Sustainability Watch

Certified SGP Printer List Grows

LOVELAND, Ohio—The Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership recently announced the SGP Printer certification of two flexible packaging converters/printers: Robbie (Lenexa, Kan.) and Coating Excellence International (CEI, Wrightstown, Wis.). To become a certified SGP Printer, a facility must demonstrate conformance with criteria that require a holistic approach to sustainability and must pass a comprehensive onsite audit.

"Robbie prides itself on offering fresh perspectives and technological advances that make flexible packaging both sustainable and viable for our clients and consumers," stated Irv Robinson, CEO and president of Robbie. "Some of our solutions are considered green beacons in the marketplace. What's great is Robbie's packaging appeals to the vast majority of consumers who care about a company's environmental impact."

George Fickau, manager of sustainable packaging for CEI commented, "Our certification reinforces our core beliefs in being a sustainable manufacturer to our customers, employees, and community. The certification process helped us to establish written guidelines and procedures for the sustainable practices we were doing and to take some methodologies to a new level."

CoC Certification for RockTenn

NORCROSS, Ga.—RockTenn has received triple chain-of-custody (CoC) certification for its Solvay (Syracuse, N.Y.) and St. Paul (St. Paul, Minn.) containerboard mills. These facilities are now certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

FPA Focuses on 
Sustainability Advantages

LINTHICUM, Md.—The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) has released The Sustainability Advantages of Flexible Packaging Education Toolkit. The Toolkit is an educational resource that FPA members and the flexible packaging industry can use to provide customers, retailers, opinion influencers, and other stakeholders with a greater understanding of the sustainable benefits of flexible packaging. Included with the Toolkit are:

• "Flexible Packaging Sustainability Advantages Resource Guide," which describes the key findings of the FPA/Battelle Memorial Institute Sustainability Assessment of Flexible Packaging Report.

• "Flexible Packaging Case Story Brochure: Less Resources. Less Footprint. More Value." This provides a comparative overview of the energy consumption, emissions, weight, waste, and product-to-package ratio of flexible packaging and other packaging options.

• "Flexible Packaging Fast Facts: Less Resources. Less Footprint. More Value" brochure, a pocket-sized brochure detailing the sustainable benefits of flexible packaging.

• "Flex Pack Rap Video", an educational video focusing on the sustainability advantages of flexible packaging.

• "Flexible Packaging: A Sustainable Solution" PowerPoint presentation, highlighting the sustainable advantages of flexible packaging.

• The FPA Flexible Packaging Sustainability Logo, a new logo message that communicates the sustainable attributes of flexible packaging.

• "Sustainability Assessment of Flexible Packaging Report", which details key results of the FPA/Battelle Memorial Institute research assessing the energy consumption, greenhouse gas emission savings, and end-of-life options for flexible packaging. pP