Am I Re-Trainable for Sustainable?

BY DENNIS SALAZAR

Okay, I admit it. I am confused and perhaps even a tad nervous. After more than thirty years as a packaging professional, focused on flexible--dare I say—plastic packaging, this new movement people are calling “sustainable” packaging has me seriously concerned.

During the ‘70’s, I recall being a young sales rep in the plastic packaging industry and feverishly updating my resume when I was told the world of packaging as we knew it would soon come crashing to an apocalyptic end. “The Great PVC Scare” was upon us and the only real choice and decision I had to make was whether to look for a new job, or check in at a clinic to determine how much damage had been done to my body and mind during my years as a purveyor of that PVC packaging poison. I sincerely feared my career and perhaps even my life were going to be cut short, before I was even able to reach my flexible packaging sales, prime!

The scare came to an abrupt end when it was determined that shrink packaging in PVC films, while unpleasant to the nose and eyes, did not cause cancer and represented no serious threat to the people using it, and thank God, the people selling it. The film manufacturer’s developed new, smoke free, seal systems and the PVC scare passed much the same way my entire collection of leisure suits did, a momentary fad that was now unfashionable and even a bit silly.

The ‘80’s and ‘90’s were my own personal age of enlightenment and profit. Thanks to a new perspective and focus on the environment, tree huggers became legends and anyone like me, trained on how to replace corrugated and chipboard with plastic films, achieved almost super hero status. There was Superman, Batman and me--Plastic Man! Sure, Superman could fly, Batman had all of those terrific weapons and crime fighting tools but only Plastic Man was able to save acres of forest with the sale of one shrink wrapping system to any customer using corrugated RSC style cases.

My customers who saved space and money loved me. The retailers who minimized the volume of corrugated waste in their stock rooms adored me. The solutions and material cost reductions I offered were in high demand and the opportunities and profits soared well into the new, twenty-first century. To think I almost stayed in life insurance sales! My business continued to grow and my relatives were no longer screening my phone calls. Life was beautiful.

Then sometime last year, a black cloud first appeared, looming overhead and my future in packaging was once again at risk. Packaging, environmental and retail “experts” started using a new term called sustainable packaging. I am certain the paranoid people at the Fox network will conclude that there are way too many people and organizations involved in promoting it for it to not be a liberal, left wing conspiracy of some type.

I realized I better find out more about this new threat to my livelihood and learned sustainable packaging was defined as “Packaging that does not deplete natural resources or pollute the environment”. Interesting and of course who can argue with a concept like that? It’s like asking who is in favor of babies, puppies and NASCAR. Okay, the last one was a stretch. 

The problem is that the more research I did, the more I realized that everyone I read and heard was saying something different. The glass people think it is great news for them. The paper, corrugated and chipboard people think it’s a second coming for them as well.  Even my cohorts in the plastics industry think it all leads to source reduction, which results in less packaging in the waste stream. That has to be good for them too. If it is good for everyone, and good for the environment, then who is it bad for?

I guess the only person it is bad for is someone like me who is trying to understand it. I continued reading and found out about the Seven R’s:
1.    Renew(able) – use materials of renewable resources
2.    Reuse – use materials over and over when economically feasible
3.    Recycle (able) – use materials with the highest recycle content
4.    Remove – eliminate unnecessary or redundant packaging
5.    Reduce – minimize packaging materials and optimize material strength
6.    Revenue – achieve above principles at equal or lower cost
7.    Read – educate ourselves and our customers

I really hate to date myself but when I was in school, people only spoke of there being three R’s and they were reading, writing and arithmetic. (Obviously, spelling was not all that important back then.) It is however apparent someone changed two out of three and then snuck in four more R’s when I wasn’t paying attention!

What about us as consumers, who always are more concerned with quality, flavor and value than we are about the environmental impact of packaging? Packaging is good when it keeps our products fresher, or extends shelf life. We expect it to prevent tampering or pilferage. We have even come to accept it when packaging helps to sell us a product that are not as good as the material or design that was used to make it jump off the shelf and catch our eye. This is all much too confusing.

I think I have once again talked myself in, off of the ledge by realizing that we all want to do what is right for the environment and every one of our customers and clients have a different objective in mind when they call on us for help. If corrugated reduction or elimination is the goal, we know plastics as well as anyone and have the films to accomplish it. If the objective is to minimize plastic, we certainly have the film technology to reduce gauge or convert to a more environmentally friendly formulation.

Although paper and plastic fall in and out of fashion, what never changes is our customers’ need to reduce cost and improve productivity.  If we stay focused on the customer, and if we continue to be true to the application, then everything else has a way of working out. After some thought I realize I have been promoting sustainable packaging for over thirty years, I just never called it that. I wonder how that would fit on my business card? Thank goodness it appears no re-training is going to be necessary. 

Dennis Salazar is the president of Salazar Packaging, Inc., a certified MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) company specializing in packaging products, equipment and solutions. With over thirty years in the packaging industry, he is known for his tongue in cheek sense of humor as well as his sustainable packaging passion and expertise.   

To contact Dennis, please visit his web site: www.salazarpackaging.com

To read more articles by Dennis Salazar click here

Wal-Mart to Only Sell Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent by 2008

Wal-Mart, in a major announcement said by May 2008 it would only sell concentrated liquid laundry detergent in its US Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores.  The announcement from Lee Scott, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores will also cover Wal-Mart Canada.

"People expect businesses to step up and work together to help solve the big challenges facing the world," said Scott. "What we have done is work with suppliers to take water—one of our most precious natural resources—out of the liquid laundry detergent on our shelves. We simply don't want our customers to have to choose between a product they can afford and an environmentally friendly product."

The announcement will have major implications for the packaging industry.  As Sustainable is Good reported earlier this month, the laundry detergent industry has seen massive change in the last two years in the area of packaging and reformulation of product.  Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, Dial and many others have all come out with concentrated versions of their most popular detergents.

The concentrated detergent trend in the mainstream consumer market was really started in this country by San Francisco-based Method several years ago. 

In the announcement Wal-Mart said it expects to sell only concentrated detergent in all of its U.S. stores by early May 2008.  The company said the transition will occur in waves beginning in the Southern region next month, extending to the North and Midwest by February and finishing in the East coast states in April 2008.

Wal-Mart's move will have ripple effects down through the industry and other stores who also carry the brands Wal-Mart carries.  We should expect concentrated laundry detergents to be the norm in the U.S. by the time line Wal-Mart has introduced.

Given the packaging and formulation considerations we would expect many brands to shift to concentrated versions exclusively.

See our earlier story on the growing trend of concentrated laundry detergents in the US market - the piece provides an excellent historical overview.

Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface Daily Sanitizing Spray

When Oakland-based Clorox came out with their new Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface daily sanitizing spray I was impressed.  This product was a big step for the staple cleaning brand.  Known as a more conservative traditional type brand this new spray represented a change for the company.

Clorox along with other brands is facing increased competition from among others Method, based just a few miles across the bay in San Francisco.  Method is offering consumers what it considers more environmentally sound products and then placing strong emphasis on packaging design.

I think the new Clorox Anywhere is a responsible product and a perfect example not only of how a company like Clorox can react to a company like Method, but also an example of how a company can look within a highly successful brand like Clorox bleach and reformulate, producing a product that doesn't alienate its loyal customers but is also much more responsible and practical environmentally.

I've seen others in the green community have criticized Clorox Anywhere as "just bleach and water" and overpriced etc.  I disagree.  While yes the product is made of water and a tiny amount of bleach - what Clorox has done is provided the consumer with the smallest amount possible of bleach necessary for the product to be effective at its mission - disinfecting.  I would much rather have a consumer use a product like this than something which is way overkill for the job.  And most mainstream products on the market today are just that.

The product contains .0095% Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach) and water.  The company has taken the guess work out of making an effective disinfectant. 

Packaging Design

The product's packaging is quite impressive.  The design of the packaging was done by Buenos Aires-based Tridimage and was custom produced by ALPLA in Georgia for Clorox.  The bottle is a custom made HDPE #2 bottle.

The design had two main goals according to Clorox's Vicki Friedman, "comfort of use and aesthetics."  "First, the design is an ergonomically designed bottle, created to be comfortable for the consumer to use, even with frequent application," said Friedman.

The second area the design team addressed, aesthetics, focused on what Friedman said was a common concern they hear from consumers.  "Cleaning product packaging is generally not attractive enough to want to leave out."  Sound familiar?  It should this is one of the key concepts behind Method's packaging design - their idea was to make cleaning products packaging more pleasing for consumers.  Its very interesting to hear this was a key concern for Clorox and one their placed enough importance on to contact them.

Friedman said, "Because Clorox Anywhere spray is a great solution for daily sanitizing, and is gentle enough to use around kids, food and pets, they wanted a package that was attractive enough to leave out on the counter.  As a result, the package was also given an elegant look." 

I agree, the packaging on this product is close to revolutionary for a company like Clorox.  It stands out on the shelf, its elegant and works well with the product.   Friedman said graphic design on the packaging was done in-house using the Clorox Creative Services department.

I think Clorox hit a home run on this product from all aspects: environmental, packaging, design, and effectiveness.    It will be interesting to see if they continue to develop custom packaging and work on offering consumers reformulated versions of some of their other products.

LG Electronics Recognized for Packaging Waste Reduction

Korean electronics maker LG was recently rewarded for excellence in its packaging waste management at Packaging Magazine's Packaging Evolution Awards.

LG was recognized for taking responsibility beyond disposing of packaging effectively.  LG demonstrated its commitment to conserving resources and facilitating the re-use and recycling of used packaging materials.

Some of the areas LG was specifically recognized for were; design - developing cardboard pallets to replace traditional wood pallets. 

Recycling the company initiated a 2010 recycling plan which includes utilizing packaging designs and materials with disposal and recycling characteristics.  Reusing cardboard and recycled packaging materials within LG's spare parts division; forging relationships with organizations who accept packaging waste for re-use and recycling. 

According to published reports LG has also invested in a new packaging process through Eco-design, reducing waste by up to 10% this year.  Eco-design continuously improves the recycling system in LG electronics by up to 60%.

The company has also made a commitment to education, encouraging staff to support recycling programs displaying the recycling logo on products and manuals to promote recycling to consumers, communicating LGs commitment to reducing waste to retail clients through the trade function.

LG stated that the company hopes to influence others to review their packaging in terms of saving resources, using recycled materials and minimalizing landfill.

Innocent Debuts "world's first 100% recycled plastic bottle"

Innocent Drinks becomes the second UK beverage maker in the last week with a major packaging announcement. 

"We’ve become the first company in the world to put our drinks into 100% recycled plastic bottles," the company said.  Innocent is using rPET in its new bottles which are currently available to consumers.  Four of the company's drinks are available now in the rPET bottles, the rest of their product line will be available in rPET by January.

Innocent's announcement follows a similar one last week from rival Ribena. 

“We’ve always been a business that has taken our environmental impact seriously, and this move to 100% recycled content in our bottles is extremely exciting. Not only is it a world first, but it means that next year innocent will be saving over one thousand tonnes of C02 which is great news for the planet," the company said.

Ujeans Custom Fit Socially Responsible Jeans

01/23/08 EDITORS NOTE:

Update our test pair of Ujeans jeans arrived after over four months.  We will be posting a follow up to our original posting after we've had a chance to check out the jeans.

12/19/07:

Readers should be aware that as of 12/19 we have not received our test pair of jeans from Ujeans to finish this review we began on 9/15/07.  We were under the impression the jeans would be back within 6-8 weeks after we sent them in on 9/15/07.  The company founder Daniel Feuer emailed me two weeks ago (after repeated attempts at contact by me) indicating he was having production and customs problems and that those issues should be resolved and we along with other paying customers should be getting our jeans in the very near future.  Since publishing this story we have been contacted by several customers of Ujeans - who are experiencing similar problems and not getting responses from the company.  PLEASE NOTE:  We are in no way affiliated with this company and are simply conducting a product review as we do with numerous other products.  If and when the jeans do arrive to our product tester - we will finish our review as we had intended on doing three months ago. 

Canadian jeans company UJeans offers consumers a custom fitted pair of jeans.  "Our jeans are designed by our customers and are made-to-measure so they are guaranteed to fit.  The jeans are also environmentally and socially responsible," said Daniel Feuer UJeans President. 

Sustainable is Good is going through the process of getting a pair of UJeans.  Buying Ujeans is quite different from going to a retail store like most are accustomed to doing.

Ujeans sells direct to consumers through the internet.  Interested consumers register on the site and Ujeans sends a detailed instruction guide via email.  The consumer needs to have a tailors tape at home in order to complete the measurements.   

You can send a pair of UJeans to someone as a gift as well.  If you choose this option the receiver gets a measuring kit and CD along with a gift certificate card from UJeans.

The kit arrives in a mailer made from reclaimed denim and can be reused by the consumer.  Inside is a metal CD sized box containing a measuring tape and instructions on CD.  "The denim bag has been used for a make-up bag, pencil case and even a sleeping bag for a stuffed animal," said Feuer UJeans.

Following the instructions a consumer takes detailed measurements of their body.  You'll need the help of the another person to take the measurements.  We went through the process last week.  The measurements are specific and the instructions tell you exactly how to take them accurately.

After the consumer has the measurements they would visit the UJeans web site and enter the measurements online along with a whole host of choices regarding color and style.  The jeans are then custom made and sent directly to the consumer in about 4-6 weeks.

Sustainable is Good sent in measurements for one of our testers last week and will report on the jeans when they arrive.

Ujeans have a number of socially responsible eco-friendly elements to them.  The cotton used to make the jeans is sourced from the Pakistan Sustainable Cotton Initiative which focuses on conserving water resources.  The cotton is not organic.  The company uses natural minerals and enzymes in their dying process and does not use chemicals like chlorine bleach, formaldehyde or azo. 

The packaging Ujeans uses is made from reclaimed denim from their production process.  They have found the denim mailer to be not only unique but durable and able to withstand the shipping process.

When our test pair of jeans arrives we will provide an update on the product and process.

Scotts and TerraCycle Settle Lawsuit

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and TerraCycle have reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by Scotts.

Scott's spokeswoman Su Lok contacted Sustainable is Good with the news of the settlement late Friday.  Interestingly there has been no communication on the settlement from TerraCycle who has been quite vocal and very actively engaged with the media throughout the suit.

According to Lok, "TerraCycle has agreed that it no longer will make advertising claims of product superiority to Miracle-Gro products to ensure accuracy in its advertising. More specifically, TerraCycle has agreed that it will not claim that its products are better than, or more effective than, or as good as Miracle-Gro products. In addition, TerraCycle may not claim that any independent tests or university studies were conducted to support any such claims."

"TerraCycle has also agreed to change its packaging so it will not use a green and yellow color combination, for which Miracle-Gro owns a trademark registration. This change will be made to avoid any possible confusion with Miracle-Gro’s trade dress," Said Lok.

Interestingly Lok also said, "The court order and the settlement agreement will be posted on TerraCycle’s www.suedbyscotts.com Web page. TerraCycle also agreed to phase out this site after three months."

See our earlier coverage of the Scotts/TerraCycle lawsuit

UK Soft Drink Ribena to use 100% Recycled Plastic Bottles

Ribena (made by GlaxoSmithKline), the popular soft drink juice brand the in the UK will become the first major brand in the UK or the US to use 100% recycled PET (rPET) bottles in its packaging.

The popular drink currently uses PET bottles with a minimum of 40% rPET content.  The brand will shift to 100% rPET content over the next six months.

Ribena drinks account for 58% of the UK's juice market and the brand produces more than 60 million bottles a year.

The use of significant amounts of rPET in the packaging of a major US drink brand has not occurred as of yet. 

Earlier in the month Coca-Cola announced an ambitious plan to recycle and produce rPET from its bottles.  The company will build a facility in South Carolina with United Resource Recovery Corporation to process the plastic.  As part of the plan, Coca-Cola set a goal to significantly raise the amount of PET it recycles.   

Plans from Coca-Cola to use the rPET they will produce in their own packaging have not been announced. 

Celestial Seasonings Changes Packaging Over Stevia Content

Celestial Seasonings has agreed to change the packaging of its Zingers to Go flavored iced tea mix to indicate it is an herbal supplement rather than a food.

The packaging change is as a result of an ongoing issue between the company and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which will not allow the use of the sweetener Stevia as a food additive.  The FDA specifically targeted Celestial Seasonings Tangerine Orange Wave Herbal Tea, but other flavors in the line contain Stevia.

The US government only allows Stevia to be used as an herbal supplement. 

According to published reports, Celestial Seasonings will change its packaging to "more prominently" reflect the point the product is an herbal supplement. 

The company has always maintained its Zingers to Go were an herbal supplement but the FDA wanted the packaging changed to reflect this point more clearly.

Stevia is a natural sweetener that is much sweeter than sugar.  Its status in the US has been a point of controversy for over a decade.

Earlier this year Sustainable is Good reported on the announcement that Coca-Cola and agricultural giant Cargill were secretly working on a new natural sweetener made from Stevia.  The two companies had worked behind closed doors for over five years on the project and hope to introduce the new sweetener in beverages and foods in the near future

Amcor Compostable Produce Packaging Debuts in UK

UK grocer Sainsbury’s and its potato packer Greenvale are the first to commercially launch Amcor NaturePlus’ heat-seal Materbi VFFS film within the fresh produce sector on their SO Organic Baby Salad Potatoes, 750g.

This launch is part of the environmental plan set out by Sainsbury’s in September 2006, where it vowed to change traditional packaging across its SO organic food lines to use more environmentally friendly compostable packaging.

The Amcor NaturePlus heat-seal Materbi film is manufactured from renewable materials and is fully compostable. The 40 micron co-extruded material is produced at Amcor’s extrusion site in Ilkeston in the UK and is then printed and converted at AF Ledbury.

The packaging film could have major implications for fresh produce and other grocery items currently packed in plastic packaging.