The Sustainable Packaging Coalition℠ (SPC) is an industry working group dedicated to creating a more robust environmental vision for packaging. Through informed design practice, supply chain collaboration, education, and innovation, the Coalition strives to transform packaging into a system that encourages an economically prosperous and sustainable flow of materials, creating lasting value for present and future generations. Visit the SPC Website

The Sustainable Packaging Coalition envisions a world where all packaging is sourced responsibly, designed to be effective and safe throughout its life cycle, meets market criteria for performance and cost, is made entirely using renewable energy and, once used, is recycled efficiently to provide a valuable resource for subsequent generations.

Our mission is to advocate and communicate a positive, robust environmental vision for packaging and to support innovative, functional packaging materials and systems that promote economic and environmental health through supply chain collaboration.

In 2005, the SPC completed version 1.0 of the Definition of Sustainable Packaging. This definition represents an important first step in articulating a common understanding of the term sustainable packaging. It provides a common vision and a framework for understanding activities directed toward improving packaging and continues to inform the future vision of the coalition and its individual member-companies. Sustainable packaging:

	•	Is beneficial, safe & healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle;
	•	Meets market criteria for performance and cost;
	•	Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy;
	•	Maximizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials;
	•	Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices;
	•	Is made from materials healthy in all probable end of life scenarios;
	•	Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy;
	•	Is effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial cradle to cradle cycles.

The SPC recognizes that the timelines for achievement will vary across criteria and packaging materials. Together, these criteria characterize our vision of sustainable packaging. No ranking is implied in the order of definition criteria.

To read the Definition in its entirety, visit the Publications section of the GreenBlue site.

The Sustainable Packaging Coalition is focused on raising awareness of the sustainability issues related to packaging, as well as fostering the development of tools, resources, partnerships, and strategies to address them. We believe improved communication within the packaging supply chain will encourage collaboration as a key strategy to facilitate the development of more environmentally responsible packaging and the creation of effective systems for recovery. Through meetings, projects, and participation in a range of external outreach events, the Coalition is working to catalyze the discussion about sustainable packaging and support efforts to achieve it.

The SPC's most valuable asset is the knowledge and expertise of our membership. To take advantage of this resource, the Coalition meets twice a year, providing a valuable opportunity for member-companies to share ideas, information, experience and knowledge. These meetings, combined with regular open forum calls, member newsletters, and the SPC website and online database, aim to put the most current information and new perspectives into the hands of our members.

The SPC has created a speakers' bureau that will support SPC participation in outreach events.

Results-oriented projects are the heart of the Coalition, and provide an opportunity for SPC members to collaboratively transform scientific data into real applications with global value. Current projects include:

COMPASS℠ – Comparative Packaging Assessment: In June 2006, the SPC began to redevelop a package design tool called MERGE™, developed in the mid-1990s by Environmental Defense Fund. The tool allows packaging designers to assess the environmental impact of their designs by providing comparative environmental profiles based on metrics related to the Definition of Sustainable Packaging. The tool, now known as COMPASS (Comparative Packaging Assessment), will be released in the summer of 2008.

Design Guidelines for Sustainable Packaging: In December 2006, the SPC released a comprehensive resource for packaging designers and developers. The Design Guidelines uses a full life cycle approach to sustainable design, and outlines design strategies and resources for designers working toward new sustainability objectives, including optimizing resources, responsible sourcing, material health, and resource recovery. The document is free for SPC members and is available to the public for purchase.

The SPC has grown from nine founding members in 2003 to more than 180 members in 2008, and includes representatives from across the supply chain and a number of Global 500 companies. A list of current SPC members is available on the SPC website. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition is largely supported by membership dues which are progressive and based on annual revenues; dues in excess of $2,500 are tax deductible.