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.
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.
President & CEO Lance Hosey recently delivered a keynote address at the Sustainable Brands 2012 conference on his latest book, The Shape of Green, which was released this past June. In his keynote, Lance makes the case for why beauty is inherent to sustainability and outlines core principles for the aesthetics of sustainable design. You can check out the presentation in its entirety below:
The original version of this video is available on the Sustainable Brands website.
Making packaging more sustainable is not an easy task. The sustainability of any given package is the result of a complex series of interactions—between retailers and brand owners, converters and raw material suppliers, waste management companies and consumers—and more sustainable packaging can only be realized if sustainability considerations are deeply embedded across the entire supply chain. Packaging World
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Top Five Fun Facts: July
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 average vehicle is immobile roughly 95% of the time. This requires about 600 million parking spots worldwide, which is an issue addressed in Eran Ben-Joseph’s book Rethinking a Lot.
2. Some 98% of conventional apples have detectable levels of pesticides. This is some of the latest information observed in the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.
3. Hydroelectricity accounted for roughly 16% of global electricity generation in 2011. Hydropower has been steadily increasing over the last four decades and produced 3.5 trillion kWh of electricity last year. The average US home uses about 11,500 kWh of electricity annually.
4. Americans consume an estimated 20 billion hot dogs a year. Independence Day accounts for about 150 million of these.
5. In 2010, fireworks caused an estimated 15,500 reported fires, eight reported civilian deaths, and roughly $36 million in direct property damage. There are additional concerns associated with potential exposure to the chemicals and toxins used to create these awe inspiring explosions. Happy 4th of July!
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.” Packaging Digest
At May 2012 Sustainable Cosmetics Summit in New York, CEOs from various natural and organic cosmetic and personal care companies said one big issue with eco-friendly packaging is it’s not attractive. Apparently these CEOs are not the only ones who think green products need a face lift. GreenBlue’s CEO, Lance Hosey, also agrees that sustainable products (across the green gamut, not just packaging) needs some style. Inside Cosmeceuticals
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Designing Sustainability That Sells
Consumers are beginning to express their desire for more sustainable products. But by and large, those products are not making themselves easy to love. Lance Hosey, who keynoted at the recent Sustainable Brands conference, believes there’s still a fundamental disconnect between form and function in green product design. Simply put, products that are more sustainable tend to telegraph sensible, not sexy. Fast.Co Exist
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Make It A Game
I’ve been seeing an increasing amount of media attention on how gamification can help encourage sustainable behavior (for example, see recent articles in Grist, Sustainable Brands, and Mashable). This is not a new concept to me as I was first introduced to gamification when I was about eight years old. It was my mother’s attempt at getting me to make my bed by making it fun. Fast forward to present day – my bed remains disheveled, but the idea has stuck.
Back then, I failed at the drawing board. The game I created, alternating the visible side of my red and blue comforter based on the day of the week, wasn’t actually a game or fun by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe if my game would have been as entertaining as some of the games on www.thefuntheory.com (an initiative of Volkswagen), I would have made my bed this morning.
The underlying concept of The Fun Theory is that something simple and fun is the easiest way to change behavior for the better. Here is one of my favorite videos on the site, the Bottle Bank Arcade Machine that encourages recycling, and a link to game that is a personal favorite of mine, the ConnectFourBeerCrate.
Anybody have a good game for making beds? Or reducing our environmental impact?
We are excited to announce that GreenBlue’s 2011 Annual Report is now available! Since GreenBlue became one of the first sustainability organizations founded to work exclusively in collaboration with business nearly ten years ago, we’ve launched several groundbreaking programs, released numerous landmark research reports, and attracted many uniquely talented staff, Board members, partners and stakeholders. Last year brought several milestones and accomplishments for GreenBlue, and some 2011 highlights include:
- As part of our new Forest Products program, in October 2011 we launched the Forest Products Working Group to bring together leading companies that rely on paper, wood, and other forest products to share their knowledge and develop innovative solutions to support thriving forests and the forest products industry.
- In June 2011, we unveiled a new brand identity that includes a new mission statement, a new logo, and a redesigned website that was recognized in the AIGA (Re)design Awards 2011. We also introduced our new sustainability blog, In the Loop, which provides resources and perspectives from our work in forest products, packaging, chemicals, and other product types, as well as regular features to make sustainability issues accessible to a broader audience. These include documentary film reviews, features on how products are made, music mixes, and more.
- Building on the success of CleanGredients, we launched our newly expanded Chemicals program to develop additional tools and resources for industry to select safer chemicals and materials in product design and manufacturing.
- We announced the How2Recycle Label, a voluntary recycling label for packaging that is being piloted by leading brand owners in 2012, and concurrent www.how2recycle.info website.
- Our first education course on packaging (through our Essentials of Sustainable Packaging curriculum) expanded beyond North America with trainings in Latin America and additional sessions planned in Asia throughout 2012.
- We released an updated version of the Environmental Paper Assessment Tool, EPAT 2.0, to help paper buyers make better purchasing decisions.
- We released more reports than in any other year: Assessing the Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Biodegradation in Landfills, which explores the generation of greenhouse gases in landfills and the natural and engineered strategies used to mitigate their effects; Closing the Loop: Design for Recovery Guidelines for Aluminum, Steel, Glass, and Paper Packaging, a suite of reports that provide technical guidance on designing packaging to be compatible with common recovery methods; Another Closing the Loop report, entitled Labeling for Package Recovery, which examines what an effective labeling system should include.
You can download the full report to read more.
