Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

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.