free one-on-one consultations during the show.
Fetzer Vineyards says it will save 2,200 tons of glass annually through a 14% reduction in glass content of its wine bottles. The new 750-mL bottle weighs 15.5 oz.
The Glass Packaging Institute announced Recycle Glass Day on December 10, 2008. This annual event is designed to help build national awareness about the benefits of glass container recycling to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the environment. The Recycle Glass Day Web site features a carbon calculator that can figure how much carbon consumers save from recycling glass containers. Read more...
International Dispensing Corporation (IDC) announced at Pack Expo '08 the results of a sustainability lifecycle analysis of its bag-in-box product line, the MultiServe SafePak. The analysis highlighted the environmental advantages of this packaging system in areas related to comparatively lower resources and energy consumed and greenhouse gases generated. The MultiServe SafePak enables shelf-stable liquids in packages from 500 mL to 6 L to be dispensed safely and repeatedly over extended time without refrigeration. The form-fill-seal bags are made from co-extruded nylon. The key to the long shelf life after being used the first time is a proprietary dispensing system. Read more...
