Tag: SPC Advance

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GreenBlue Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Debate on Bag Bans is Centerpiece for Hot Button Topics Addressed at SPC Advance

Sustainable Packaging Coalition annual conference encourages dialogue and collaboration among leading brands, government agencies, and NGOs

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Brad Rodgers from PepsiCo poses with leading opponent and proponent of bag bans, Marcus Erisken from 5 Gyres (center) and Phil Rozenski from NOVOLEX (right) Photo by Holly Elmore, of Elemental Impact

 
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s members-only conference, SPC Advance, provided a forum for industry to engage in dialogue and education on a number of important issues affecting packaging sustainability, punctuated by a lively debate on legislation banning plastic shopping bags.
Nearly 200 attendees from every major stakeholder group convened in Charlotte, NC to address topics including Federal Trade Commission compliance, Extended Producer Responsibility, and the recent wave of local and regional regulatory requirements for foodservice packaging.
The debate on bag bans provided the highlight of the conference, with Marcus Eriksen from 5 Gyres providing a compelling set of arguments to support the environmental rationale for banning plastic shopping bags and Phil Rozenski from NOVOLEX delivering a counterpoint with an equally convincing presentation to persuade the audience that plastic bags have their place in a sustainable materials economy. After both presenters delivered their arguments, a robust Q&A and discussion revealed that common ground exists between environmental activists and the packaging industry: the SPC’s How2Recycle labeling system, which both parties agree facilitates and encourages consumer recycling behaviors. The conference provided a forum for many contentious issues facing the packaging industry, but the collaborative atmosphere fostered more discovery of common ground than widening of divides.
The program at SPC Advance was not restricted to controversial issues, however, and attendees were offered numerous opportunities to engage in collective work to move the needle on today’s opportunities in sustainable packaging including recovery of hard-to-recycle plastics, the role of packaging in the recently popularized concept of the Circular Economy, and the sustainability considerations for pharmaceutical packaging. Attendees heard from several leading business thinkers, highlighted by an energizing keynote presentation from Domtar CEO John Williams, who reminded the audience that “You should tell your own sustainability story in your own authentic way to the audiences that you care most about.”
Networking and education remained a mainstay at SPC Advance 2016, and attendees found ample opportunities to make new connections and reflect on the content of the program at activities including a catered rooftop pool reception, a pub crawl through downtown Charlotte, and tours of material recovery facilities and fiber-producing woodlands. By the end of the conference, SPC Advance attendees were left with new connections, new ideas, and a deep appreciation for the confluence of environmental activism, voluntary industry initiatives, governmental regulation, and the future of sustainable packaging.
 
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SPC Advance: Charlotte Compost tour

Composting at Earth Farms Organics is growing as more local businesses and institutions recycle their food waste. Mr. Lanier expects to see an organics ban in North Carolina within 10 years.

On Day 3 of SPC Advance, Anne Bedarf and Ryan Cooper lead a tour of Earth Farms Organics Composting Operation.

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Circular Economy Technology and Innovation at SPC Advance

Representatives from Kimberly-Clark, MHG, Recycling Partnership, Braskem, and Printpack gathered on stage the last day of SPC Advance to discuss advancement of the circular economy through technologies and innovations. Braskem presented in conjunction with Printpack about their collaborations on bioplastic. Mikel Knight and Joe Jankowski presented the environmental benefits of bioplastics, including the lower carbon footprint than typical plastics and the recyclability. Ben Jarrett discussed Kimberly Clark’s use of wheat-straw (a wheat by-product) and bamboo as a feedstock for some of their paper products such as a line of toilet paper. Jarrett encouraged attendees to explore the LCAs comparing the associated impacts of the different feed stocks. For example the use of virgin and recycled fibers versus the use of bamboo fiber, or wheat-straw fiber
The last speaker on the panel was Keefe Harrison, Executive Director of the Recycling Partnership. Recycling might not a new technology or innovation, however, recycled material as a feedstock is a key element in advancing the circular economy. As Keefe Harrison stated:

“recycling is about developing feed stocks.”

Keefe places committed communities at the top of a list for “6 aspects of a healthy recycling system approach.”
“Local governments are the means by which recycled materials is captured within American communities,” said Harrison. “Local governments provide access to recycling to their residents. Whether that access is a drop-off location or curbside pick-up. When a government is capturing recyclables then they have a consistent feedstock supply.”
The important role of local governments was echoed throughout the conference. As expressed by several SPC Advance speakers, the variance in recyclable materials across regions, states and counties plays a major recycling challenge. Neighboring counties could accept different materials depending on where they are sending the material. Amy Duquette with HAVI Global Solutions spoke on how in her current position she will sometimes call up governments to discuss whether or not certain materials are accepted in their recycling systems. As a company that produces consumer packaging there is a sense of responsibility to create packaging that is recoverable. However, the recoverability can drastically change depending on the infrastructure, regulations, and access in an area. Cities such as Seattle are leading the way in recycling and composting efforts. Other municipalities can join by providing adequate access to recycling for their residents. The Recycling Partnership works to help municipalities scale up recycling efforts in communities.
Increased recycling rates as well as the use of alternative materials will help lead the U.S. toward a circular economy.

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Pharmaceutical and Biopolymers ILCs launch at SPC Advance

As one of the first working sessions to kick-off SPC Advance, the combined pharmaceutical and biopolymers brainstorming sessions generated a number of innovative ideas and set-up the process for members to engage in the two projects moving forward. There was interesting overlap in these two initiatives as both the pharmaceutical and biopolymer industries are utilizing cutting-edge technologies and present significant opportunities for innovation. We are very excited to now have both of these new ILCs off the ground and running!
Members shared a number of innovative ideas during pharmaceutical packaging brainstorming session with everyone agreeing that there are real sustainability gains to be made in both material sourcing and recovery areas of the value chain. Cold chain packaging was described by members as an example  where there is a need for solid thinking and supply chain collaboration around how to recover and/or reuse materials. The group also  discussed the need for dialogue across the supply chain, new initiatives drugstore companies are exploring, medical/hospital waste needs, and over-the-counter bottle and label recovery. It was an excellent brainstorming session that helped define the focus area (or areas) of the ILC as we move forward.
In the fascinating and emerging world of biopolymers, attendees  heard a number of valuable insights from members, most of all concerning the need for better education in the marketplace. For example, the prevailing (and incorrect) thinking that feedstocks for biopolymers necessarily disrupt what would otherwise be a food supply. Not the case. Biopolymer feedstocks are often residual material that normally gets sent to the landfill. But more than anything else, the discussion was very much focused on the potential that biopolymers present and the exciting opportunity that the SPC member companies have in exploring ways to bring these materials to the mainstream and leverage environmental benefits.
Thank you to Rob Fitzgerald, Director of Sustainable Packaging, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.; and Owen Schultz, Vice President of Business Development, Earth Renewable for volunteering as co-chairs of the Biopolymers Working Group. Also thank you to Jason Sawicki, Senior Manager Operational Excellence and Packaging, Genentech; and Guy Gagnon of Ecolopharm for volunteering as co-chairs of the the Pharma Packaging Working Group.
Companies signed up to the Pharmaceutical Packaging and Biopolymers Working Group should look for invitations to the first conference calls to be held for each group in early November.
Through strong member support, an informed and science-based approach, supply chain collaborations and continuous outreach, the goal of the Pharmaceutical Packaging and Biopolymers Working Group is to understand the benefits, identify roadblocks and challenges, and develop solutions to bring innovations to market in a meaningful way.
 

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Sustainable Packaging Coalition

FTC Compliance & Substantiating Data

Tues, Oct 6 – 2015

In the United States, if you’re a professional dealing with any form of environmental marketing claims, the government’s take on what you say is important, and at times, confusing. Businesses must be cautious to ensure that the environmental claims about their products are truthful and non-deceptive under the FTC’s Green Guides. Fortunately, for members of Sustainable Packaging Coalition, there is a space to explore the complexity of these issues.

When a person in business wants to communicate environmental benefits of a product to consumers on a package, there is the question of, “What would the government think about this? Is this logo or phrase legally sound?”
To much extent, this is a very valid question.
xLaura-Koss-headshot-283x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic.c7t3dmhvvOAttendees of Tuesday’s  session about environmental marketing legal compliance and substantiating data were able to ask a variety of questions to Laura Koss, Assistant Director of the  Federal Trade Commission. Those questions included: “What kind of guidance might the FTC be able to provide regarding packaging labeling with multiple components? Should [recycling & other environmental] claims be on the outermost packaging only, or is it okay to have it on each component?”… “How does the FTC know how consumers think?”… “What advice might the FTC have for companies who are eager to comply with the FTC’s Green Guides, but who might be frustrated by competitor companies who may seem to disregard the Green Guides guidance?”…  “Is the FTC willing to work with companies to expand and build consumer perception data?” … and more.
Ms. Koss  was able to provide unique insight into  her interpretation of FTC’s Green Guides, in response to these timely questions. Overall, the governmental perspective seems to be: be as specific as possible. Make environmental claims clear and prominent. Don’t make qualifications about those claims only in asterisks and in tiny print. Be honest about what your product represents and does not represent. And remember that in the FTC’s eyes, it’s all about what a “reasonable consumer” might think about an on-package claim.
As most legal answers tend to be, the response to many of these questions usually begins with, “it depends.” But today’s session thankfully provided some contour to the Green Guides that one can’t simply find on a Google search alone. Find more information on FTC guidance about environmental marketing claims  here.

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Sustainable Packaging Coalition

A Student's Perspective on SPC Advance

Carol Pan is pursuing a master’s degree in packaging science at Rochester Institute of Technology, and attended SPC Advance as a student volunteer. Her impression of the event:
SPC Advance provided a wonderful opportunity to meet and learn from professionals engaged in sustainability from different sectors. The theme of educating consumers came up in many of the sessions, especially those focusing on the implementation of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s How2Recycle on-package recycling label, the launch of the American Chemistry Council’s W.R.A.P. (Wrap Recycling Action Program), Target’s “Made to Matter” curation of 16 sustainable brands, and the FTC’s clarification of their “Green Guides” for on-package labeling. In addition to the presentations, I especially enjoyed the hands-on tour of the 3M Innovation Center where we were able to interact with a few of its core technologies that are versatile in many everyday applications. SPC Advance added to my packaging knowledge with real life examples and current trends, and also broadened my professional network — all of which are invaluable for a future packaging professional.

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Sustainability Tools Sustainable Packaging Coalition

How Talkers and Walkers Use Data

One phrase that especially stuck with me at SPC Advance came from Domtar’s vice president of sustainability, David Struhs, explaining that sustainability data is better suited as a windshield rather than a rear-view mirror. I think it is a helpful reminder that while measurement tools and scorecards are important, we have come a long way in making them better, what is more important today is how we use the data to set real goals and take meaningful action.
Mr. Struhs is featured in a recent MIT Sloan Management School report Sustainability’s Next Frontier: Walking the Talk on Sustainability Issues that Matter Most that emphasizes this point. The report provides clear data on how sustainability strategy provides measurable business value. But  maybe more importantly, the report also makes clear that while businesses agree with and understand the data behind sustainability’s business value, they are, for the most part, not taking action to mine this business value. The MIT Sloan report, which includes a survey of more than 5,300 executive and manager respondents from 118 countries, explains:
“There is little disagreement that sustainability is necessary to be competitive — 86% of respondents say it is or will be. Sustainability’s next frontier is tackling the significant sustainability issues — or, in the parlance that is gaining currency, “material sustainability issues” — that lie at the heart of competitive advantage and long-term viability. Yet many companies struggle to match their strong level of sustainability concern with equally strong actions. They still wrestle with settling on which actions to pursue and aligning around them.”
There is all kinds of data out there for better decision making. Scorecards for every question. The challenge is how do we use this information? There is little doubt that leadership companies from the banking and forest products industries to IT and healthcare are connecting sustainability with profits. One aspect that sets them apart, however, is that these leadership companies leverage data not just to see where they have been, but also, where they want to go–what MIT Sloan describes as moving from  a “talker” to a “walker.”
For more info you can read MIT Sloan’s report including “Portrait of a Walker: Domtar” at http://sloanreview.mit.edu/projects/sustainabilitys-next-frontier/.  

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Collaboration as a Tool for Advancement

During the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s recent event, SPC Advance, I couldn’t help but notice the underlying theme of collaboration among attendees and their respective organizations.
Discussions and sessions made it clear that collaboration is necessary and frequent among organizations practicing sustainability regardless of their role in the supply chain. The Value of Forest Certification working group elaborated on the need for big-name brand owners to have an affiliation with forest-friendly NGOs in order to push their business forward. Partnerships with forest certification systems assist brands in building the trust of their consumers and the rest of the supply chain, especially at times when the environmental ethics of large corporate practices are put into question.
The same interaction is evident in the plastics industry, as identified by the sessions on the current and future state of flexible packaging recovery. Shari Jackson of the American Chemistry Council called on retailers to join WRAP, a campaign aimed at educating consumers and facilitating plastic film recycling. Wegmans Food Markets was identified as an exemplary campaign partner, as new signage and marketing materials has successfully engaged their customers in film recycling, resulting in a 20% increase between Earth Day 2013 and Earth Day 2014. During Jackson’s presentation attendees participated in the conversation and encouraged the WRAP campaign to engage more logistical partners to help with commercial film backhaul, as the opportunities in film recycling expand beyond brand owners and retailers.
In such a competitive business, it’s impressive and inspiring to see major corporations engage one another to derive best practices. From the mingling in the hotel lobby to the late night chats following the pub crawl to the inspirational case studies detailed in the sessions, there is no question that SPC Advance attendees recognize the value of collaboration in advancing sustainability.

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Member Spotlight Sustainable Packaging Coalition

A Tour of Aveda: Vision and Mission in Practice

One of my favorite parts of SPC Advance was our tour of Aveda’s headquarters, which includes production facilities for almost all of their products.
Aveda is known for their plant based beauty products and vision to connect beauty, environment, and well-being. They have extensive social and environmental goals for products, packaging, production, and distribution. Aveda’s organizational beliefs include themes of leading by example, empowering employees, wellness, social responsibility, and treating the people and planet with respect. In my opinion, the headquarters’ operations reflected these values.
After a brief introduction, attendees broke into groups to tour the facility. We observed receiving, production, filling, packaging, research and development offices, a gym, and onsite daycare. After the tour, attendees participated in a Q&A session with an Aveda packaging professional and visited the on-site store.
Our tour reflected many of Aveda’s values, creating a consistent message from corporate goals through production and product. I observed:

  • A place for employees to suggest improvements for themselves or co workers;
  • Employee suggested safety improvements & their outcomes;
  • Color coded reporting of “almost incidents” and incidents of all types;
  • A recently hired professional devoted to ergonomics & worker health and safety;
  • Recycling bins; and
  • A very knowledgeable staff.

Why does this matter? Aveda’s values are evident in their focus on worker health and safety, empowerment, and sustainability. Integrating values from words to actions delivers on organizational goals and strengthens their brand. They are an example of focusing on many aspects of sustainability, which is at the heart of the SPC’s Definition of Sustainable Packaging.
Aveda shows that sustainability can work, it can work for you, and it can work for your employees. Ultimately, consumers are given a brand they can trust.

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Advancing the Conversation on Forest Certification

Members across the forest products supply chain met in Charlotte, NC on June 12 for GreenBlue’s first-ever Forest Certification Innovation Summit. The workshop brought together representatives from across the forest products industry including forest owners, loggers, paper manufacturers, printers, brokers, retailers, publishers, professors and more to discuss the value of forest certification and strategies to help drive this value.
Having members from across the entire supply chain in one room provided a unique opportunity to hear diverse perspectives and ideas as participants discussed the challenges of growing forest certification. For example: recognizing the need to better understand value drivers for small landowners in the United States; understanding which customers in the value chain are best positioned to drive adoption; and how to leverage constructive dialogue across the supply chain to grow forest certification.
A day of lively discussion produced interesting takeaways. One of the most valuable takeaways came from small landowners who expressed the need to include or reinforce value drivers outside of those typically associated with forest certification. For example, innovative ways to demonstrate and verify responsible forest management that are more aligned with how their land is being managed, as well as mitigating sourcing risk and concerns about illegal sourcing. At the other end of the supply chain, brand owners communicated the value of forest certification in helping to establish trust with consumers. In this regard, there could be strategies for brands to help make the connection between forest certification and consumer values. By introducing strategies that better align with the most important drivers of forest certification for each link in the value chain, we can begin to achieve the shared goal of responsible forest management.
Since the summit, staff and committee members have been working to utilize the day’s output  to develop strategies to deliver the value that supply chain members have indicated would best drive growth. GreenBlue will publish these results and ongoing efforts in an online resource outlining the project process and results up to this point, as well as the strategies to develop and deliver better value moving forward.
We will also continue to conduct outreach with stakeholders across the forest certification supply chain including a workshop at SPC Advance, Thursday, September 11. SPC Advance will give us our first opportunity to share the Summit results with a larger audience, and will help identify participants for the next step in the process – engaging the most important customers. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to me via email at tom.pollock@greenblue.org.