Sustainability Watch

Coca-Cola PlantBottle To Appear 
at Vancouver Winter Olympic Games

CALGARY, Alberta—Coca-Cola Canada Ltd. announced that its PlantBottle™ packaging will be featured throughout the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, joining other select markets in the initial global launch of this partially plant-based PET plastic. The PlantBottle package will be the primary beverage product package used during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

PlantBottle packaging is a PET plastic package made with up to 30 percent of its material derived from plant-based waste material. The use of the waste material represents a significant step in the continuing development of recyclable bottles. Using plant-based material to replace a portion of the petroleum used in PET plastic allows The Coca-Cola Company, and in Canada, Coca-Cola Ltd., to reduce its use of non-renewable resources. The PlantBottle package is 100 percent recyclable, by design.

"Our PlantBottle will be in the spotlight for the Olympic Games, introducing this innovative packaging to a global audience," says Nikos Koumettis, president Coca-Cola Canada. "The Coca-Cola Company has become the first to market with a recyclable PET plastic bottle made partially from plants, and we are excited that Canada is part of this major step in our journey towards sustainable packaging."

PlantBottle packaging currently is made through a process that turns sugar cane and molasses, a by-product of sugar production, into a key component for PET plastic. The sugar cane being used comes from predominantly rain-fed crops that were processed into ethanol, not refined sugar. Ultimately, the Company's goal is to use other types of plant-based waste, such as wood chips or wheat stalks, to produce recyclable PET plastic bottles.

Sun Chemical Issues 
First Report on Sustainability

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Sun Chemical released its first sustainability report, which provides data-driven performance measurement for seven key sustainability metrics to help customers and consumers understand the company's environmental impact.

The report shows data collected since 2005 from approximately 170 Sun Chemical sites in more than 25 countries. The key sustainability metrics measured in the data include: energy consumption/conservation at production and non-production sites, the energy carbon footprint at the production sites, process waste reduction, water consumption, materials safety, and employee safety.

Providing a report that shows the ongoing management and monitoring of key sustainability metrics is an important part of Sun Chemical's recently updated sustainability policy that was introduced at Print 09.

"Sun Chemical's sustainability policy is different from other company policies and positioning because it is supported by data that goes far beyond that which is normally reported," says Gary Andrzejewski, Sun Chemical's corporate VP of environmental affairs. "Our customers and the marketplace are looking for much more than the standard sustainability rhetoric. They want to know what their suppliers are doing to improve their sustainability performance. This sustainability report does just that with very specific metrics."

EPA recognizes Curtis Packaging for Green Power Committment

SANDY HOOK, Conn.—Curtis Packaging Corp. announced that it appears on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new Top 20 Printers List of the largest green power purchasers in the printing industry. Curtis Packaging is purchasing nearly 6 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, enough to meet 100 percent of the organization's purchased electricity use. Curtis Packaging is buying renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Community Energy.

"We thank the EPA for recognizing our commitment to the environment and our community" says Don Droppo, Jr., senior VP of sales and marketing. "It is an honor to be part of such an exciting green movement—one where our customers and the community value the commitment we've made to a safe and secure energy future." pP