Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

Seventh Generation 4X Laundry Detergent Packaging Ecologic

Packaging is supposed to catch the eye as your stolling through aisles in the store - the new Seventh Generation laundry detergent packaging made by Ecologic does just that.

The new fiber-based container packaging uses 66% less plastic than a similar sized plastic laundry detergent bottle.  The fiber exterior acts as a shell which houses a liner filled with the detergent. 

The liner is made from #4 LDPE plastic and the cap of the bottle is made from #5 PP plastic.

The fiber-based packaging stands out on the shelves in an aisle of products almost exclusively packaged in plastic bottles.

Seventh Generation's new packaging can be completely recycled in most communities.  When the product is gone remove the interior liner and recycle at locations where plastic shopping bags are accepted (usually grocery stores).  Flatten the fiber-based part and recycle with your paper and the cap can be recycled anywhere that accepts #5 plastic.  If your community does not recycled #5 plastic consider recycling as part of Preserve's Gimme5 program. 

 

 

Heinz Ketchup PlantBottle Coming to U.S. Stores in July

Heinz is partnering with Coca-Cola and using their PlantBottle technology in their 20 oz Ketchup bottles coming to US store shelves this July.

The Heinz PlantBottle will contain up to 30% plant-based PET plastic material similar to the configuration used in Coke's Dasani water bottles.

According to company estimates Heinz expects to sell 120 million PlantBottle ketchups in 2011. Heinz has come up with the mantra "Doing Well by Doing Good" to describe their usage of the bio-based bottle.

Coca-Cola's PlantBottle technology uses plant-based sugar cane ethanol from Brazil.  As we reported last week another Coke product Odwalla recently switched their packging to a 100% plant-based HDPE plastic also made from sugarcane.

The new Heinz PlantBottle will be highlighted at the BioPlastek 2011 conference from June 27-29 in NY.  The conference will feature in-depth discussion of the Coke/Heinz partnership. 

In related news Coca-Cola will use the BioPlastek forum to formally announce the national distribution of its Dasani water in PlantBottle packaging.

Coca-Cola Chairman & CEO Muhtar Kent and Heinz Chairman & CEO William R. Johnson with their new PlantBottle packaging

Ecovative Design's EcoCradle Mushroom Packaging Meets Dell

When it was announced at Fortune Green a couple weeks ago that Ecovative Design's EcoCradle mushroom-based packaging was in a pilot program with Dell I thought this would be the perfect story for Earth Day.  So Happy Earth Day everyone!

The story of Ecovative's mushroom packaging is a neat one and just the type of thing I like to highlight on SISG.  The company is the brainchild of two RPI grads and is focused on eco-friendly solutions to packaging and insulation - two markets that need continued eco-innovation.

Ecovative's co-founder Eben Bayer @ Fortune Green

At the Fortune Green conference Dell announced they were eight months into a pilot program with Ecovative.  Their engineers had worked with Ecovative's to design a version of their EcoCradle mushroom packaging to secure Dell servers during shipment.  The final result was a EcoCradle material that incorporated local cotton waste from Austin, TX into the mushroom-based material.  The EcoCradle packaging supports servers which often weigh more than 100lbs.  The project is exciting for Ecovative and also shows Dell's continued commitment to reducing packaging waste.

Last year furniture company Steelcase began shipping products using EcoCradle packaging.  Steelcase is using EcoCradle packaging made of agricultural byproducts like seed husks and cotton burrs bound together by mushroom roots.

Co-founders Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre have been experimenting with applications for mushroom-based material since 2007 when they came up with an idea for home insulation as part of a studio course at RPI.

Moving forward look for EcoCradle packaging to expand into more consumer products.  The company is working on a wine bottle shipper and does custom work for clients.

Garnier Teams up with Terracycle to Reduce Landfill Waste

Garnier, a L'Oreal brand has teamed up with Terracycle to reduce landfill waste by repurposing their product packaging. 

The two companies have formed the Personal Care Beauty Brigade which encourages schools and organizations to sign up and for each empty Garnier package they submit receive a donation.  

Terracycle will use the old Garnier packaging to make a variety of products.

 

Everyday Products Use More Efficient Sustainable Packaging

I always like to highlight everyday mainstream products whose packaging changes for the better in terms of design, sustainability or both. 

I know in the past SISG readers have had negative reactions to some of the conventional mainstream products I've featured in the this fashion.  The feeling is the products themselves should be better and more responsible.  While I agree with this overall position the fact of the matter is millions of mainstream products are sold daily in the US and I feel we should recognize efforts by large corporations to make changes in the right direction. 

With that it brings me to today's post at the start of Earth Week 2011.  Here are four products which have improved dramatically thanks to intelligent industrial design and the use of new more effective materials.  Through these improvements the company's who make the products have significantly reduced the use of plastics and dramatically improved their supply line efficiency.  All four of these products were recognized at the 2010 DuPont packaging awards for packaging innovation.

 

Fresh Step cat litter made by Clorox.  Switched to flexible bag from pail packaging reducing plastic use by 80%.  The flexible bag is able to handle the heavy weight of the product and features a number of innovations to make consumer use easier.

Scope Outlast mouthwash uses innovative industrial design in its new bottle to improve its appeal among younger shoppers.  Its design isn't just appealing the new bottle uses 20% less PET plastic and its cap and bottle provide structural support in the shipping box eliminating the need for corrugated inserts.

Always feminine products are packaged using a new continuous flow wrapping process which reduced the use of PE plastic by 25% and created significant efficiencies in the production warehouse.  Proctor & Gamble redesigned their packaging machinery to implement the new process.

Coca Cola introduced its PlantBottle which uses a mix of PET plastic that includes up to 30% plant-based material.  The PlantBottle offers the same qualities as their traditional PET plastic bottle.  The company claims they are working on expanding PlantBottle with their goal being a bottle made from 100% renewable materials.

Method Keeps Innovating with New Laundry Detergent Refill Pack

Method, the company that started the packaging revolution in the laundry detergent aisle is back at it again recently introducing a laundry detergent refill pouch which reduces packaging by 80%.

The new refill pouch contains enough detergent for 85 washes. 

Method's continuing packaging innovations demonstrate a clear desire by the company to lead in environmentally friendly product design.

Whole Foods 365 Tortilla Chips Packaging

I've noticed Whole Foods Market (WFM) has recently been updating and greening much of their 365 store brand packaging.  The new packaging is popping up on a variety of goods from frozen to dry goods.  The common thread between the new designs seems to be a reduction in the use of plastic.

One example of packaging I particuarly liked was for their new 365 Tortilla Chips.  The new packaging features a paper-based bag instead of the traditional plastic.

Naked Juice 100 Percent Post-Consumer Recycled reNEWabottle

Naked Juice started using its 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic rPET bottle dubbed the reNEWabottle for its 32oz bottles back in 2009. (Read our story from July 2009)

The company has now switched its 10, 15.2 and 64oz bottles to the reNEWabottle becoming the first major national US drink company to switch to 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles - quite an achievement.

Naked estimates its new packaged will reduce virgin plastic consumption by 7.4 million pounds per year.

 

Maine's Own Organic Milk MOO Milk Gains Support

After a group of nine Maine Organic Dairy farm families were dropped by their previous milk processor H.P. Hood they banded together to form Maine's Own Organic Milk (MOO Milk for short) and sell their product direct to grocery stores.

The new company has been having a tough time getting their product into stores since forming last year.  But recently has had some key successes and gotten national exposure thanks to a piece in the New York Times last week.   The young company still needs the support of locals and food lovers who want to buy organic milk and support local farmers.

MOO Milk is available in many Hannaford grocery stores in Maine and fifteen Whole Foods stores in Maine and Massachusetts.  Their milk is also available at Harvest Co-Op in Boston.

MOO Milk reminded me of a similar cooperative here in Rhode Island called RhodyFresh which is a group of Rhode Island dairy farmers who banded together several years ago to save what was becoming a dying industry in the Ocean State.  Rhody Fresh milk has become a great success and enjoyed tremendous community support.

The farmers in Maine who formed MOO Milk face one primary challenge that Rhode Island farmers didn't have to contend with and that is distance their milk must travel in order to reach a processing center for distribution.

The group is working to overcome these challenges and with the recent addition of their products in Whole Foods stores in Massachusetts they are tapping into a large market.

Farmer Aaron Bell and Carly DelSignore's dairy farm in Washington County Maine.  The couple is determined to keep the dairy industry alive in the county. 

Photo from the Chase's Organic Dairy Farm in Mapleton, Maine.  Chase's is part of the MOO Milk group.

Photo of the line of retail milk products from MOO Milk.  Packaged in standard carton packaging.

 

Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Bars US vs UK Packaging

I saw this story on Fooducate and had been meaning to write about it here on SISG.  Its really interesting to see from a packaging and product perspective the differences on this product.  In an age when companies are looking for ways to reduce and streamline production costs its so interesting to me that Kellogg's would go to the trouble to produce two totally different versions of this staple item.  Why wouldn't Kellogg's just produce one version for sale in its markets using the natural dyes?

Take a look at the two packages for Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain cereal bars. One is made here for us. The other is made in the UK for Europeans. Both use food coloring to achieve a more “strawberry-ish” color.

In the UK, the coloring is achieved using beetroot. But in the US, the coloring is Red No. 40, a dye that has been associated with hyperactivity, and some types of cancer.

Why not use the beetroot? The answer is that Kellogg’s probably saves half a penny on each bar using an artificial dye rather than using a natural one.

So why does Kellogg’s use the beets in Europe? Because in Europe the regulator has required WARNING LABELS on products with Red 40. Just like cigarettes. Kellogg’s did the bottom line calculation and decided the loss in sales would cause much more damage than the savings on the food dye.

But in the US, the FDA has given red 40 a GRAS status (Generally recognized as Safe). The reason is one of approach:

In Europe manufacturers need to prove an ingredient is SAFE beyond a shadow of a doubt for it to be approved for use.

In the US researchers need to prove an ingredient is DANGEROUS beyond a shadow of a doubt for it to be banned.

via Fooducate