Sustainable Packaging: On Track for Big Growth
Going “green” is becoming big business these days. For all the news in recent years about fiscal responsibility, today’s corporate world is marshalling itself for a new mandate: environmental responsibility. Brand owners are increasingly heeding the public call to action – and much of their attention is turning toward packaging.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. generated 236 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2003. Just over 30 percent was recovered through recycling or composting. The rest was combusted or land filled. The good news is that recycling recovery rates been climbing steadily in recent years. In 2003, paper and paperboard recovery rose to 40 million tons. Metals were recycled at 36 percent. While there is room for improvement, these statistics point to the public’s increased interest in environmental stewardship. As companies seek to become more environmentally responsible, earthfriendly packaging plays a key role.
In 2004, packaging professionals from two dozen corporations including Coca-Cola, Estée Lauder/Aveda, Masterfoods, Nike, PepsiCo, Starbucks, and Unilever came together to form the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), which has since grown to encompass over 50 member companies. SPC defines sustainable package as “sourced responsibly; designed to be effective and safe throughout its life cycle; meets market criteria and cost; is made entirely using renewable energy and once used, is recycled efficiently to provide a valuable resource for subsequent generations.” Essentially, a sustainable package has zero impact on its environment. For the moment, this is difficult to achieve. Comprehensive infrastructure isn’t currently in place to support widespread sustainable packaging; however, brand owners and retailers are moving closer to the goal.
The Right Building Blocks
The first tenet of sustainable packaging is to source material responsibly. Responsible sourcing often means utilizing recycled materials. Beauty brand and environmental champion Aveda, for example, uses a secondary package made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled newsprint for its Uruku lipstick. The molded pulp clamshell stands out on shelf and reminds consumers of its commitment to the environment.
Other brand owners look toward materials that can be composted. In the plastic industry, polylactic acid (PLA) resin is created from corn and can be broken down in compost facilities. The resin can be used for rigid packaging, but also in label and shrink sleeve applications. Johnson & Johnson is reportedly planning to replace some of its polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based products with PLA.
Source reduction is another method utilized by corporations. Retailing giant Wal-Mart recently aided the Kid Connection toy line in a redesign of its packaging. By making the packaging smaller, the retailer says that an estimated 3,425 tons of corrugated materials and 5,190 trees were saved .
A truly sustainable packaging system would utilize 100 percent renewable energy. According to the EPA, only two percent of electricity in the U.S. currently comes from “green power” – defined as energy generated fully or partially from renewable sources. Some packaging suppliers are embracing green power. Wind power accounts for 38 percent of Mohawk Fine Papers’ electricity generation, while Curtis Packaging announced in August a partnership with Community Energy to purchase renewable energy equal to 100 percent of its energy usage. On the print production side, Sandy Alexander has committed to harnessing renewable wind energy to supply 100 percent of the energy for its New Jersey headquarters as well as a major plant in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The final stage for a sustainable package is effective end-of-life management. While composting is one environmentally responsible way to manage used packaging, recycling is far more common. Some packaging materials, like corrugate, have a good recycling infrastructure and recovery rate. Plastics are another story. According to the EPA, Americans dispose of an estimated 29 billion pounds of plastic each year, and plastics account for 20 percent of U.S. landfill capacity. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used in soda bottles, can be easily recycled, but recovery rates have been less-than-stellar. Other resins like PVC utilize so many toxic additives that they cannot be effectively recycled.
Although consumers must do their part, brand owners can help by designing packaging that is recyclable. In addition to choosing materials that are easily recycled, brand owners are looking to source less materials. L’Oreal, for example, has announced it would reduce the number of materials involved in its packages in order to favor recycling.
A New Mindset
Various legislation has paved the way for more sustainable practices in package design and production, such as California’s Rigid Plastic Packaging Container law, aimed at increasing the use of recyclable materials. Perhaps more important is the push from major corporations. Wal-Mart has recently stated, “We are working on sustainable packaging, cotton, wood, fish, produce, electronics, and the elimination of substances of concern in all merchandise. We have been discussing our intentions with government officials in the United States, China and beyond, and we are encouraging legislation that promotes a healthy future for everyone.”
As awareness of environmental responsibility grows, both in public and private sectors, environmentally friendly packaging materials and manufacturing processes are sure to increase in demand. One thing is certain: fully sustainable packaging is an ideal that is here to stay. NPES
