Curtis Packaging Offering over 100 FSC Certified Stocks

Connecticut-based Curtis Packaging has increased its range of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paperboard stocks to over 100. The company is a leading provider of more sustainable packaging solutions catering to a wide range of companies.

As Sustainable is Good reported Curtis is producing the FSC certified Mixed Source packaging for Target's Archer Farms Organic cookies currently available at Target stores nationwide. 

Curtis produces packaging for a number of cosmetic and personal care companies who value the company's focus on sustainability.  Two major companies Curtis has done FSC certified packaging work for are Origins (Estee Lauder) and Crabtree & Evelyn.

A member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, Curtis uses renewable energy to power its operations and is the first printing and packaging company in North America to be carbon neutral.

FSC is one of the most reputable and recognized “green” certifications. We expect FSC certified packaging to become increasingly in demand in 2008.

Target's use of FSC certified packaging for its Archer Farms Organic cookies was one of the first nationwide main stream uses of FSC packaging in a food product.

Toys R Us Going Green?

One of the new Toys R Us bioPVC Gift Cards

Major US retailers are experimenting with greener options for their gift cards.  We reported on Target's use of a new bioplastic resin called Mirel for its gift cards.  Leading US toy retailer Toys R Us also began offering a variety of green gift cards in October 2007. 

Jennifer Albano Manager, Corporate Communications for Toys R Us told Sustainable is Good the company has introduced an assortment of greener gift cards including biodegradable cards, cards made from corn, and a card made from recycled plastic. 

Toys R Us is using a material called bioPVC for some of its gift cards.  The material is made by CPI Card Group.  CPI says its bioPVC is made from 99% PVC and fully degrades within 9 months to 5 years in soil, water compost or wherever microorganisms are present.

Toys R Us Gift Card Packaging FSC-certified

Toys R Us is pairing its new gift cards with outer display packaging made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified Mixed Sources paper stock.  The cards are available at Toys R Us stores across the country.

We asked Albano if the greener gift cards were part of a larger green initiative Toys R Us had planned.  Albano indicated these developments are part of a larger planned initiative by the company for 2008 however said she was unable to provide additional details at this time.

The greener gift cards from the toy retailer and comments from the company's CEO Gerald Storch predicting 2008 would be the "year of the green toy," indicate we will see some major green announcement(s) from the company in the months ahead.

Curtis Packaging Producing Target Archer Farms FSC Certified Packaging

In October we reported on new packaging that Target's Archer Farms Organic line was using.  The packaging was made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paperboard stock and produced using renewable energy.  At the time of the story it was unknown who was producing the packaging and Target did not respond to our inquiries.  We have since learned Curtis Packaging is producing the packaging for Target's Archer Farms Organic line. 

According to Curtis, they are the first printing and packaging company in North America to be 100% Carbon Neutral, use 100% renewable energy, and be FSC certified. 

Related to packaging for Target, Curtis is currently working exclusively with Target's Archer Farms Organic line.  Curtis's Rosanna D'Oleo told Sustainable is Good Target has expressed interest in "possibly expanding the FSC certified packaging to other lines of Archer Farms."  D'Oleo said while there was interest no specific plans or time frame for expanding the packaging has been established. 

D'Oleo said Curtis is constantly innovating to bring to their customers the latest environmentally friendly packaging techniques.  The company focuses on serving the health & beauty, personal care, liquors, and gourmet foods/confections industries.

Sears to Reduce PVC Packaging; Under Fire for Catalog Practices

Sears Holdings Corp. announced last week it would follow the lead of Wal- Mart and Target Stores in beginning to reduce the use of PVC in the packaging of items sold in its Sears and Kmart stores.   Sears is the fourth largest retailer in the US with over $50 billion in annual revenues and roughly 3800 stores in the US and Canada.

The company said it has adopted a policy aimed at identifying more sustainable choices because of the potential health risks tied to the manufacture, use and disposal of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).  Sears did not mention a specific timetable for the phase out.  The company has also set long term goals for the use of biobased plastics and those with higher recycled content that can easily be reused, recycled or composted.

As part of the policy, Sears said it will begin marking private-label merchandise as PVC-free when appropriate and will encourage vendors to reduce or eliminate their use of PVC in merchandise and packaging.

Widu FSC Certified Brushes

Widu is a line of exquisite Italian brushes and combs made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood.  The line is a perfect example of a high quality long lasting product whose manufacturers obtained FSC certification and are using it as part of their overall marketing strategy.

Originally developed by a hair stylist in Milan, the brushes feature wooden bristles designed to stimulate the scalp and reduce hair breakage.   

The brushes are handmade in Italy by adult native artisans and are of impeccable old world quality and long lasting value unlike many imitators on the market.

The brushes are available in a variety of base woods and the bristles are made from the hard white wood of the hornbeam tree - from the birch family.  Horn beam wood is known for its strong resistance to breakage and maintains its exceptional smooth qualities. 

Sainsbury's Tetra Pak FSC Certified Packaging

Swedish packaging company Tetra Pak and UK food retailer Sainbury's announced the world's first Tetra Pak certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Sainbury's is the first supermarket in the world to stock the Tetra Recart packaged with FSC-certified wood fiber.  The packaging will initially be used for Sainbury's own private label Premium Chopped Tomatoes.  The tomatoes will have a two-year shelf life in the Recart packaging.

The companies said the new packaging will reassure "Sainbury's customers that the paperboard used comes from well-managed forests and controlled sources."

Additional benefits according to Tetra Pak are the package's rectangular shape which makes it highly efficient during transportation, storage and distribution using 33% less space than a can.

Preserve Kitchen

Recycline has added a new series of products to its popular Preserve line.  The new products are called Preserve Kitchen and include two types of cutting boards, food storage containers and a colander.  Most of the products will be sold exclusively at Whole Food Market, several are available directly from Recycline. 

"The idea behind the line was sparked over a year ago when Whole Foods Market approached us about our ideas for green housewares," said Recycline's Marketing Director C.A. Webb.  "Many of their stores have housewares sections and they saw an opportunity to better align that part of the store with the rest of their organic and natural offerings."

The products themselves are the result of a partnership between Recycline and Connecticut-based industrial design firm Evo Design.

"We wanted our designs to take their cues from natural shapes found in the kitchen and to be eye popping and exciting both in shape and color," said Webb.  Evo Design did exactly that taking their design cues from nature.  For instance, the food storage container gets its inspiration from an apple, the colander resembles a strawberry.

But beyond the simple organic designs, making sure that the design and the design process met environmental standards every step of the way was challenging. “We are working hard to ensure that the design supports sustainability,” says Aaron Szymanski, President of Evo Design

The Preserve Kitchen products are the first Preserve products designed by Evo.  "They've shown an amazing knack for understanding our brand and have a total commitment to helping us deliver on Preserve brand's promise:  high performance, high design, eco-friendly products," said Recycline's Director of Product Development Ben Anderson. 

"Whole Foods Market (WFM) has been one of our strongest retail partners and was a natural place for us to launch the Preserve Kitchen line," said Webb.  "WFM sells the entire line of Preserve products -toothbrushes, razors, toothpicks, and tableware, all popular with their customers.  We also, of course, saw the synergies in launching our first foray into the kitchen with one of the most innovative food retailers in the world," she said. 

Most of the Preserve Kitchen line will be initially sold exclusively at WFM and hits store shelves this week in all regions except three (Midwest, Florida, and Pacific Northwest) but will roll out to all regions by spring.  WFM will carry a cutting board, food storage containers (large & small) and a colander all made from 100% recycled #5 polypropylene (PP) plastic - like Preserve's other products.

We've had a chance to test out the new products and have nothing but praise for their design and material usage.  Recycline has become the master at making useful products from pure recycled #5 PP plastic, and Preserve Kitchen products are no exception. 

Like other Preserve products the packaging is minimal to non-existent.  The food storage containers come in minimal paperboard packaging (100% recycled/ 35% PCW) while the cutting board and colander simply have a Preserve label affixed to them with no packaging at all.

 Preserve adds Paperstone Cutting Boards to Product Line Up

In addition to the Preserve Kitchen products made from #5 PP, the company  has added two new cutting boards made from Paperstone to its Preserve Kitchen product line.

Paperstone is a material that has been used in green countertops for several years now.  "We were also curious to explore a new material and developed a cutting board from Paperstone," said Webb. 

The Paperstone cutting boards are available directly from Recycline or at Whole Foods Market in two sizes and are both Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and RainForest Alliance certified made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

The addition of the new Paperstone cutting boards is exciting - its always good to experiment with new materials.  We see this new line as an area Recycline can continue to explore, hopefully developing more products from this material.  It is durable and easy to clean and the fact its made from post-consumer recycled paper is a tremendous positive in terms of its greenness.

Target Archer Farms Packaging FSC Certified

UPDATE:   See our latest story on Archer Farms new innovative cereal packaging

Target Stores Archer Farms brand has recently released new paperboard packaging that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

The new packaging was noticed by one of our contributors at a local Target store.  The packaging is appearing on select Archer Farms Organic product lines.  We found the packaging for the entire line of Archer Farms Organic cookies (Key Lime White Chocolate pictured) carrying both the FSC Mixed Sources logo and the Green-e logo.

According to Target's 2007 Corporate Responsibility Report, "In 2007, select Archer Farms Organic product lines will convert to a paperboard manufacturer that uses 100 percent wind power. Additionally, this paperboard and manufacturer are certified with the Forest Stewardship Council."

San Francisco-based Michael Osborne Design (MOD) redesigned Archer Farms packaging several years ago.  The redesign featured a French country theme and allowed Target to position its Archer Farms brand as their "premium" store brand and introduce a more basic Target store brand of food items.

It is unknown what other products in the Archer Farms Organic line have the new FSC/Green-e paperboard packaging or who is producing the packaging.  Target did not respond to multiple inquires by Sustainable is Good.

FSC/Green-e certified packaging on a store brand product is rare and could signify an increased interest from Target in more sustainable packaging.  Previously Sustainable is Good reported on Target's efforts to reduce PVC from the packaging of products in its stores.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Dubbed the Greenest Book in Publishing History

The final installment in the Harry Potter series will be the greenest book in publishing history according to Markets Initiative, an environmental group focusing on paper.  Five years of work by Markets Initiative and the Rainforest Alliance is putting tangible environmental solutions into the hands of Harry Potter fans in 16 countries.

For the initial printing of 12 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the United States, publisher Scholastic has committed to making sure 65% of the 16,700 tons of paper used is FSC-certified, which means the paper comes from forestlands that are managed in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

Totaling nearly 22 million pounds, this is the largest purchase of FSC-certified paper to be used in a single book printing to date. Moreover, all the paper used in the printing will contain at least 30 % post-consumer waste fiber, with much of that verified by FSC standards as well

The Rainforest Alliance worked with Scholastic to develop its plan to buy FSC-certified paper and will continue helping the company refine its responsible paper procurement policies.

Markets Initiative’s work on greening the Harry Potter series has fundamentally changed the way that book publishers use paper.  More than 300 publishers internationally now print on papers that help safeguard endangered forests. A new paper supply chain has been sparked and 35 new eco-friendly papers developed.

Market Initiative Graphic on Environmental Impact of Harry Potter Book 

Crate & Barrel Banks on Furniture to Enhance its Greenness

Crate & Barrel is making some significant green steps with its furniture.  Is anyone noticing? 

The Lockport line consisting of a chair & sofa are examples.  The line is made for Crate & Barrel by North Carolina-based Lee Furniture.  Both items feature the "Natural Lee Package" which includes a number of eco-friendly processes and components.  Just like the ecotainer coffee cup, several companies are involved in making Crate & Barrel's furniture a reality.

Crate & Barrel's Lockport Sofa & Chairs are filled with Preserve™, a flexible polyurethane foam that utlizies BiOH polyol derived from soybeans.  The foam developed by Cargill replaces 20% of the petroleum-based foam and outperforms traditional foam in firmness, retention, support and durability.

Other components of the furniture include wood frames constructed from panels bonded with soy-based resins, replacing formaldehyde-based resins.  Panels used by Lee are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.  Wood used in the furniture is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Rainforest Alliance.

The back cushions and throw pillows are made of 100% recycled fibers from soda bottles.  Seat deck and trim pads are made up of 80% regenerated fibers that consist of virgin and waste fibers.

Water based finishes are used on the wood frame and upholstery fabrics are woven from organic fibers and chemical free cotton. 

While Crate & Barrel does promote the environmental benefits of this furniture they could do more.  Most of the information obtained for this story was through the manufacturer not Crate & Barrel. 

It is interesting to me to have a product like this featured but not cover all the aspects of the product design.  Consumers who are interested in this type of product are more prone than any other segment of the buying population to spend time researching a product's greenness.  Most do not have several days to contact manufacturers and sift through information.