It’s pretty likely that your company’s sustainability goals do not include a commitment to reducing the amount of eutrophication associated with its activities. In fact, I’m willing to wager that most readers might not even know what eutrophication is. That’s okay. It’s a bit science-y, and it doesn’t elicit half as much response from consumers as, say, carbon footprints and waste generation. For the purposes … More
This article by GreenBlue Project Manager Adam Gendell appeared in this month’s issue of Packaging Digest, which features a monthly column by GreenBlue staff on packaging sustainability. Read the original article. Recycling is a growing industry, and it has become clear that it has a sibling-like relationship to the packaging industry. Like a younger sibling, the recycling industry is supported largely by the packaging industry; and … More
You may have seen the recent news that Coca-Cola is ramping up its production of PET made with plant-based glycol instead of petroleum-derived glycol. In the language of sustainability, this would be described as replacing a non-renewable feedstock with a renewable feedstock. This isn’t a new concept for those of us who are immersed in the sustainability community, but this beginning-of-life change introduces a bit … More
When we hear about responsible sourcing in the context of sustainable packaging, it’s usually an advocacy for using either renewable resources from well-managed sources, or non-renewable resources from the recycling stream instead of virgin sources. This broad guidance certainly covers the major considerations of responsible sourcing, but an upcoming U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission vote led me to believe that there are greater dimensions for … More
One of our biggest activities here at the SPC is our biannual convening of stakeholders in the packaging community for networking and knowledge sharing. We call them the Spring and Fall Meetings, and we like to kick things off at each of them with tours that whet everyone’s appetite for the impending multi-day conversations on sustainable packaging. Sometimes we’ll tour a facility that manufacturers packaging, … More
Last month Senior Project Manager Minal Mistry and I spent ten days in Hong Kong launching the Asian premiere of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s popular training course, The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging. SPC members had suggested bringing the course to China as part of the SPC’s International Education and Outreach initiative, and it brought the total number of countries in which the course has been offered to … More
Ask yourself “what is paper made from?” and let me guess your answer to this seemingly rhetorical question: trees. Easy, right? Paper is made from trees. The input to the papermaking process is trees, and the output is paper. If only it were that simple. Paper is certainly made from trees (or other fibrous plants), but there is a whole slew of other materials that … More
Biodegradability is often communicated or perceived as an inherently sustainable attribute. However, as we learn more about the pros and cons of biodegradability, it becomes apparent that biodegradability in itself does not necessarily confer an advantage. Why is the word “biodegradable” often perceived as an automatic environmental benefit? The following misconceptions may be to blame. 1. A product labeled “biodegradable” will vanish after its disposal … More
To assist packaging designers in creating recyclable packaging, GreenBlue recently released Design for Recovery Guidelines for Aluminum, Steel, Glass, and Paper Packaging as part of our Closing The Loop research project. Many of the raw materials that we use to make packaging are non-renewable natural resources, and by that very definition it means that our continued consumption will eventually result in a time when we … More
You may have seen the recent news that a new grocery store startup in Austin, TX, called in.gredients will open this year with as many package-free products as possible. Does this mean retailers are finally capitalizing on consumers’ negative perceptions of packaging and the end of the packaging industry is near? What if grocery stores were to entirely eliminate packaging? While it’s an interesting concept, … More