Last month, I spoke at the 4th annual Seminario y Exhibición Envase Sostenible, i.e., the Seminar and Exhibition on Sustainable Packaging, held in Bogotá, Colombia. I had the privilege of speaking about two recently released resources developed by the SPC: Guidelines for the Use of Recycled Content in Fiber Based Packaging and Design for Recovery Guidelines for Aluminum, Glass, and Steel. The latter is actually … More
A couple of weeks ago, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) released a report titled Sustainable Packaging, Myth or Reality. It seems, however, the report doesn’t really debate the myth or reality question, but jumps right to the conclusion that “sustainable packaging is dead” and is being replaced by “efficient packaging.” How fortunate that would be for the “business as usual” crowd if it were true. But, having worked … More
I hate it when I’m wrong. Who doesn’t? But in this case, I’m happy to admit I was wrong about “gamification,” a concept I was introduced to at the Sustainable Brands ’11 conference in Monterey last June. My reaction was disbelief that gamification—using games to encourage users in certain behaviors—could really influence something as significant as sustainability. Now, I’m thinking gamification may really have a … More
I read sustainability articles voraciously, in part to stay current since I work in the field, and in part because survival of the planet and its many species is near and dear to my heart and I want to know what’s going on. Of late, articles on “sustainable consumption” are in vogue and obviously reflect where the sustainability conversation is headed. While I couldn’t agree … More
What’s in a package? If you are like many of the leading brands and consumer packaged goods companies thinking about packaging sustainability, there’s probably some recycled content in your package. And, if your packaging is fiber-based, figuring out how to optimize recycled content might just get a little easier with the release of GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Guidelines for the Use of Recycled Content in Fiber … More
If you follow the New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, you know he has a couple of consistent themes. Among them are education, innovation, and entrepreneurship, each of which he often discusses from a sustainability perspective or with a sustainability focus. When I read Friedman, I find myself nodding in general agreement with his sustainability views, frequently interrupting my husband’s breakfast reading to share a … More
Today’s news hit me like “a spear in the heart,” as Ray Anderson passed at the young age of 77. Sustainability icon and inspiration to countless—me among them—he will be sorely missed by anyone and everyone who knows his story as a true pioneer in positively transforming industry. My personal story of Ray is one I will treasure even more now. Early in my sustainability … More
As I’ve recently been writing about the challenge of “sustainable beef,” I was interested to see an article from Chemical & Engineering News that looked at the environmental impact of engineered meat vs. conventional meat. Apparently researchers have been developing “cultured meat” (lab grown), believing that tissue engineering methods that produce only muscle tissue—instead of growing a whole cow, sheep, pig, or chicken—are a more … More
When you look at population growth projections of 9 to10 billion people by 2050, it’s a rational assumption that beef—despite its environmental impacts—will need to be a primary nutritional staple because it is one of the most complete forms of protein. So it’s heartening to see recent efforts to lessen the impact of beef, with a process in place to grapple with and identify balanced … More
In March 2011, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition held its 8th annual spring meeting in San Diego. The sand-and-sea setting on Coronado Island, CA, was the perfect backdrop for a discussion on marine debris and its connection to packaging. There are compelling facts and figures about how packaging constitutes the bulk of marine debris that make it obvious why this is a key issue for brand … More