Author: user

Categories
Sustainability Tools

Measuring responsible forest management at the landscape-level is another perfect tool to add to the toolbox

Thanks to Sarah Crow at the American Forest Foundation for her help in writing this article.

Many companies with sustainable packaging goals use procurement policies and requirements as a strategy to meet these goals. For wood fiber-based packaging, this often means sourcing pulp and paper products certified by a credible third-party audited system such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), American Tree Farm System (ATFS), or combinations of each. Access to certified fiber, however, is often limited and many companies face a difficult challenge of how to meet responsible sourcing goals when certified fiber is not an option.
GreenBlue’s Forest Products Working Group (FPWG) and the American Forest Foundation (AFF) have been working together to address this challenge. With input from a wide range of stakeholders, including companies, brands, NGOs, family woodland owners and state and federal agencies, FPWG and AFF are exploring the development of a resource that uses a landscape-based evaluation – rather than by parcel – to provide visibility into wood baskets and demonstrate the outcomes of sustainable forest management, at scale.
This proposed landscape-based model aggregates a suite of different available data flows into a context that brand owners can use to inform their wood-fiber sourcing goals. The model focuses on woodlands owned by families and individuals, who collectively own 35% of forestland in the United States and supply more than 50% of material flow to the forest products industry including packaging. The system recognizes and supports the existing forest certification and related systems as important indicators of sustainability. A landscape model can help showcase areas where certification has had clear sustainability benefits and highlight opportunities to further engage family landowners to drive positive conservation impacts.
chicago-meeting-twitter
Just recently the FPWG and AFF met at HAVI, a supply chain and logistics firm, in Downers Grove, IL with the goal of further shaping the concept. Leadership companies including Staples, Mars Incorporated, McDonald’s, HAVI, Target, Sappi North America, Catalyst, Domtar Corporation, Georgia-Pacific, Evergreen Packaging, WestRock, and International Paper have participated in a number of discussions to discuss key considerations necessary for such an ambitious endeavor.
Drawing on input from the stakeholders, AFF and the FPWG used the meeting at HAVI to answer key questions:

  1. What is the best strategy for the landscape model to align with and support existing certification systems?
  2. What sustainability indicators can and should be included?
  3. What is the most effective strategy for evaluating sustainability?
  4. How do we continue to work effectively with a broad group of stakeholders?

Acknowledging that developing a landscape model is a significant undertaking, the group was able to gain consensus and make progress in several key areas. A recurring theme throughout the conversations has been the need to provide a narrative and context to any presented data and analyses at the landscape level. As one member stated, “We know a lot is happening and being measured now and we want to show the results in a way where we can determine what is contributing to forest health.”
While there is a recognition that development of such a model is an ambitious endeavor, there is a great deal of enthusiasm and support for the effort. Drawing on strides made at the meeting, the next steps in the model’s development include further engagement of ENGOs and data experts, identifying data sources and refinement of the indicators within the wider framework. Refined sketches of the model are expected later this year.
 
 

Categories
GreenBlue

Welcome Introduction: Trina Matta

GreenBlue is pleased to announce that Trina Matta will be joining the team as a Senior Project Manager. Trina will be working on the newly-announced ASTRX project within the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. Trina brings 10 years of experience in recycling, government management, environmental conservation, water resources, and energy policy to the organization. Her most recent position was at Resource Recycling Systems developing solutions to sustainability and recycling challenges for businesses, local governments, and state governments.

Tell us about your background. Where did you spend your formative years and where did you go to school?

I grew up outside of Buffalo, New York and in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In both cities, we lived in the woods so my parents encouraged me to get outside and play every day. I grew up walking in the woods, looking for wildlife, enjoying being surrounded by trees. My parents stressed the importance of helping others and respecting nature, and those lessons have stuck with me.
I attended UNC-Chapel Hill as an undergraduate student and also got my Master’s in Public Administration, with a concentration in environmental policy, from UNC-Chapel Hill.

What inspired you to work in the sustainability field?

I have always felt drawn to do work that was in the service of the planet or serving other people. After college, I volunteered through the AmeriCorps VISTA program with a nonprofit focused on sustainable food, because at the time I liked cooking. I really enjoyed that work but felt like I needed more practical leadership skills to really be effective, so I pursued a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. While getting my MPA, I interned with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, and I loved that experience. I later worked there full-time and was really inspired by my coworkers who were always so dedicated to the environment. I’ve been able to learn about recycling, energy policy, water quality, water resources, and a variety of other environmental issues. Being in the sustainability field allows me to learn about all of these different topics while also helping the planet and helping others.

What do you hope to achieve at GreenBlue?

I hope to help drive increased recovery of packaging by assessing the barriers and opportunities in the existing system, and then bringing people together to develop messages and tools that enhance the recycling system.

What do you find most inspiring about working in sustainability?

Being around other people who also believe that working together, we can have a positive impact on the lives of our fellow human beings and the environment. And also the fact that there is always more work to be done.
 

Categories
Eliminate Toxicity

Stepan Company Offers CleanGredients-approved Starter Formulations

Stepan Company, a long-term supplier who showcases its ingredients on CleanGredients, strives to offer safer solutions to its customers. One example of Stepan’s commitment to offering the market innovative and safer ingredients is its development of seven “starter formulations” that have undergone internal stability and performance testing, and also meet the U.S. EPA Safer Choice certification requirements.
Stepan developed these products to help those who are either unfamiliar with the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Program or lacked the time, money, or resources to develop and certify their own formulations. These starter formulations allow Stepan to share learnings and insights gained from years of experience working with its third-party profiler and the U.S. EPA in formulating greener products.
Formulators who are looking for flexibility can access Stepan’s full range of ingredients listed in CleanGredients and select the ingredients custom to their formula. However, those who may be less familiar with the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Program’s product review and approval process can significantly simplify matters by using one of Stepan’s seven approved, finished formulations. They are available for a variety of household and institutional cleaning applications, as identified below.
screen-shot-2016-11-14-at-1-14-38-pm
Because the starter formulations have already been tested and reviewed in compliance with U.S. EPA Safer Choice standards, time to market for a Safer Choice-certified product is dramatically reduced for formulators and may offer them an opportunity to extend a product line with reduced overhead cost. The formulations take the guesswork associated with ingredients or residuals of concern out of the equation. And because Stepan has already incurred the costs associated with individual ingredient review, use of the starter formulations takes these costs out for the product formulator as well.
Stepan has a long history of involvement with the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Program and CleanGredients:

  • The company was a key stakeholder in the development of the first ingredient screen for surfactants.
  • In 2006, Stepan Company listed its first five ingredients in CleanGredients. Since that time, Stepan has listed a total of 30 surfactants in continued support of all who seek Safer Choice certification.
  • The company recently re-certified its seven starter formulations for another three years.

When asked her advice for companies looking to formulate greener products complying with the Safer Choice standard, Anne Gariepy, Stepan’s North America Technical Service and Sales Development Manager, said, “If you have questions, engage your third-party profiler and the U.S. EPA prior to formulation development. They are very open, approachable and willing to offer advisement. It will benefit all parties. Second, engage multiple stakeholders within your own organization in continued effort to educate and achieve alignment on the activities that have the greatest impact on an organization’s overarching sustainability goals.”
To learn more about Stepan’s U.S. EPA Safer Choice-approved starter formulations, visit www.cleangredients.org.

Categories
Eliminate Toxicity

Maximum Use Levels and Direct Release Reviews in CleanGredients Provide Additional Value for Product Formulators

Did you know that CleanGredients not only lists pre-approved ingredients for Safer Choice formulations, but also provides valuable information on how a given ingredient can be used in Safer Choice products? Both maximum use levels and reviews of ingredients for direct release to the environment can help formulators select the most appropriate ingredients for their formulations.

Maximum Use Levels

If an ingredient is listed in CleanGredients, it does not necessarily mean that the ingredient can be used at unlimited concentrations in a product carrying the Safer Choice label. In fact, maximum use levels may apply to ingredients listed in CleanGredients used for Safer Choice products. Formulators should keep these in mind to avoid surprises during the final review by EPA for approval to carry the Safer Choice label on their products.

Some of the ingredient profiles in CleanGredients contain a posted “Maximum Use (%)”, indicating the maximum concentration at which the ingredient may be used in a Safer Choice product, typically due to unavoidable residuals or impurities of concern that cannot be reduced with current manufacturing best practices. The Safer Choice Program reviews all such residuals and impurities, and in some cases will approve a listing with a maximum use level to keep all unavoidable residuals and impurities of concern below 0.01% in the finished product as sold. In the following example of a chelating agent, the ingredient has a calculated maximum use level of 10%, even though the active ingredient meets the Safer Choice criteria:

max-use-levels

 
 

Direct Release

Some products are intended for use in applications that result in immediate release to the environment, bypassing sewage treatment plants or septic systems and shortening the time available for degradation prior to entering the environment. Some examples of direct release products include home car washes, boat cleaners, and graffiti removers. In order to protect sensitive environments and aquatic life, EPA’s Safer Choice program has more stringent criteria for ingredients in direct release products. Any ingredients with aquatic toxicity values <10 mg/L are not allowed in Safer Choice direct release products. Furthermore, biodegradation must occur within a specified time frame and without degradation products of concern for the ingredient to be approved for direct release.
So, how can a formulator know whether an ingredient meets the more stringent criteria for direct release products? Fortunately, most ingredients listed in CleanGredients have already been evaluated against the Safer Choice criteria for environmental toxicity and fate for chemicals in direct release products. You can check an ingredient’s direct release approval status right on the main ingredient listing page or on any individual ingredient profile, and can sort the list of ingredients by direct release approval status, making it easier to find approved ingredients in a given functional class for your direct release products.
direct-release
 
 

The Takeaway for Product Formulators

Formulators can use the information on maximum use levels and direct release approvals when designing products for the EPA Safer Choice Label to ensure that they don’t end up with too high a concentration of residuals or impurities of concern or ingredients with excessive aquatic toxicity for direct release products. Other sources of Safer Choice ingredient information, including the EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL), don’t include information on maximum use levels or direct release approvals. By including this information, CleanGredients provides additional value, takes the guesswork out of obtaining the Safer Choice label, and reduces risk for formulators.
GreenBlue wishes to thank Nancy Linde, Managing Toxicologist at NSF International for her expertise in drafting the technical content of this article. NSF International is a third-party profiler for the EPA’s Safer Choice Program.

Categories
GreenBlue

SXSW Eco Keynote: Robert Kennedy Jr. Makes the Case for Waterway Conservation

Kicking off the 2016 SXSW Eco conference in Austin, Texas, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the president of Waterkeeper Alliance, delivered a passionate speech about the harms of pollution on waterways and how polluters are violating constitutional rights by doing so.
Kennedy’s background is in legal advocacy on behalf of grassroots efforts to clean waterways, and through that lens he made the argument that “good environmental policy is good for economic prosperity.” It doesn’t have to be a battle between opposing forces. Polluters are essentially stealing the public’s property — clean air, clean waterways, fish and game that are healthy enough to feed families — and that the runoff from pollution into waterways is infringing on our constitutional right.
“They [big corporations] are using their property to steal your property, that’s what pollution does,” Kennedy said. If the runoff from a manufacturing plant pollutes the waterways and makes the fish toxic to eat, then that is infringing on the public’s right to those resources.
Kennedy considers himself a free marketer in which he uses his position at Waterkeeper Alliance to go after polluters and force them to internalize their costs, just like they internalize their profits. He argued that by letting corporations pollute without regulation, we would only be ruining everybody’s future.

“An economy based on pollution makes a few people billionaires. But our kids will pay all their lives for our joyride.”  

During his speech, Kennedy called out the Koch brothers, Fox News, and big corporations for their attacks on environmental policies that inhibit pollution and accused them of controlling government for their own benefit.  
steve_rogers_10_4201-640x360“Wherever you see the large scale environmental injury, you’ll also see the subversion of democracy, the corruption of public officials, the capture of political agencies that are supposed to protect all Americans from pollution,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy’s background as an attorney, as surely his dynastic family history, gives him unique perspective on environmental issues. I came away from the speech with new ideas and new viewpoints on pollution. That there is an underlying constitutional right to clean waterways and a healthy, thriving environment. Not just for the sake of it, but also for the right of people to be able to turn to jobs like fishing when times are hard and jobs are scarce in their communities. That poor communities are often the ones most affected by powerful corporations and lax environmental policies. Polluters always choose the soft spot of poverty, Kennedy noted.
Every community should be aware of the environmental dangers that local companies present. We can’t stifle the voices of those affected and let corporations get away with dirty political tactics.

Categories
Sustainability Tools

Farms in Transition: How Can Consumers Support Farms in Transition to Organic?

What do you do with a farm that is in transition? For a farm to join the ranks of USDA Organic-certified, there are a few steps that a farmer must take. First is time. It takes 3 years for a conventional farm to qualify as organic. During that time, a farm might need to invest in new infrastructure, create new farm management plans, have conversations with their bank, all the while not being able to sell their crops.
Farms currently cannot sell crops as organic during the transitional phase, even if they are following all tenants of USDA Organic certification. Kashi saw an opportunity to change that. Why can’t we support farms in that transitional period and still get their products to market? Kashi Company CEO David Denholm said in his SXSW Eco session, “1% is Not Enough. Increasing Access to Organics.”
“Farmers need financial security, they need a market for crops in transition because they are following organic farming practices, just not certified yet,” Denholm said.
So in order to provide a way for consumers to directly support those farms working to get organic certification, Kashi partnered with Quality Assurance International, a USDA accredited  organic certification body. The organizations created a standard for so-called “transitional” farmers and created a mark that could be used on packages for products from farms transitioning from conventional to organic.
“The label is a movement, because it’s a chance for consumers to vote and support the transition from conventional to organic,” Denholm said. “We believe consumers play a critical role in helping support farms moving to organic.”
ct-logo_lgThe label is currently on Kashi products that source from farmlands that are “certified transitional”. Denholm said that they are getting inquiries from other companies that want to use the label, both food and non-food companies like fashion labels.
Denholm said that Kashi spearheaded this movement because the current organic farming landscape is working on a shaky economic foundation.
“Companies are buying out organic farms or are putting in place long-term contracts for supply of organic ingredients. It’s an example of market failure,” Denholm said.
He believes that the best path forward is an open source economy, which is based on collaboration. He hopes to spread awareness of the label through media, other brands and organic outreach.
“The demand for organic food products has increased by a lot since the 1990s, but the supply hasn’t increased to meet that. We hope this is one way to support an increase in organic agriculture moving forward,” Denholm said.
 

Categories
Recover More Sustainability Tools

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Seattle says non-compostable plastic bags cannot be colored green or brown any longer in an aim to reduce confusion

On Monday, October 3rd Seattle’s passed a new measure prohibiting non-compostable bags to be tinted green or brown. This is a groundbreaking development in the quest to clarify end-of-use options for packaging and create harmonization of compostable labeling practices.
how2compost_rgbNon-compostable plastic bags that are tinted green, mostly used in produce and carry-out bags, are often used in an attempt to connect the green color with a green message. Unfortunately, these items, as Seattle has found, pollute the local compost. When plastic bags are put in compost, they not only produce unsightly litter at the compost facility, they can also produce macro and micro fragments when they begin to break down that contaminate the finished compost.
Polyethylene bags are accepted at many retail locations for recycling, and recovery of these valuable materials remains important. However, not only does a green tint make the bags more likely to be mistaken for compostable, but also misleading language, terms such as “biodegradable,” or “degradable” and “decomposable” further confuse the messaging. Seattle’s forward-thinking new ordinance  will eliminate these practices that contribute to the problem of contaminated compost that increases costs and lowers the value of finished compost.
The How2Recycle label website helps clarify the differences between compostable and recyclable. Recently, GreenBlue launched the How2Compost label, an on-package label that verifies  that packaging is certified compostable. The label design  includes the BPI logo and a link to a website with additional information.. Compostable bags can use the How2Compost Label and be tinted green or brown, while non-compostable bags can use the How2Recycle “Store Drop-Off” label and ideally be clear or another color not easily confused with compostables. Seattle’s new law will move the country in the right direction!

Categories
Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Extended Producer Coming to California? Maybe, says CalRecycle’s Jim Hill

On September 20th, California’s state agency CalRecycle approved a formal recommendation to pursue a new course of action towards its aggressive target of 50% packaging waste diversion by 2020, and extended producer responsibility (EPR) is officially on the docket as a potential next step for California. That same day, SPC Advance attendees had the opportunity to hear from Jim Hill, Senior Recycling Specialist at CalRecycle. He addressed the uncertainty – and perhaps at least a small amount of angst – from an audience that tends to be adamant that alternatives to EPR are the way to go.
Jim asked the audience to tap the brakes a little bit. It’s true, he says, that EPR is under strong consideration by the agency. But there are two alternatives that are also under consideration: landfill bans on recyclable packaging, and minimum recycled content requirements. He also reviewed their plastics market development payment program and recycling development zones, which offer interesting opportunities for industry, and reminded the audience of the other two policy drivers: greenhouse gas reduction and marine plastic pollution reduction. The audience was also reminded that CalRecycle engaged with industry in a broad dialogue on the effectiveness of voluntary efforts for packaging waste diversion, and CalRecycle’s ultimate opinion was that industry initiatives did not identify specific activities to meet the reduction goal, identify clear performance metrics, set timelines or offer funding ideas beyond current taxpayer funding. Industry responded with suggestions that CalRecycle data on packaging disposal was flawed and their biggest opportunity for drastic increases in diversion is in organic waste, not packaging.
Despite CalRecycle’s overall opinion of industry efforts, the American Chemistry Council’s WRAP program for plastics bags and film, to which the SPC has strong ties through How2Recycle, seems to have made an impression. Jim addressed the idea that any California program could have exceptions for certain types of packaging, and it seems as though bags and film could be one.
Regardless of what happens, it appears we are at a significant turning point in the U.S. landscape of regulation on packaging waste and recovery. California is making a strong statement. One way or another, the Golden State is determined to reduce their packaging waste by half by 2020. The plan for doing so will be in place by 2017. It will be an interesting year to come.
 

Categories
Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Record Attendance at SPC Advance 2016 Conference

OVER 250 ATTENDEES GATHERED IN PORTLAND, OREGON TO LEARN HOW TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING IN THEIR ORGANIZATION

Capping off a very successful year for the Sustainable Packaging Coalition was the 2016 SPC Advance conference. Held in downtown Portland, Oregon, this year’s conference saw the largest fall conference ever in SPC history. It was also the first time that we invited a reporter to join our meeting and help tell the stories of the innovations and ideas presented at our conference.

See our full SPC Advance photo gallery

A few highlight sessions of the conference were the Panel Discussion: The New Plastics Economy with Unilever, Dow Chemical Company, Amcor, Sealed Air, NatureWorks, and Coca-Cola; Advancing Sustainable Materials Management in Oregon session with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; the Nike Corporate Campus Tour, and the presentation by CalRecycle on California’s latest packaging regulation updates.
There were also three surprise announcements from the SPC during the 3-day meeting. First, was the brand new partnership between the SPC and The Recycling Partnership, what has been titled ASTRX (Applying Systems Thinking to Recycling). The two nonprofit organizations will study a range of factors affecting the infrastructure of materials recovery, including packaging design and materials processing. The initiative is geared toward identifying barriers and opportunities within the system and then making recommendations on how to make the system stronger and more connected.
“Recycling exists to deliver material feedstocks back into the manufacturing process,” says Sustainable Packaging Coalition Executive Director Nina Goodrich. “Through ASTRX we will analyze the entire system and identify the most effective areas for improvement and intervention. In turn, this will lay the strategic foundation for bolstering supply and reaping both the environmental and economic benefits.”
The second announcement came from the SPC and the American Forest Foundation.  The two organizations are leading a multi-stakeholder process to build a new model for evaluating sustainable forestry in the United States.
In the composting collaborative track, GreenBlue Senior Manager Anne Bedarf announced the debut of the Composting Collaborative project. The Composting Collaborative was created to drive sustainable materials management of organics and all compostables. The Collaborative will be lead by GreenBlue, BioCycle Magazine, and the U.S. Composting Council.
Collaboration is at the core of the SPC, and we look forward to continuing to bring stakeholders together across the spectrum of sustainable packaging. Join us in Scottsdale, Arizona on April 24-27 for SustPack 2017!

Categories
Eliminate Toxicity

First Plasticizer Listed in CleanGredients

Eastman 168 SG non-phthalate plasticizer is the first plasticizer to be listed in CleanGredients that meets the criteria of the EPA Safer Choice program. Eastman 168 SG represents a new category of products in CleanGredients not specific to cleaning applications, broadening the reach of the Safer Choice program into new industries and applications.

What is Eastman 168 SG, and how does it fit into Eastman’s sustainable product portfolio?

Plasticizers are often used to make plastics more pliable, particularly polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl). Eastman 168 SG is a non-phthalate plasticizer, and is the main alternative to phthalates in applications from flooring and wallcoverings to toys to medical devices and many other applications that require flexible vinyl. Eastman 168 SG can also be used in some waterborne adhesives and in some rubber formulations. Eastman 168 SG has several US FDA and European food-contact clearances in adhesive and plastics applications.
Eastman 168 SG comes with the security of supply required by manufacturers of flexible vinyl products facing demanding quality assurance protocols and compliance requirements such as toys, medical devices, and food-contact articles. Eastman Chemical is the only domestic manufacturer of this vital molecule, with two facilities supplying the US and global markets.  With Eastman 168 SG, manufacturers have a proven and cost effective non-phthalate alternative to make PVC flexible. Eastman 168 SG maintains high purity standards, a clean toxicological profile, and excellent physical properties such as migration resistance, color consistency, thermal stability, RF and solvent welding, and printability.
Eastman Chemical has dedicated decades of research and development seeking sustainable solutions for the market. In addition to the success story of Eastman 168 SG, Eastman also has its Omnia solvent product listed in CleanGredients for use in cleaning solutions. Eastman Omnia™ high-performance solvent has an excellent safety profile that enables formulators and end users to comply with increasingly stringent regulatory standards and market demands for exceptional performance. This solvent is readily biodegradable and non-flammable, helping ensure the safety of people and the environment.

Why is Eastman 168 SG listed in CleanGredients when it isn’t used in cleaning products with the EPA Safer Choice label?

CleanGredients is a resource not only for formulators of products carrying the Safer Choice label, but for anyone looking to source materials with greener chemistries. Companies like Eastman want to proactively screen their products against the Safer Choice criteria to verify they are safe, and are looking for a way to communicate this information to their customers who want to purchase greener products. To meet this need, we are expanding CleanGredients to include ingredients that meet the EPA Safer Choice Master Criteria but are not necessarily used to formulate Safer Choice-labeled products. You can identify this type of listing in CleanGredients based on the term “Third Party Reviewed” in the “Safer Choice Status” field.
It can be challenging to find plasticizers with both the performance you need and the toxicological characteristics you and your customers are looking for. Eastman 168 SG fills that niche, making it a great addition to the CleanGredients database. Like all of the ingredients listed in CleanGredients, it has been reviewed by a third party profiler and meets the EPA Safer Choice Master Criteria, so you can trust that it is safer for human health and the environment.

What are the toxicological characteristics of Eastman 168 SG?

Eastman 168 SG is a well-characterized non-ortho phthalate plasticizer that passes the Safer Choice Master Criteria after a thorough assessment by a Safer Choice-authorized Third Party Profiler. Some assessors may choose to conservatively designate Eastman 168 SG as having a low-to-moderate hazard for reproductive toxicity; disagreement among toxicologists in interpretation of experimental findings is not unusual. Eastman 168 SG passes all other Safer Choice human health, ecological and fate endpoints. CleanGredients and Eastman support transparent disclosure of assessment outcomes to support safer chemistry decisions.

How can I learn more?

You can subscribe to CleanGredients to have access to data on Eastman 168 SG and other products meeting the EPA Safer Choice criteria.
screen_shot_2016-09-14_at_9-44-42_am