It’s pretty likely that your company’s sustainability goals do not include a commitment to reducing the amount of eutrophication associated with its activities. In fact, I’m willing to wager that most readers might not even know what eutrophication is. That’s okay. It’s a bit science-y, and it doesn’t elicit half as much response from consumers as, say, carbon footprints and waste generation. For the purposes here, let’s just say that it’s a water quality problem caused by an overabundance of algae, which is caused by excess nutrients introduced by certain emissions. Maintaining good water quality is an important part of sustainability, so in short, eutrophication is a pollution problem that we ought to address.
The typical mentality used to address pollution is to think that it should be prevented at the source. Usually it is advocated that companies should try their very hardest to drive those emissions down to zero, and that usually means awaiting new cleaner technologies. The newer mentality, however, applies the idea that any output, wanted or unwanted, is a resource. This mentality was made famous by the recycling industry and the problem of solid waste generation, but it certainly also rings true for the problem of eutrophication. After all, eutrophication is caused by an overabundance of nutrients, and nutrients are certainly a resource.
To put this mentality into practice, a startup company called Algix is partnering with the University of Georgia and SPC member Kimberly-Clark. Their plan: capture the nutrient-rich water emissions from industry and agriculture, let nature take its course in a controlled environment, and then harvest the algae before releasing the water. Then instead of causing eutrophication problems in our freshwater resources, the algae is used as a feedstock for bioplastic conversion. Pretty neat, huh?
Along with Novomer’s efforts to create plastics from carbon dioxide emissions, it goes to show that “pollution” is an unwanted problem only until we can figure out how to make something out of it. Once the value of eutrophication-causing emissions are understood, your company’s commitment to reducing eutrophication might be a bit easier – and possibly even profitable.
Eric DesRoberts continues his monthly series of facts and tidbits he’s uncovered during his research to better understand products and packaging. You can also check out his past Fun Facts here.
1. The 2012 Urban Mobility Report found that traffic congestion costs Americans over $120 billion in delay time and wasted fuel. The report highlights that congestion caused urban Americans to travel an additional 5.5 billion hours and purchase an extra 2.9 billion gallons of fuel over the course of the year. Washington DC, Los Angeles, and San Francisco experienced the longest delays.
2. Exposure to Radon in the home is responsible for an estimated 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and is produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. Check your detectors!
3. According to the Global Language Monitor, Global Warming/Climate Change was the top phrase of the first decade of the 21st century. For the year 2012, Climate Change/Global Warming claimed the number 2 spot behind Gangnam Style.
4. March 31st marked the opening day for Major League Baseball. Over the course of the 2013 season, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates baseball fans will consume over 20 million hot dogs. Estimates for the top selling ball parks include:
Hot Dog
- LA Dodgers (2.4 million)
- Boston Red Sox (1.5 m)
- Texas Rangers (1.3 m)
- Detroit Tigers (1.3)
- NY Yankees (1 m)
Sausage
- Boston Red Sox (421k)
- NY Mets (405k)
- Giants (400k)
- Nationals (400k)
- Brewers (400k)
5. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. The success of that day helped increase awareness of environmental issues and helped gain support for the development of organizations like the US EPA. The Earth Day Network is a good resource to help you plan and contribute to Earth Day events
Check out this tremendous idea to clean up the ocean’s garbage patches from Dutch teen Boyan Slat. This is a great opportunity to take action and test an innovative idea to solve a problem long plaguing the plastic industry.
We are delighted to announce the successful completion of the soft launch phase of our How2Recycle recycling labeling system. In addition, major brand name Kellogg’s will be joining the 11 other leading companies already taking advantage of the How2Recycle Label, including Ampac, Best Buy, Clorox, Costco Wholesale, Esteé Lauder Companies Aveda Brand, General Mills, Microsoft, Minute Maid, Sealed Air, Seventh Generation, and REI. A photo gallery of the packages currently carrying the label is available here.
The How2Recycle Label is the only labeling system for packaging that communicates recyclability across all material types and gives explicit directions to consumers to influence their recycling behavior, and specifies when a package component is not recyclable. Research completed prior to and during the soft launch phase of the project has confirmed that the Label is understood by consumers, leads consumers to action, elicits positive impressions of products and companies, and meets Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requirements. In addition, the Label has proven to be a valuable tool for companies wishing to understand the specific recyclability of their packaging. In short, the Label is fulfilling the project’s goal of improving both the quality and quantity of package recycling. The complete Soft Launch Report is available for download free of charge.
In addition, GreenBlue is delighted to welcome The Kellogg Company to the How2Recycle Label program, and the public can expect to see the Label on a variety of familiar Kellogg’s and Kashi brand products this upcoming April.
“At Kellogg, we have a long-standing commitment to sustainability, and the How2Recycle Label on our products honors that legacy,” said Melissa Craig of The Kellogg Company. “We continually look for ways to educate consumers on the recyclability of our packaging materials. Consumers need clear, concise communication when it comes to recycling, so materials that can be reclaimed don’t accidentally end up in landfills. This label helps ensure all packaging components are recycled, as intended, to further reduce the environmental impact of our products and promote conservation.”
Of note is Kellogg’s use of the How2Recycle “Store Drop-off” version of the Label for certain plastic bags, wraps, and other films acceptable at many retail locations for recycling with plastic carry-out bags. The familiar cereal “bag in box” format will carry this label as it applies to the inside bag liner. The SPC has partnered with the Flexible Film Recycling Group of the American Chemistry Council to increase use of this label and awareness regarding film plastic recycling. The paperboard box remains recyclable to the majority of the public either at curbside or municipal drop-off locations.
Kellogg’s paperboard formats also carry the Recycled Paperboard Alliance’s (RPA) “100% recycled paperboard” symbol, making the important connection between the act of recycling and the critically important issue of buying products made from recycled materials. Paul Schutes, Executive Director of the RPA, commented, “The How2Recycle Label will lead to greater consumer understanding about the recyclability of fiber based packaging, leading to more fiber being collected, which is important to the 100% recycled paperboard industry.”
Full implementation of the label is now underway, and companies interested in participating are encouraged to contact GreenBlue soon, as it often takes considerable lead-time to integrate the Label into a company’s packaging process. The SPC’s goal is for the Label to appear on the majority of consumer product packaging by 2016.
“This long-term project of the SPC is poised to make a significant impact,” says GreenBlue Senior Manager Anne Bedarf, who with GreenBlue Project Associate Danielle Peacock has led the development of the How2Recycle Label. “With the revision of the FTC’s Green Guides, attention again has turned to accurate and transparent recyclability messaging, and the SPC’s How2Recycle Label is quickly becoming the industry standard. We designed the business model with a tiered structure to encourage participation by businesses of all sizes, and we look forward to working with a diverse group of forward-thinking companies and stakeholders as we enter the next phase.”
Companies interested in using the Label on their products can go to http://www.how2recycle.info/how2join/ and contact Ms. Bedarf at 434.817.1424 ext. 314 or anne.bedarf@greenblue.org.
We are excited to announce the addition of a new service to our Advisory Services offerings—a standardized packaging design assessment. Companies interested in designing more sustainable packaging can now take advantage of this service to receive an environmental life cycle profile of new packaging formats or an overall assessment of their current packaging portfolios in order to identify opportunities for improvement. GreenBlue will leverage its COMPASS® (Comparative Packaging Assessment) software tool to perform these assessments.
“While companies can purchase COMPASS licenses for use by their internal design teams, this new Advisory Services option offers a convenient alternative to companies that do not have large packaging portfolios or do not have internal life cycle assessment capabilities but want to take a holistic approach in their design decision making,” said Katherine O’Dea, GreenBlue’s Senior Director of Advisory Services and Innovation.
The new package design analysis service is being offered for primary or secondary packaging options. Using validated, generic industry life cycle data, the assessment will account for environmental impacts associated with the materials and processes used to bring packaging to market, while allowing decision makers to incorporate environmental parameters alongside economic factors. The confidential assessment will be based on a set of consumption, emissions, and packaging attribute metrics. The report generated, which will include a brief comparative sustainability assessment with dashboard graphics of up to four proposed designs, will provide an excellent tool to educate customers about a company’s sustainability efforts.
“The COMPASS assessment method and data have been thoroughly vetted by independent verification and member companies of GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition, and are supported by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. COMPASS helps incorporate life cycle thinking into the packaging decision process,” said Minal Mistry, GreenBlue’s Senior Manager for Sustainable Solutions and the tool’s primary architect.
GreenBlue Advisory Services helps business leaders embrace sustainability by applying a deep understanding of sustainability to each company’s particular needs to develop innovative yet practical sustainability solutions. Launched in 2010, Advisory Services complements GreenBlue’s sector approach to making product’s more sustainable. While that industry approaches allows GreenBlue to drive broad change, its Advisory Services engagements allows the organization to deepen its impact on industry by providing one-on-one sustainability guidance to companies. Under O’Dea’s leadership, Advisory Services clients to date have included major brands like Clorox, Coca-Cola, NASA, Nike, and SC Johnson.
Companies interested in learning more about this new packaging design assessment service should contact O’Dea at katherine.odea@greenblue.org or 434.817.1424 ext. 329. This service will be available starting February 25, 2013.
We are delighted to announced the appointment of Katherine O’Dea as Senior Director, Advisory Services and Innovation. O’Dea has been an integral part of GreenBlue for the past six years as a Senior Fellow and Director of Advisory Services. While O’Dea will continue to build GreenBlue’s Advisory Services program under this new role, she will also take a lead in mobilizing and coordinating the organization’s innovation efforts.
“I am very pleased to have Katherine in this new leadership role to develop opportunities for GreenBlue to shape the business of sustainability,” said Nina Goodrich, GreenBlue’s Executive Director. “Katherine is the perfect choice to explore new opportunities that will enable the organization to bring strategic sustainability thinking to new industry stakeholders.”
O’Dea brought nearly two decades of experience and leadership in corporate sustainability with her when she joined GreenBlue in 2007 as a Senior Fellow. In that capacity she contributed to various projects for the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, GreenBlue’s flagship project, including the Sustainable Packaging Indicators and Metrics Framework, which later served as the baseline for the Global Protocol for Packaging Sustainability. She also authored practical guidelines for the incorporation of recycled content into both plastic and fiber-based packaging formats.
More recently, O’Dea spearheaded the launch of GreenBlue’s Advisory Services program in 2010, which complements GreenBlue’s industry sector approach but allows it to deepen it’s impact by providing customized sustainability guidance to individual companies. Advisory Services helps business leaders embrace sustainability by applying a deep understanding of sustainability to each company’s particular needs to develop innovative yet practical sustainability solutions. Under O’Dea’s leadership, Advisory Services clients to date have included major brands like Avery Dennison, Coca-Cola, Cadbury, NASA, Nike, and SC Johnson.
In 2013, GreenBlue’s Advisory Services will be rolling out new “off-the-shelf” offerings, including an affordable package design analysis using GreenBlue’s life-cycle based COMPASS® tool. In addition, the program’s material assessment capabilities will be enhanced with the upcoming launch of GreenBlue’s Material IQ™ database, which will help companies better understand the tradeoffs and implications of their material choices.
“I have had the pleasure of working for and with a number of interesting environmental and sustainability organizations in my career, but my work with GreenBlue has been particularly rewarding,” said O’Dea. “It is an organization that is continuously pushing the envelope, and the current leadership team I am joining is highly motivated, energized, and creative. It is also an exciting time for GreenBlue as we are rolling out a new five-year strategy, launching some new tools and resources, and expanding our educational programs internationally.”
GreenBlue Veteran Joins in New Capacity to Help Lead Organization into Next Phase
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, February 13, 2013 – Sustainability nonprofit GreenBlue has announced the appointment of Katherine O’Dea as Senior Director, Advisory Services and Innovation. O’Dea has been an integral part of GreenBlue for the past six years as a Senior Fellow and Director of Advisory Services. While O’Dea will continue to build GreenBlue’s Advisory Services program under this new role, she will also take a lead in mobilizing and coordinating the organization’s innovation efforts.
“I am very pleased to have Katherine in this new leadership role to develop opportunities for GreenBlue to shape the business of sustainability,” said Nina Goodrich, GreenBlue’s Executive Director. “Katherine is the perfect choice to explore new opportunities that will enable the organization to bring strategic sustainability thinking to new industry stakeholders.”
O’Dea brought nearly two decades of experience and leadership in corporate sustainability with her when she joined GreenBlue in 2007 as a Senior Fellow. In that capacity she contributed to various projects for the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, GreenBlue’s flagship project, including the Sustainable Packaging Indicators and Metrics Framework, which later served as the baseline for the Global Protocol for Packaging Sustainability. She also authored practical guidelines for the incorporation of recycled content into both plastic and fiber-based packaging formats.
More recently, O’Dea spearheaded the launch of GreenBlue’s Advisory Services program in 2010, which complements GreenBlue’s industry sector approach but allows it to deepen it’s impact by providing customized sustainability guidance to individual companies. Advisory Services helps business leaders embrace sustainability by applying a deep understanding of sustainability to each company’s particular needs to develop innovative yet practical sustainability solutions. Under O’Dea’s leadership, Advisory Services clients to date have included major brands like Avery Dennison, Coca-Cola, Cadbury, NASA, Nike, and SC Johnson.
In 2013, GreenBlue’s Advisory Services will be rolling out new “off-the-shelf” offerings, including an affordable package design analysis using GreenBlue’s life-cycle based COMPASS® tool. In addition, the program’s material assessment capabilities will be enhanced with the upcoming launch of GreenBlue’s Material IQ™ database, which will help companies better understand the tradeoffs and implications of their material choices.
“I have had the pleasure of working for and with a number of interesting environmental and sustainability organizations in my career, but my work with GreenBlue has been particularly rewarding,” said O’Dea. “It is an organization that is continuously pushing the envelope, and the current leadership team I am joining is highly motivated, energized, and creative. It is also an exciting time for GreenBlue as we are rolling out a new five-year strategy, launching some new tools and resources, and expanding our educational programs internationally.”
About GreenBlue
GreenBlue® is a nonprofit that equips business with the science and resources to make products more sustainable. GreenBlue currently works in three program areas: chemicals, packaging, and forest products, as well as working one-on-one with companies through GreenBlue Advisory Services. The organization’s initiatives include the Sustainable Packaging Coalition®, CleanGredients®, Forest Products Working Group, Environmental Paper Assessment Tool® (EPAT), COMPASS®, and the Paper Life Cycle.
About Katherine O’Dea
Katherine O’Dea joined GreenBlue in July 2007 as a Senior Fellow with over 18 years of experience in sustainability in both the private and nonprofit sectors. Katherine was previously Executive Director of INFORM, Inc., an environmental research and education nonprofit, Chief Operating Officer for the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Vice President of Business and Environment Programs at Business for Social Responsibility, where she managed BSR’s Apparel Working Group and launched the Clean Cargo Working Group, as well as Founder and Principal Consultant of Ecologistics. Over her career, Katherine has worked on numerous sustainability projects for leading organizations such as The Coca Cola Company, Dell, Dow, DuPont, Ford Motor Company, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, Nike, and SC Johnson, among others. Katherine hold a BA degrees in Philosophy and English from Emmanuel College and has also completed graduate work in Philosophy and Organizational Psychology at Harvard University and earned a certificate from the Prince of Wales’s Business and Sustainability Programme at the University of Cambridge.
Contact
Ashley Holmes
GreenBlue Development and Communications Associate
434.817.1424 ext. 323
ashley.holmes@greenblue.org
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The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) today announced the final agenda for the ninth annual SPC Spring Meeting taking place on March 19-22, which will bring together over 300 packaging and sustainability professionals at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero Center Hotel in San Francisco, CA. Anthony Watanabe, President and CEO of Innovolve Group, will deliver the keynote address, which will focus on regeneration and how big business is bringing back biodiversity.
The SPC Spring Meeting is the group’s largest annual event and is recognized as the leading educational forum on sustainable packaging solutions.
“This year’s Spring Meeting continues to push the boundaries of the business of sustainability,” said Nina Goodrich, Executive Director of GreenBlue. “In addition to the formal agenda there will be significant opportunities for collaborative conversations on leading edge practices, ideas, and actions.”
Others headlining the agenda are highly respected sustainability, innovation, and technical leaders and icons including Chris Luebkeman, Director of Global Foresight and Innovation at Arup; Laura Thompson, Director of Technical Marketing and Sustainable Development, Sappi Fine Paper North America; April Crow, Global Director, Sustainable Packaging, The Coca Cola Company; Lauren Heine, Co-Director and GreenScreen Director, Clean Production Action; Dagmar Braun, Head of Strategic Business Area–Thin Print Papers, delfortgroup; and Ron Gonen, Deputy Commissioner for Recycling, New York City.
Session highlights include:
- Regeneration: the next frontier beyond sustainability
- Understanding sustainability in the process, product, and package context
- The marriage of design and life cycle thinking
- A collaborative approach to material health
- A case study in lean and clean production
- The economics of forest certification
- A day in the life of a recycling expert.
Luebkeman will lead an interactive workshop that will guide participants through a process designed to define the medium- to long-term drivers that will impact the evolution of more sustainable packaging. Also during the conference, the SPC with partner Éco Enterprises Québec and facilitator PAC Next and will announce the launch of a new interactive web-based set of guidelines for designing more sustainable packaging. James Ewell, Director of GreenBlue’s Sustainable Materials program, will also provide an introduction to the organization’s newest resource, Materials IQTM, which is a comprehensive business-to-business online registry that is designed to provide in-depth sustainability information about materials used in a variety of products and industrial sectors.
While the conference is open to the public, it will kick-off on Tuesday, March 19th with SPC members-only Industry Leadership Committee meetings. The meeting will offer optional tours in the San Francisco area, including a visit to the Davis Street Transfer Station, TCHO New American Chocolate Factory, or the Robert Mondavi Winery. An evening opening reception will follow on Wednesday, March 20th, and the meeting’s technical program sessions will take place Thursday, March 21st through 1:00PM PST on Friday, March 22nd.
For event details and to register, please visit http://www.sustainablepackaging.org/events/details.aspx?eventid=10080.
Knowing I work on sustainable packaging issues, a friend recently mentioned the phenomenon of people saving their Apple packaging. Like, saving it FOR YEARS. Initially I dismissed the idea, but when I thought about the people I know who have Macs, I realized it’s an actual habit not seen in PC-users. My in-laws, who otherwise religiously get rid of everything, still have their Mac box. Even here at the office, we recently found a Mac box, tucked away in a little-used corner, from an employee who has been gone for years!
Full disclaimer–I am a happy PC user, though I do own several other Apple products. But I can attest to the fact that I have not saved the packaging. I’m proud of my decluttering efforts, and years spent in a one-bedroom apartment always made my decision easy when considering whether to keep bulky boxes or not. So what is going on here?
Why would people save these particular boxes and not others? Is it that the packaging is beautiful and so people don’t want to throw it away? Perhaps it’s a way of proudly displaying aspects of personality or lifestyle in the way a person’s bookshelves or art do? A quick poll around the office produced the idea that Apple products have a resale value and so the original box could come in handy when it comes time to sell them. In fact, forget selling the computers–there is a whole section of eBay where you can buy empty Apple boxes. Amazing.
My personal opinion about Apple packaging is that it is really not any better, from a sustainability perspective, than any other electronics packaging. Though Apple does consider efficient packaging design, which its website says “not only reduces materials and waste, it also helps reduce the emissions produced during transportation,” I have noticed Apple packaging often contains a lot of components, many of which are not recyclable. The texture, the graphics, the experience–none of these give me enough reason to want to save that box. I just don’t understand this phenomenon! Can anyone out there enlighten me? And tell me, why have the other electronics companies not followed suit to enhance their own packaging’s desirability?
Categories
My Top Sustainability Wishes for 2013
Happy New Year, In-the-Loop readers! In lieu of a resolution, I would like to start 2013 by sharing some of my top sustainability wishes for 2013:
Designing for Success
I look forward to seeing continued successes in targeting sustainability during the design phase. GreenBlue continues to work to make this process clear and easy so companies can understand the implications of their design decisions and materials they work with. At GreenBlue, 2013 will see the development of existing and creation of new resources across packaging, sustainable materials, and forest products.
Global Collaboration
Success in global collaboration and international policy was largely absent in 2012. As reported in GreenBiz, failures at Rio+20 and the Doha Climate Change conference were themes in their greatest frustrations of 2012 interviews. It’s a lofty wish for national and international policy, but one that I hope for every year.
Tackling the Big Scary “E”
No doubt Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a hot button in the packaging and recovery communities. The issues are complex, the space is crowded, and the opinions vary. Not to mention the complexities added by existing and incongruent EPR programs, bottle bills, landfill bans, and other legislation. I hope that all parties can come together, outside of industry silos and have frank conversations that get to the heart of the problem: effective and efficient product and packaging recovery.
More Corporate Champions
Nothing is more exciting than contagious success.
