When we hear about responsible sourcing in the context of sustainable packaging, it’s usually an advocacy for using either renewable resources from well-managed sources, or non-renewable resources from the recycling stream instead of virgin sources. This broad guidance certainly covers the major considerations of responsible sourcing, but an upcoming U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission vote led me to believe that there are greater dimensions for us to consider.
The vote applies to a provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act that would require companies to disclose their usage of conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the surrounding region. There are four basic minerals of concern: gold, wolframite (source of tungsten), columbite-tantalie (source of the element tantalum), and cassiterite, which is the most important source of tin. Most of the scrutiny around these minerals occurs with makers of electronics, and at first glance there’s not much of a connection to packaging. My thinking was “definitely no gold in packaging, can’t imagine there’s any tungsten, no clue what tantalum is, and tin might only show up in small amounts in tin cans (which are made almost entirely from steel, in case you didn’t know).” Yet, life cycle inventory data always reveals a host of materials that one wouldn’t normally associate with the major packaging materials, and sure enough, there’s a measurable amount of tin used to make most kinds of packaging.
Organic compounds containing tin can be used as catalysts, stabilizers, or polymerization aids to make plastics. Tin is an alloying element in aluminum. Glass containers have a coating of a tin-bearing compound. And yes, tin cans are indeed coated with tin. On a kilogram-by-kilogram basis, it’s actually glass containers that use the most tin. Second place? Recycled folding boxboard. Of all the materials, I have no clue how tin factors into making recycled folding boxboard – if you know, fill me in, please.
Even so, the amount of tin used is relatively tiny. Using the example of glass containers, a rough calculation tells me that about 52 kilograms of tin were used in all the container glass produced in 2010 – that’s 52 kilograms of tin to make 8.5 billion kilograms of container glass. 52 kilograms of tin? That’s not much. To put that in perspective, Wikipedia tells us that almost 300 million kilograms of tin were produced in 2006.
Wikipedia also tells us that somewhere around 80-90% of the world’s tin is produced in China and Indonesia. So what are the chances that the tin used in packaging comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is alleged that the sale of minerals goes to funding the conflict there? Probably pretty low. Nonetheless, it seems quite plausible that somewhere in someone’s packaging supply chain, there’s at least a miniscule occurrence of conflict tin. Addressing our usage of tin in packaging probably ought not to be high on our list of ways to make packaging more sustainable, but it’s something to keep in mind.
My takeaway is this: there is an absolute plethora of materials that go into making packaging. If we want packaging to be truly sustainable, we have to examine every input. We can’t overgeneralize packaging and improve our usage of only the biggest raw materials. Things like tin, however small our usage is, can’t be ignored, especially when lives may hinge on it.
Be sure to check out this great article in Triple Pundit if you’d like to learn more about conflict minerals.
Category: Sustainable Packaging Coalition
This article by GreenBlue Project Associate Danielle Peacock appeared in this month’s issue of Packaging Digest, which features a monthly column by GreenBlue staff on packaging sustainability. Read the original article.
In May 2012, GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) announced that five new companies joined the soft launch of the How2Recycle Label, a voluntary recycling labeling system developed by the SPC to provide clear recycling information to consumers, while conforming to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) “Green Guides.”
SPC members General Mills (Yoplait), Esteé Lauder Companies (Aveda) and Sealed Air, as well as additional participants BJ’s Wholesale Club and manufacturer Ampac, have joined the soft launch. These companies join SPC members ConAgra Foods, Costco Wholesale, Microsoft, REI and Seventh Generation in introducing the label over the course of the soft launch, which will last through early 2013. May’s announcement also included endorsements by the state of North Carolina, New York City’s Department of Sanitation, StopWaste.Org (Alameda County, CA) and Keep America Beautiful.
Companies using the How2Recycle Label have shown leadership in advancing recycling initiatives, are willing to demonstrate transparency to consumers and eventually will contribute to cleaner recycling streams. Feedback and consumer testing show that consumers value this transparency and will still purchase a product that includes the “Not Yet Recycled” version of the label.
Consumers are faced with an array of labels in the market that are often misleading or incomplete. According to Ecolabel Index, there are more than 430 different eco-labels currently available globally. Despite this confusion, consumers still want to see on-package instructions for recycling. A study by Mintel shows that consumers are more interested in seeing recycling information than fat, sugar and calorie content on packaging.
A nationwide recycling label must account for regional variations in recycling programs while considering the nationwide (and in many cases, global) nature of product distribution. The result for the How2Recycle Label was the creation of a tiered labeling system and a corresponding website (www.how2recycle.info), guiding consumer action.
If an item is in the “Widely Recycled” category, more than 60 percent of the U.S. population has access to recycling for that package. If an item is labeled “Check Locally,” between 20 and 60 percent of the U.S. population has access to recycling for that package. Any item that can only be recycled by less than 20 percent of the U.S. population is in the “Not Yet Recycled” label category.
Consumer testing also shows that all versions of the How2Recycle Label stimulate interest in recycling. We look forward to seeing how these research findings play out in the marketplace.
When the “Check Locally” version of the label is used, our goal is to direct consumers to action with the www.how2recycle.info website, which helps consumers become familiar with their local options.
The How2Recycle Label will not solve all recycling problems, but it is an important piece of the puzzle. To move recycling forward, we must improve infrastructure, develop recycling markets, encourage and increase the use of recycled content, and continue to educate and combat cynicism. Feedback in this phase of the How2Recycle soft launch has been overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to further stakeholder engagement and consumer feedback as we look towards widespread implementation in 2013.
This past April we hosted over 260 packaging and sustainability leaders in Toronto for a cutting-edge conversation on wide-ranging packaging sustainability topics at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s annual Spring Meeting. All are invited to join us in San Francisco next March for the packaging event of 2013! Registration will open in November, so stay tuned for more details over the coming months.
Last month I shared with our blog readers the winning idea for the Kids’ Science Challenge Zero Waste challenge: Joshua Yi’s innovative concept for toy packaging that becomes part of the fun. Joshua recently traveled to New York City to make his package design come to life with the help of SPC members Steve Mahler of Caraustar Industries Inc. and Laura Tufariello of Design and Source Productions. Joshua shared some insights from his experience building his package prototype in a recent blog post:
“Joshua, it is going to be a great, great day today,” I told myself on the way to NYC by train. Can you imagine working with scientists, making your ideas come to life, and having a great city tour in the Big Apple? That’s what I am going to do today and tomorrow!!!!
Away my dad and I went to our first stop at Caraustar at the Old Brooklyn Navy Yard…At Caraustar, Mr. Mahler and I designed my box design on the computer. It was amazing how you could “draw” on the computer! We revised and edited some glitches in the schematics. It was strange how the box would look when it was layout flat. After we drew the boxes we programmed the huge plotter to cutout the boxes. The plotter was a 2-yard by 1-yard square machine that looked like a small printer connected to 2 computers. There were 3 cylinders with tools that could cut, crease, and fold. There was also a small targeting laser. The plotter can do its job with great precision — it made everything exactly the right dimensions. It was also very efficient — it took less than five minutes to make my box, as complicated as it might be. It turned a regular 26” paper into a sophisticated box.
…After the plotter was done cutting, together we drove to Design and Source…I showed Mr. Metzner, Mrs. Sanders, Mrs. Tufariello, Mr. Mahler, and my dad my designs I made at Caraustar industries. Then we listed all the things either I needed or wanted to be on the box cover. Some of the things we listed were advertisements, race decals, and warnings (e.g. XX). Then we started to design the graphics. For the drawings I drew two of my monster trucks racing each other with an advertisement in the middle saying “This box can turn into a racetrack!” Then I put warnings in the corners and a checkerboard border against a neon green background. It was cool how the cars looked like they were racing each other and how everything stood out from the bright green.
You can read more from Joshua on his exciting trip to New York on the Kids’ Science Challenge blog.
This article by GreenBlue Senior Manager Minal Mistry appeared in this month’s issue of Packaging Digest, which features a monthly column by GreenBlue staff on packaging sustainability. Read the original article.
We often hear sustainability described as an iterative process, or a stepped journey to “mount sustainability” as industrialist and environmentalist Ray Anderson put it. At the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) spring meeting in Toronto, I reflected on the body of work the SPC has produced over its eight-year journey on the path towards sustainable packaging.
This catalog includes collaborative learning and teaching; research on materials production, end-of-life treatments, use of recycled content, measurements and reporting; and a package design assessment tool. Looking back shows us common threads that connect all these topics and demonstrates how change can be achieved through collaborative dialogue.
Since the creation of the SPC in 2004, coalition members have walked together on a series of paths towards sustainability. Everyone was given a map of the terrain in the form of the SPC’s Definition of Sustainable Packaging. The collective learning has allowed the group to take different paths yet stay together and exchange knowledge and best practices, which occurs primarily when members meet twice a year at the annual meetings.
The SPC’s collective learning also has been made accessible through the “Essentials of Sustainable Packaging” course, which provides a comprehensive overview of sustainability issues in packaging and has been on the road in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong and, soon, China.
Over the past eight years, four main themes have emerged that have manifest themselves into resources developed by the SPC:
1. The sustainability road trip began with the notion of design as a leverage point for putting sustainability objectives into operation. This emphasis on design is still evident and has ushered in numerous changes in packaging, from initial lightweighting to completely rethinking material choices and product delivery. This design emphasis expresses itself through various SPC reports, including the “Design Guidelines for Sustainable Packaging” and COMPASS (Comparative Packaging Assessment), a life-cycle assessment (LCA) tool that provides design guidance along environmental parameters.
2. While design represents one path to sustainability, equally important are the measurement and data pathways that are key to design assessment, such as life-cycle data, indicators and metrics relevant to packaging materials and processes. The exploration of indicators and metrics resulted in the SPC’s release of the Sustainable Packaging Indicators and Metrics Framework. This report, in turn, served as the basis for a harmonized set of indicators known as the Global Protocol on Packaging Sustainability (GPPS 2.0).
3. As folks learned new ways to integrate sustainability measures into their packaging operations, there came a dramatic shift in thinking. Increasingly, the conversation has shifted from sustainability in packaging to broader sustainability at the corporate level. As a result of increased packaging knowledge, many companies have jump-started corporate-level goals on energy, materials and end-of-life and recovery.
4. End of life and recovery represents new frontiers for packaging, and the SPC has led the way in this area. Numerous SPC reports have focused on materials and materials flow. Many of these reports are freely available, particularly those that were part of the Closing the Loop project funded by the State of California. As emphasis on material recovery increases, and to help consumers do their part, the SPC soon will launch www.how2recycle.info to support the new on-package label for recovery.
As part of our increasing work in recycling and recovery, Project Associate Danielle Peacock and Senior Manager Anne Bedarf continue their recycling blog series, ReLoop, which will address different recycling topics, questions, and concepts. You can check out other posts from the ReLoop series here.
There are three primary ways to collect household recycling: single stream, source separation, and no separation from trash (or “all in one”). Each of these methods poses unique benefits and trade-offs. In the last ReLoop blog, we covered single-stream recycling. This month we take a closer look at source separated recycling.
Recycling is a process in which valuable materials flow from collection to an end user, who makes the materials into new products. This flow of materials is often called the recycling “stream.” In single-stream recycling, mixed recyclable materials travel together (separately from trash) in one stream to a sorting facility, or Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
Source separated recycling is “separating materials by type at the point of discard so they can be recycled.” For example, there may be separate streams of metal, glass, paper, and plastic; or there may be one stream for paper and one for mixed containers. Source separated recycling may also be called sorted stream recycling or dual stream recycling. These terms are used synonymously and all mean that the consumer sorts their recyclables.
Items collected may still go to a MRF for further sorting. For example, North Carolina has a network of “Dual Stream MRFs,” where two or more streams of recycling are fed separately into the facility. In this example, mixed paper is one stream and mixed containers are a second.
GreenBlue’s Source Separated Recycling Bins
(Plastics, Metal, Glass, Paper)
The primary methods to collect source separated recycling are drop-off centers and curbside collection. In our office, we separate our recyclables into multiple bins, which are then taken to a local drop-off recycling center. At this drop-off, there are separate bins for each material. Our items are pre-sorted in the office, but sorting can also be done at the drop-off site if you bring a bin of mixed recyclables and hand sort them into the appropriate bins. These bins can then go directly to a buyer.
Source separated recycling can also be collected at curbside. Trucks collecting these materials have multiple chambers, one for each stream of materials. Programs may use multiple recycling bins or large carts with a center divider, creating two chambers. Materials are then dumped into the corresponding chamber. This contrasts to single-stream recycling, where the bin of mixed recyclables goes directly into a collection truck with no additional sorting.
Good – Materials from source separated recycling are generally higher in quality and can be sold at a higher price than materials collected as a single stream. There is also less potential contamination of recyclables (for example, left over liquids do not spill on paper and broken pieces of glass do not mix in with other items). Source separated recycling also does not rely as heavily on expensive sorting technology or manual labor.
Bad – Source separated recycling requires more effort by the consumer to either leave sorted items at their curb or take them to a drop-off site. In an area with a low recycling ethic, this can negatively impact participation in recycling, making collection volumes low.
The Grey Area – When it comes to recycling, many communities must make tough decisions between ease of use, quality of recyclables, and quantity of collection. Source separated requires more effort, but single stream (and all-in-one to a greater degree) results in more contamination, making a certain amount of materials unsuitable for sale and the processing of recyclables more difficult. Both programs require effective communication to consumers. Placing the wrong items in the recycling stream makes the materials less desirable, less valuable, and more difficult to manufacture into new products. Cost is another important factor in analyzing different types of recycling programs. The cost of a program is heavily dependent upon existing infrastructure, local markets for materials, and community goals.
We encourage you to explore your own recycling options, and let us know what you find!
Move by Yoplait, Esteé Lauder Companies, Sealed Air, Ampac, BJ’s Wholesale Club to Help Customers Recycle Their Products
Messages about recycling are common, but are often vague, misleading, or just plain incorrect. But now, major brand names Yoplait, Esteé Lauder Companies, Sealed Air, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and manufacturer Ampac seek to change that. We are pleased to announce that this summer, these leading companies join several members of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition – ConAgra Foods, Costco Wholesale, Microsoft, REI and Seventh Generation – in introducing the How2Recycle Label, a voluntary recycling label developed by GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC).
The goal of the How2Recycle Label is to reduce consumer confusion in the U.S. with a clear and consistent recycling label and corresponding informational website. It provides companies with an easy way to conform to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) “Green Guides” while using nationwide recyclability data.
“Consumers are faced with a confusing landscape of material and recycling messages that are often inconsistent or misleading,” said GreenBlue Senior Manager Anne Bedarf, who has led development of the label for the SPC. “We believe this label will help consumers and companies more effectively communicate recyclability and contribute to more successful resource recovery.”
The How2Recycle Label is based on the successful On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) system in the United Kingdom and was developed through more than three years of research, stakeholder engagement, extensive consumer testing, and a national effort to collect updated recyclability data in conjunction with industry partners.
With this new system, companies can customize package labels by utilizing up to four available options (with associated icons) including: Widely Recycled, Limited Recycling/”Check Locally,” Not Yet Recycled, and a “Store Drop-off” label for bags, wraps and other films accepted at retail locations. Each unique component of a package will be labeled. Sealed Air’s Fill-Air Inflatable packaging and Ampac’s No. 2 Pouch™ will be the first to use the “Store Drop-off” label. General Mills’ Yoplait yogurt brand on its fridge pack and Esteé Lauder Companies’ Aveda Brand on its Outer Peace Acne Pads will use a combination of icons.
The label is already available in the marketplace on Seventh Generation’s limited edition 180 oz. detergent bottle and new 22 oz. pre-wash spray available at Target stores, in addition to over 50 REI products including Novara bike accessories and Multi-towels. It soon will appear on such products as ConAgra’s Orville Redenbacher popcorn, Microsoft accessories, and a variety of Kirkland Signature brand products from Costco Wholesale.
The How2Recycle Label is endorsed by several state and local governments focused on addressing recycling challenges, including the state of North Carolina, New York City’s Department of Sanitation, and StopWaste.Org which serves Alameda County, California. Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s premier nonprofit working to increasing recycling, also recently endorsed the label.
“We strongly believe that recycling programs across the country and the general public’s commitment to recycling behavior will greatly benefit from a clear and sensible package labeling framework,” said Scott Mouw of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, noting the support of the state for the effort.
The How2Recycle website (www.how2recycle.info) provides information for consumers on the label design, how to check local recycling options, and information for governments and companies interested in adopting or endorsing the label. The introductory launch will continue through early 2013. Companies interested in participating in the launch can contact GreenBlue Senior Manager Anne Bedarf for more information at 434.817.1424 ext. 314 or anne.bedarf@greenblue.org.
I moved from Charlottesville, Virginia to Concord, Massachusetts about nine months ago. Last month, I participated in a 300-plus-year-old tradition that has been called the purest form of democracy: The Town Meeting in Concord. As described in Town Meeting: Traditions and Procedures, “Town Meeting is the legislative branch of Concord government, passing By Laws and policies and approving town expenditures. However, unlike in Congress and the Legislature, where citizens elect representatives to speak and act on their behalf, at Town Meeting every registered voter may speak and vote directly on matters that affect their lives and their livelihood.”
This year’s Town Meeting filled four long evenings and covered a range of issues, some mundane and others hotly debated. Among the more contentious was a successful proposal to prohibit the sale of “non-sparkling, unflavored drinking water in single-serving polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of 1 liter (34 ounces) or less.” Earlier that day, the Massachusetts legislature defeated a proposed expansion of the State’s five-cent bottle bill to include disposable water, sports drink, and juice containers. Though other municipalities in the United States have enacted restrictions, Concord is the first to go so far as to put a ban in place. If approved by the Massachusetts Attorney General, the ban will take effect on January 1, 2013. (For more on the history of this issue in Concord, see Concord Town Meeting passes bylaw banning bottled water sales or Where Thoreau Lived, Crusade Over Bottles.)
As you can imagine, there were strong opinions on both sides. Some saw this as a manifestation of the revolutionary spirit for which Concord is famous; others saw it as a restriction of individual rights characteristic of socialist or communist societies. While I tend to agree with opponents of the ban that legislating consumer behavior in this way may not be an effective means of addressing the issues bound up with products like bottled water, I also tend to agree with proponents that this is an important symbolic gesture. I also found it interesting that many of those advocating for the proposal at the Town Meeting evinced more concern about issues related to the water in the bottles than the PET bottles themselves.
Some observers (and some Concord residents too) undoubtedly view this outcome as further proof of Winston Churchill’s contention that “democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried.” But, for my part, I am happy to live in a community that takes democracy seriously and whose citizens are willing to spend an evening debating an issue like the role of bottled water in our society. Viva “think globally, act locally”! Do you think there can be a productive role for such local efforts?
The Kids’ Science Challenge is a nationwide competition for 3rd to 6th graders that encourages hands-on participation in science and engineering. Partially funded by the National Science Foundation, the students are presented with three topics each school year and they are invited to submit their own ideas or experiments to solve these issues. The student with the winning entry in each category then collaborates with a professional scientist or engineer in a research setting to help bring their idea to life. For the 2011-2012 school year, one of the topics for the challenge was around sustainable packaging, an area in which GreenBlue has developed significant expertise through our largest project, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC). The Zero Waste challenge asked kids to come up with a creative idea for packaging that never ends up in a landfill. Over the past year, we’ve played an important role in helping to shape the Zero Waste challenge, and you can read more about GreenBlue’s participation in the challenge here and here.
The winners were announced last week, and this year’s Grand Prize Winner in the Zero Waste challenge is Joshua Yi, who is in the 3rd Grade at Warnsdorfer Elementary School in East Brunswick, NJ. Joshua came up with a nifty idea for toy packaging that actually becomes part of the fun. The idea, “No More Trash But a Package of Fun,” as Joshua calls it, was inspired by all the waste created by Christmas gift packaging and wrapping. Joshua stated in his entry, “I decided to pick Zero Waste because I wanted toy packages to be a fun part of the toy and will not be instantly disposed to the environment.” The new package he designed “converts the toy package into a fun, integrated, part of the toy, it not only protects the environment by saving packages, but also adds a lot of fun to children.” One of Joshua’s designs was for a toy car package that converts into a racetrack, and the second was a doll package that unfolds into a board game:
As the Grand Prize Winner, Joshua will venture to New York City to turn his packaging idea into a prototype. To create his package design, Joshua will work with SPC members Laura Tufariello, founder of Design and Source Productions, a company that develops, designs, and produces creative eco-friendly packaging, and Steve Mahler of Caraustar Industries Inc., a manufacturer of 100% recycled paperboard and converted paperboard packaging solutions. Congratulations to Joshua on his innovative package design!
One of our biggest activities here at the SPC is our biannual convening of stakeholders in the packaging community for networking and knowledge sharing. We call them the Spring and Fall Meetings, and we like to kick things off at each of them with tours that whet everyone’s appetite for the impending multi-day conversations on sustainable packaging. Sometimes we’ll tour a facility that manufacturers packaging, sometimes we’ll tour a facility that deals with packaging waste (yes, we’re fascinated by garbage, and no, it usually doesn’t smell as bad as you might think). So long as it lives somewhere near the intersection of packaging and sustainability, we’ll tour it so the packaging community can learn more about it.
As much as I love learning about garbage (that’s only partially sarcastic – it’s absolutely worth studying), I hope you can imagine my delight when it was suggested that we look into touring one of Toronto’s many esteemed craft breweries as part of this year’s Spring Meeting, which took place a few weeks back. The search wasn’t long before we found a win-win with Steam Whistle Brewing. Win number one: this company conducts business with sustainability considerations near the forefront. Win number two: they’re located less than a half mile from our event. Actually, make that win-win-win – after all, they do brew beer.
Brewery tours are generally geared towards the beer-inclined, but their staff did a commendable job of appeasing the packaging-inclined. One of the unique parts of their brewery tour is a trip through the offices where the creative department and administrative team work, which was especially great for us because we got to meet Chris Johnston, who oversees all of Steam Whistle’s packaging procurement. I got the impression that the normal routine is for the tour group to pass through the office and simply receive a smile and a wave from the staff, but my tour group subjected Chris to much more. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was later remarked that we asked Chris more questions than he’s ever been asked in his decade of being a stop on the tour.
We talked about the PVC lining on their crown closures. We talked about the considerations of using pry-off caps versus twist-off caps. We talked about paperboard beverage carriers. And we talked about the age-old question of whether to use aluminum cans or glass bottles. Overall, Steam Whistle’s glass bottles took center stage, and for good reason.
Beer bottles in Canada are quite different than the ones we’re used to in the States. It’s common for brewers to use the Canadian Industry Standards Bottle (ISB), which is a refillable container on which a refundable 10-cent deposit is levied. These bottles use a considerably larger amount of glass than the single-use bottles we’re used to, but they can be reused 15-20 times before they fail (we were told that failure occurs most commonly at the finish – that’s the threaded part at the top). The deposit system provides a high rate of return to ensure that they are collected for reuse and eventual recycling.
Steam Whistle, however, chooses to use a bottle of their own design. Their bottle uses 30% more glass than the ISB, but it can be reused up to 35 times. The tradeoff? Whereas brewers using the ISB can take in used bottles put forth by any other brewer, Steam Whistle must take back their own bottles – and they distribute coast-to-coast in Canada. It opened up intriguing questions among our tour group about a number of sustainability tradeoffs, and certainly whet our appetites for an enjoyable couple days of focusing on sustainable packaging. And it also whet our appetites for more beer. Big thanks to the Steam Whistle team, especially Chris!
