When Art Reflects our Non-Sustainable Life

CHRIS JORDAN I Photo depicting 2 million plastic bottles

I am in full agreement with those who say art does not imitate life, it reflects it. This could not be more true that in the work of photographer/artist Chris Jordan of Seattle.  Chris’ unique style is an indictment on our mass consuming society, and his work as well as his camera often focus on the amount of waste we generate and then dump into our environment.

The image shown above is from his series titled “Running the Numbers - An American Self-Portrait,” and is actually a photograph of two million disposable plastic bottles, the amount used every five minutes in the United States.  You can see the rest of his thought provoking series online at his web site.

Some of the other disturbing images Chris includes in his work are depictions of -

·    38,000 shipping containers, the number of containers processed through American ports every twelve hours.
·     426,000 cell phones, equal to the number of cell phones retired in the U.S. every day.
·    8 million toothpicks, equal to the number of trees harvested in the U.S. every month to make the paper for mail order catalogs.
·    170,000 disposable Energizer batteries, equal to fifteen minutes of Energizer battery production.
·    30,000 reams of office paper, or 15 million sheets, equal to the amount of office paper used in the U.S. every five minutes.

And of course, any photographic or written commentary on our wasteful lifestyle would be incomplete if it did not include packaging. Chris’ photographs include images depicting -

·    60,000 plastic bags, the number used in the U.S. every five seconds.
·    106,000 aluminum cans, the number used in the U.S. every thirty seconds.
·    1.14 million brown paper supermarket bags, the number used in the U.S. every hour.
·    Two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the U.S. every five minutes.

We can question the statistics and numbers but we cannot ignore the problem. Also, if we are completely honest with ourselves, we should not avoid accepting the blame because the problem is unarguably and undoubtedly us.

Aveda Pure-formance

Aveda's new men's line, Pure-formance is a big step for the Minnesota-based company.  The line launched in July and is unique, positioned almost as a sub-brand of Aveda.  Through innovative packaging featuring high levels of post consumer recycled content and bold graphic design Aveda's Pure-formance is a sound example of a new more sustainable product line from a company that is no stranger to greener packaging.

Sustainable is Good had the chance to speak with Aveda's Heidi Norman, Executive Director of Men's and Styling about Pure-formance and its packaging design.

SISG:  What is the concept/idea behind the Pure-formance line - not many dedicated men's lines out there what prompted it?

HN:  Aveda is a brand that appeals to everyone - men and women of all ages, but we knew we had an opportunity to reach our male guests in a much more targeted way.  Prior to the launch of Aveda Men, male guests represented approximately 12% of our business, and we knew that the right product lineup combined with some additional male-focused services could help us triple the size of our existing business.  When we looked at the overall opportunity, it was very attractive. We determined that we wanted to do something that spoke directly to Men - something that addressed their needs in a very unique way. We researched the physiology of men's scalps - specifically what makes them different from women. We learned that men's scalps are twice as thick, and produce twice as much oil, and that they are prone to dryness and flaking.  Our R&D team helped identify a phyto-active blend that could address these concerns, and we created a product line around that high-performance blend.

SISG:  Packaging graphic design - who designed it and what is the concept?

HN:  The Aveda Men logo and the packaging were designed to be visually disruptive - to stand out in an Aveda retail environment. We intentionally set out to create something that looked totally different from what was in the market - and what everyone knew to be Aveda. We wanted Aveda Men to feel like a sub-brand, something with its own identity. We went for a logo treatment that felt masculine, some have said it's evocative of tribal or indigenous symbols; it was totally different than anything else Aveda, yet it felt totally Aveda. We're fortunate to have a very talented team at Aveda, and we also engaged an outside agency to help us with some of the design aspects of the project.

FTC to Hold Forum on Green Packaging

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is hosting a public workshop to examine developments in green packaging claims and the consumer perception of those claims.  The workshop is part of the agency's regulatory review of the "Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims," commonly known as the Green Guides.

The workshop and the results of the discussion from the event will be of great interest to those following field of green/sustainable packaging.  Since the Green Guides were last revised in 1998 there has been exponential growth in the use of green claims relating to packaging. 

The FTC recognizes sellers and marketers frequently use terms addressed in the Green Guides, such as "recyclable, recycled content, biodegradable, degradable, compostable, or refillable," to claim their packaging is green.  Companies are also now using terms like "sustainable," and "renewable," which are not even contained in the Green Guides.

The FTC is the federal regulatory body responsible for oversight of claims companies use to sell products and resulting issues of consumer perception. 

The workshop will also examine the increase in third-party certification programs purporting to verify the positive environmental impact of product packaging.  Major verification programs used in packaging currently include FSC and SFI both dealing with paper/wood usage.

The FTC's Green Guides and Packaging workshop is scheduled for April 30, 2008 in Washington, DC.

Smurfit-Stone Recycling Increases

Award winning Miracle-Gro box produced by Smurfit-Stone

Smurfit-Stone a major producer of containerboard and other corrugated paper products used for making boxes and packaging materials has set a record for recycled content processing.  The company processed over 7 million tons of recyclables last year according to a story in the industry publication Waste News.

Smurfit-Stone produces boxes and other types of paperboard packaging materials.  Major US companies like Amazon.com and the US Postal Service rely heavily on Smurfit-Stone boxes as do smaller companies like 360 Vodka.

360 Vodka's innovative reusable shipping case box is produced by Smurfit-Stone and is made entirely from recycled content. 

According to Smurfit-Stone they are a leading recycler of paper.  Roughly 45 percent of all the fiber the company collects is used in its own manufacturing mills to create new products.  The company has twenty-four recycling plants and sixteen paper mills.

According to Waste News of the 7 million tons of recycled fiber handled by Smurfit-Stone 6.8 million tons were paper. 

flip & tumble 24-7 bag

Flip & Tumble's 24-7 bag is a new entry into the reusable bag arena.  The bag is different than most other reusable bags because of its unique design and clever features.  The result of a partnership between designers Hetal Jariwala and Eva Bauer, flip & tumble's 24-7 bag offers shoppers a highly portable fashionable reusable bag.

The bags are designed to fit closely to the body and work equally as well for grocery shopping as they do running other errands.  The 24-7 folds into a tiny pouch and is durable enough to hold up to 20lbs.  The bag features a felted area on the reverse of the strap so it doesn't slip as easily when worn over the shoulder.  Flip & tumble's 24-7 bag is designed to be the ideal "go-to" bag so you always have a reusable bag on hand preventing the need to plastic disposable bags.

We had the chance to test out the 24-7 and found it to be quite practical.  The bag performs exactly as designed its the perfect thing to keep on hand in your briefcase, purse or car it takes up virtually no room and is an ideal general purpose reusable bag.  Often times reusable bags designed for carrying groceries aren't the most practical for other types of shopping.  The 24-7 fits the bill and is also a rather fashionable item.  The bag's design is low profile it fits close to the body and doesn't get in the way while shopping or walking around.

The bags sell online for $12 through flip & tumble's website. Over its lifetime, each 24-7 bag can easily save over 1,000 disposable plastic bags the company says.

Clorox Anywhere Packaging Design

Following up on our story from September on Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface cleaner we had the chance to learn about the design of the bottle. 

The industrial design behind Clorox Anywhere hard surface cleaner is unique.  Buenos Aires-based Tridimage did the ID working from Clorox's desire for a bottle design that conveyed comfort of use and aesthetics. 

Clorox's Vicki Friedman said the company wanted an ergonomically designed bottle, created to be comfortable for the consumer to use. 

After Tridimage did their part Clorox Creative Services handled the graphic design in-house.  The packaging design went through several different mock ups before the final design was agreed upon.  The final design features the custom bottle in white with matching crisp white and blue graphics as we reported earlier.

Thanks to Tridimage for sharing their design image.

CleanWell Innovative Products and Packaging Lead to Success

San Francisco-based CleanWell is a company that has developed a series of hand washes and hand sanitizers using a proprietary plant based natural formula called Ingenium.  The products are innovative because they kill 99.9% of germs without using the harsh chemicals found in their conventional counterparts.

CleanWell is using highly styled packaging along with its innovative product formulations to position its brand as one that is unique and appealing to consumers.  The packaging design both graphic and industrial is the result of a collaborative effort between CleanWell and IDEO said Guthrie Dolin, CleanWell’s Vice President, Brand. 

“Lead by CleanWell’s vision and creative direction, IDEO helped establish an overall look and feel which was then refined and implemented in-house.  CleanWell internal creative staff handle development and design of all corporate communications, marketing and sales collateral as well as the web sites,” said Dolin.

CleanWell’s antibacterial hand soaps are packaged in unique frosted colored PET bottles with pump tops.  The hand soap packaging feature a label which is easily removed allowing customers to re-use the bottle.  “CleanWell has the highest standards for the ingredients we use and maintain those expectations for the packaging that holds them,” said Dolin.

“The bottle treatment was inspired by a human-centric approach to design and development. In fact, the concept for the packaging came from insights gleaned in our early development work. We found many consumers made purchase decisions for hand soap based the appearance first (scent second) and how it may accent (or clash with) their décor and/or personal sense of style.  And since the sink counter in most kitchens and bathrooms highly visible, the more "garishly" designed labels, often covered in imagery and cluttered with marketing claims, were passed over or their contains was removed and placed into a secondary bottle "plain bottle" after purchase," said Dolin.

"With this in mind, we designed our labels with a low-tac adhesive for easy removal and maintained minimal branding/messaging on the base bottle. The bottle was frosted to appear more like glass then PET plastic, and project a more premium feel. We hope that the end result gives the customers a more considerate package and supports our efforts to deliver responsible products, both inside and out.”

CleanWell products are available across the country in all Target stores and most Whole Food Markets as well as other specialty retailers. 

CleanWell is another example of a new eco-friendly brand Target has established a relationship with.  Stephanie Wolf of Waggener Edstrom, a PR firm working with CleanWell, told Sustainable is Good the company's relationship with Target stemmed from pre-existing relationships and has been a great fit so far.

New Products Coming

In the months ahead we can expect to see some new items added to CleanWell's product lineup. Additions include a new pocket sized re-sealable pouch for their hand sanitizing wipes and a new soap flavor, Spearmint Lime.  The company is also working on developing a mini sprayer as well as refills for their soap Dolin said.

Cadbury Eco Easter Egg Reduced Packaging

Cadbury Schweppes announced yesterday a new line of its popular chocolate Easter egg candy called Cadbury Treasure Eggs.  The new eggs feature significantly less packaging.  The eggs will be sold wrapped only in foil rather than being sold in a box.

According to published reports, the eco eggs are being sold on a trial basis in the UK where Cadbury eggs account for roughly half of all the Easter eggs sold.

The packaging change for the new Treasure Eggs will result in the use of 75% less plastic and 65% less cardboard by eliminating the box Cadbury said.

Cadbury said its move would reduce the amount of plastic it uses by 247 tons and cardboard by 115 tons, saving more than 2,000 trees as a result.

Jo Grice, Easter senior brand manager at Cadbury said:  "Expanding our range of more eco-friendly seasonal products is part of our overall Purple Goes Green environmental strategy where we have pledged to reduce our environmental footprint by 50% through a number of measures, including reducing packaging."

Cadbury Schweppes expects to sell roughly thirty million Easter eggs in the weeks leading up to Easter, several million of which will be from the unboxed line.

Ibex Climawool Glove

Vermont-based Ibex is known for producing high quality clothing products made from wool.  The company produces an array of outerwear including the highly functional Climawool glove. 

The softshell glove is fully lined with lightweight soft Merino wool.  The gloves feature advanced Schoeller fabric on the outside are insulated with Primaloft, have durable leather palms and are lined with wool. 

We tested the Ibex Climawool glove over a two week period and were highly impressed.  The glove held up to a variety of wintry New England weather.  The first important point to note is the fit.  Because of the fabrics chosen the fit of the glove is excellent allowing for plenty of dexterity.

The glove held up well in heavy snow and wind providing excellent wind resistance and maintaining warmth thanks to the Primaloft insulation. 

Of the different gloves we've tested the Ibex Climawool is the best in terms of resistance to wind and maintaining warmth. 

We put the gloves through a number of tests in both urban and rural environments and can recommend them for most outdoor activities as well as casual usage in the city.

The gray leather palms do begin to show normal signs of wear fairly quickly however there is absolutely no impact on their functionality. 

After our two week test with these we both felt the gloves are high quality and are the mostly functional and warm gloves we've tested to date.

Green Toys Announces New Toys Made from Recycled Packaging

San Francisco-based Green Toys announced earlier this week they are releasing a new line of greener more eco-friendly toys made from post-consumer recycled plastic milk packaging.  The new toys add to the company's existing lineup of green toys made from biodegradable resins produced by Cereplast.

The toys are made in the US from plastic collected through curbside recycling.  The company will debut the toys at the American International Toy Fair next week in New York. 

"There is an overwhelming demand from consumers and retailers for toys that are both good for the environment and safe for kids.  Our new line of toys made from recycled plastic milk containers deliver on both counts," said Robert von Goeben, co-founder of Green Toys.   "By using post-consumer recycled plastic, we close the loop and demonstrate to kids the real world benefits of recycling."

Green Toys products made from recycled materials will be available in retail stores starting Spring 2008, and will include a tea set, indoor gardening kit, cookware and dining set and a sand play set.

The packaging for the new toys is minimal plain paperboard packaging made from recycled materials.