Buying Groceries with Less Packaging

Buying groceries with less packaging is some more and more consumers are becoming aware of and concerned about.  The growing trend while still in stages of infancy across overall group of American consumers is gradually becoming something companies and manufacturer are recognizing.  Within the green community packaging has always been something seen as excessive and often unnecessary and we've seen many green brands undergo design changes for their product packaging.

Enviromom, a blog run by two mothers focused on living a greener lifestyle with their children in the Portland area, ran a detailed piece on packaging issues consumers face at grocery stores across the country.  The post which rant late last week provides an in depth look into issues more and more consumers are starting to pay attention to related to packaging. 

In addition to touching on many of the current issues in consumer packaging Enviromom provides a series of useful suggestions and observations to reduce or eliminate excessive packaging.

An except on packaging and convenience.

"Let's talk about convenience. No wait. Let's stop thinking about convenience when shopping. If something is being marketed as convenient, it's probably not good for you or the environment. I really doubt that the mom who packs a Lunchable and a juice box for her kid really has a less stressful day than mine. I usually make a sandwich, fruit, yogurt and water bottle for my kids. It doesn't take that much time to pack or wash the durable containers. I will not kid you. There are not many ways to RECYCLE or REUSE a Lunchable plastic tray."

Read the full piece on Enviromom

Shure Greens Product Packaging

Shure, makers of high audio equipment for musicians and consumers recently announced they have redesigned the packaging for all their Microflex Installed Sound Microphones, ULX Wireless Microphone Systems, three of their wired and wireless Personal Monitor Systems (PSM), and two of their SE Sound Isolating Earphone models. 

The packaging changes the company has rolled out do not change the size or shape of current packaging or reduce the strength, durability, and product protection it provides.

The more sustainable packaging includes the elimination of the Mylar coating and full-color graphic printing on the cartons increases the recycle-ability of the packaging.

“We currently produce a wide variety of full-color packaging across all product lines, but recently made the decision to move toward a more environmentally friendly design for several products,” said Terri Hartman, Director of Brand Communications for Shure. 

“These changes allow us to gain some efficiencies and act as a more socially responsible company.” 

All models will ship in brown “kraft” packaging with the Shure brand logo and “Microflex Installed Sound Microphones” for Microflex models, “ULX Wireless Systems” for ULX models, and “Personal Monitor Systems” for the PSM Systems printed on the cartons.  Weber labels will continue to provide specific product model information of package contents.

“We felt like this redesign further underlines our commitment to environmentally friendly standards,” added Hartman.

Shure has also recently introduced new outer packaging for the SE210 and SE310 Sound Isolating earphone models, which is made of a 100 percent recyclable carton. The new packaging provides a uniform look for the SE110, SE210, and SE310 earphone models.

“We’re confident that the new packaging will provide consumers, at a quick glance, product differentiation between these models on the retail floor,” said Hartman.  “We’re always willing to explore new options for our existing products, and we’ll consider more eco-friendly packaging designs when we introduce new products in the future.”

TerraCycle Turns Kraft Packaging into New Products

Kraft Foods recently announced a new partnership with TerraCycle, an upstart upcycling company that takes packages and materials that are challenging to recycle and turns them into affordable, high quality goods.

The partnership will greatly expand the number of collection sites TerraCycle has available across the country and will help prevent a significant amount of packaging waste from going into landfills.

Kraft will become the first major multi-category corporation to fund the collection of used packaging associated with its products. Several Kraft brands, including Balance bars and South Beach Living bars, Capri Sun beverages, and Chips Ahoy! and Oreo cookies, are now the lead sponsors of TerraCycle Brigades. These nationwide recycling programs make a donation for every piece of packaging a location collects.

"Sustainability is about looking out for future generations. Kraft is proud to partner with TerraCycle, an innovative company who has made it their mission to reduce the impact on landfills and to educate consumers on the importance of recycling," says Jeff Chahley, Senior Director, Sustainability, Kraft Foods.

"TerraCycle’s model of rewarding ’brigade hosts’ is a novel way of collecting packaging waste that would otherwise have been sent to landfills. It’s so cool to see trash turned into merchandise that’s unlike anything else on the market."

Larry's Beans Biodegradable Coffee Bag

Larry's Beans, a Raleigh North Carolina coffee company announced it is using a new 100% biodegradable coffee bag. 

The bag is made by another North Carolina-based company, Maverick Enterprises from a proprietary plastic product called Green Film.

Green Film is made by combining "proprietary pellets" with the plastic during the production process which forms a material that according to Maverick biodegrades and composts in normal landfill conditions. 

Larry's Beans notes their entire bag is made from the Green Film material as opposed to just certain layers of the bag like other companies have recently produced.

The bags are certified landfill degradable or compostable (ASTM 5511 and ASTM 5338.98). Unlike regular plastics, Maverick says its Green Film will completely break down into humus in nine months to five years.

The company also notes unlike some other biodegradable films on the market, their Green Film is certified by the EPA to leave no dangerous heavy metals in the soil or water.

Amazon.com Excessive Packaging

Online retailer Amazon.com is the latest company to have an issue of excessive packaging come to light, and this example is bad.

In November of last year a customer thinking they were being efficient and reducing waste ordered a bulk order of 6, 32oz Ecover Delicate Wash detergents.  To the surprise of the customer, each bottle was boxed in its own box and shrink-wrapped to cardboard and then packaged in a larger box again with additional packaging material.

Sustainable is Good learned about the excessive packaging last week while doing product research for upcoming stories.

The customer writes on Amazon.com, "A huge box arrived today, contained these six 32oz bottles that Amazon sells as a single order. It took me about 15 minutes to open up the big carton, then the 6 individual cartons within that carton, then remove the single bottle that was shrink-wrapped to another chunk of cardboard within that cardboard, bust down everything and jam it into the recycling bin.... Luckily all the cartons were kept safe from each other with an ample supply of plastic pillows. I haven't even used this stuff yet and I feel awful for purchasing it - there is no reason for this appalling waste of cardboard, plastic and shipping resources to get 6 plastic quarts of liquid from their warehouse to my house - it's packed as though it were ceramics!

I'm expecting the soap itself will be excellent. But the sad irony of wasting so much plastic and cardboard to ship this product - which Amazon sells in lots of six - just breaks my heart. I've uploaded an image of the earth carnage above.

I hope Amazon reconsiders such wasteful packaging in the future. There's absolutely no reason this couldn't be shipped in a box 1/4 the size and without any separation between the bottles - it's just laundry detergent!"

We've seen and profiled some examples of excessive packaging.  In this instance the customer was ordering a bulk order of an "eco-friendly" Ecover product so the excessive packaging had a particularly upsetting impact on the customer.  As awareness increases to issues of packaging and reducing waste we'll continue to learn of instances such as this.  However its hopeful that retailers like Amazon will use instances like this to educate their distribution and shipping centers on the importance of maximizing resources and reducing packaging.

McDonalds Sweet Tea Styrofoam Packaging

While most companies and a number of municipalities are phasing out the use of #6 polystyrene (commonly referred to and known as styrofoam) in fast food packaging one of the largest fast food companies in the US, McDonalds, is using it for its popular Sweet Tea drink.

McDonalds is heavily promoting its Sweet Tea, offering a large sized cup for just $1 

The large #6 styrofoam cup was developed specifically for McDonalds by Dart. 

While most disposable fast food cups including those made of paper are not easily recyclable, McDonalds choice of a styrofoam cup for a new product promotion is significant.  Does the company consider styrofoam a better option than paper?

The topic has come up on McDonalds Corporate Social Responsibility blog Open for Discussion.

Responding to a comment from a reader who was concerned about the company's use of styrofoam for its Sweet Tea drinks a McDonalds representative said the company looks at "life cycle impacts as opposed to only 'end-of-life' impacts."

A McDonalds customer posted the following question on McDonalds CSR blog, "I was wondering why the new sweet tea is being served in styrofoam cups. I know you have responded to other styrofoam questions but I'm wondering why a new drink product needs to be served in styrofoam when the paper cups work for every other drink. While I know the paper cups most likely don't get recycled, at least they will degrade in the environment unlike styrofoam. Why is this new tea using something that it proven to be so bad for the environment when there are much better choices already being used?"

McDonalds posted the following response to the readers questions which shed some light on their decision to use styrofoam.  "It's true that in the U.S., food service cups of any material are not recycled significantly. We look to optimize life cycle impacts as opposed to only "end-of-life" impacts. This means that we'll evaluate a package for impacts across many criteria (e.g., weight, resource use, recyclability) as opposed to only selecting the package based on its ability to be recycled. Also, environment is one of several criteria used for decision making; key amongst this is meeting our customer's expectations. Others include functionality, cost and supply availability."

McDonalds has worked globally on its environmental image, so their choice of styrofoam drink packaging for a new product warrants our attention.  What is McDonalds saying by making the choice to use this material?

Sam's Club Square Case-less Milk Jug Packaging

While Europeans are experimenting with milk in pouch style packaging, Walmart's discount club store Sam's Club is switching its gallon milk packaging to a square case-less jug. 

Its the packaging story everyone is talking about. 

The packaging style is not a new concept, but could represent a new direction in milk container packaging in the US. 

The new style packaging began appearing at Sam's Club stores in November for their store brand Member's Mark milk (pictured) and is now sold in 189 stores the company said.

The square jug packaging will help retailers significantly reduce resources and materials used to package and transport milk.  The square container jug reduces waste compared to the current standard #2 HDPE gallon milk jug which can only be stacked in layers if it’s inside another plastic returnable case or a corrugated box.

The square or case-less milk jugs do not require crates or racks for shipping and storage. Instead, the newly designed milk gallon is self stacking because the spout is flatter and each gallon can rest on another during transport, as well as while on display.

Square case-less milk packaging isn't a new idea.  The owners of Ohio-based Superior Dairy invented and began using this type of milk packaging back in 1998.  The packaging was well received by consumers of the Canton, OH dairy which added several additional sizes of the square jugs to their product line up.  The design never took off nationally in the US until being picked up by Sam's Club.

Creative Edge, a sister company of Superior Dairy is managing the design and license of the milk packaging.  Packaging Digest ran a full profile of the company last year its well worth a look.

In a statement Sam's Club said, "It’s estimated trucks used for shipping from the processor to club can accommodate 9% more milk -- 4,704 gallons per truck or approximately 384 more jugs -- without any metal racks." 

Sam's Club estimates the new case-less jug will offer consumers a cost savings of 10 to 20 cents.

“This is an exciting change for Sam’s Club Members and the dairy industry,” said Heather Mayo, vice president, Merchandising, Sam’s Club. “There are many efficiencies and benefits to case-less milk jugs and one of the best advantages is that we can pass on the lower cost to our members and they benefit from the extended shelf life and added freshness.”

Sam’s Club is offering case-less milk gallons in 189 clubs. The milk is available in most Sam’s Club locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee.

There are a handful of milk producers across the U.S. currently set up to offer the new case-less gallons and as more adopt the design, Sam’s Club hopes to expand distribution.   We would also expect to begin to see the packaging appearing at Walmart stores.

Sam's Club is going so far as to offer customers classes in how to pour milk from the new containers.  This seems a bit much but they are trying to be sensitive to consumers reaction to the change.

Shades of Green

Marketing, packaging & branding all have critical roles in shaping sustainability in the eyes of the consumer.

“One of the things you have to remember about Sustainability is that it will take us all forever to accomplish."  This is a quote by William McDonough, co-founder of the firm MBDC and co-author of the book Cradle to Cradle.

These words are not meant to discourage, but rather reflect the holistic manner in which the topic of Sustainability, needs to be approached

Today, there is a significant increase in the use of environmental claims in product marketing, including “green” claims concerning product packaging.  Sellers and marketers frequently use terms such as “recyclable,” “recycled content,” “biodegradable,” “degradable,” “compostable,” “sustainable” and “renewable” to make green claims about their packaging.

When such claims are used to sell products, consumer perception and substantiation issues may arise.

Also, in recent years, there has been an increase in the use of environmental seals and third-party certification programs purporting to verify the positive environmental impact of product packaging.

The trend towards verification is attributed to the rise in mandatory national reporting.  Organizations that join these programs agree to voluntarily reduce their environmental impact beyond what is required by law.

In addition, these programs act as a powerful communication tool with consumers and corporate stakeholders, as the perception of the seal on a package denotes authenticity.

But consumers are savvy and may have varying interpretations of such seals and programs, and there is a great deal of confusion, false perceptions, and inflated reality.

So much so, that the FTC recently held a forum on Packaging specifically related to eco-marketing claims on packaging.

Packaging is an easy target for legislature, and now that the FTC is involved in creating mandates around the validity of claims, we still  need break through innovation in materials, design and recycling to truly be on the path to sustainability.

While there is a raft of packaging needs to consider, e.g., on food ~ portability and shelf life ~ these needs do not always align with the environmental necessity of our planet.

For example, a package claims that the company is 100% wind-powered…what does this really mean and how does the message get carried through to the consumer!?  What is the real, (in)tangible value of this claim!? And, why should the consumer care!?

Communicating Sustainability Effectively to the Consumer

There is a real, not perceived, knowledge gap.  Marketers and designers must communicate with authenticity, transparency and sustainability ~ in a language that consumers understand.

In the business of brand packaging design, visual imagery has become an emotional “short hand” to trigger Consumer buying motivations and purchase responses, so it is key to learn how to translate the new “Green” vocabulary into meaningful nomenclature

Let’s further explore some terms from this new lexicon:

• The Three R’s ~ in the world of “Green”, this is the standard for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ~ to extract and reuse useful substances found in items that may be otherwise considered as waste

• Alternative Energy ~ energy derived from sources that have little or no impact on the environment and produce no net greenhouse gas emissions in generating electricity.  Such sources include wind and solar.

• Biodegradable ~ a material that breaks down with the assistance of microorganism

• Carbon Footprint ~ 
the amount of carbon dioxide emissions created by a person or industry; and estimate of an individual’s or organization’s impact on the environment

• Compostable ~ a material that breaks down to become what is effectively dirt. It contains no toxins and can support plant life

• Fossil fuel
 ~ fuels containing methane, petroleum, coal and natural gas, which are derived from fossil matter.  These are called "fossil" fuels, as it takes many years for them to be created in the natural environment.  Burning fossil fuels creates greenhouse gases, which are a factor

• Green sheen ~ similar to Green wash, has been used to describe organizations which attempt to appear that they are adopting practices beneficial to the environment

• Renewable resources ~ those that can be replenished, so they are not permanently depleted; alternate-energy sources such as solar or wind power instead of nonrenewable oil, or fast-growing plants like bamboo

• Repurpose
 ~ to take what may be otherwise a waste item and use it for another purpose - e.g a coffee jar becomes a jar for keeping nails (reclaimed or recycled materials are rescued from the garbage dump and turned into new products (plastic bottles reborn as fleece jackets; old magazines become packaging)

• Sustainable ~ indefinitely viable, capable of maintaining productivity or usefulness in the long term. 
Sustainable design, graphic or otherwise, seeks to reduce impacts on the environment by relying on the use of renewable resources, among other measures.  It employs practices that do no lasting harm to the Earth's resources, valuing the survival of future generations over immediate needs!

Sustainable Design - A Visible Issue

There is growing pressure around sustainable design, because unlike the climate, it is a visible issue. 

The consumer has contact with packaging every day and contributes to the growing problem of waste through packaging.  Our research has found that not only do consumers want to simplify their daily lives through “low impact” living, they do not want or need all the unnecessary packaging that surround their brands; they perceive it as extraneous to the product.

And, there are some glaringly obvious disconnects: e.g., food with a 6 month shelf life in packages that last 6,000 years.  Now you not only have solid waste but also greenhouse gases!

Reducing the environmental footprint of packaging requires the cooperation of the entire value chain.

Recent meetings at a variety of Fortune 100 clients resulted in clients sharing their corporate positioning on going green, but the reality is in this economy is that they are not ready to fully commit investments toward "going green".

How Do we Move Forward?

So, how do we change this? Can we change this?  Again, consumer education and a clear communications hierarchy through labeling may help pressure the corporations into action.  Perhaps, if the consumer really understood which claims were truthful and viable, this would become a beneficial point of difference to drive the corporations into making the investments.

Another route would be some sort of government incentive to go green.

The corporations who had the foresight to invest in removing trans fats before there was pressure to, found themselves in a profitable position once the consumers were educated better.

Now that we understand some of the terms that are being used in today's vocabulary, how real should our expectations for a greener world through packaging be?

What do we have to do to design against sustainable packaging?

Actually, the design is easy. In fact, only a year ago my group had a package design prominently displayed at a world renowned packaging show because of its eco-friendly design.

But this was a concept. No different than the concept cars at the auto show that run on water instead of gasoline. The truth is, the design is there, the technology is there, but the funding…what is the price for a company to make sustainability a part of their corporate culture?  The price of the planet…but that is long term strategic thinking and most companies are not willing to invest in the short term (now) to get there.

Lastly, in terms of brand icons as cultural nomenclature ~ a new consumer language has been established, and it speaks of clarity in protecting the environment, reducing conspicuous consumption and our footprint, creating a healthy balance between consumerism and capitalism, and caring for our living earth (one package at a time)!

“In the long term, the economy and the environment are the same thing. If it’s un-environmental, it is un-economical.  That is the rule of nature.” Mollie Beattie Former Director U.WS. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Jackie DeLise is Vice President of Zunda Group LLC.  Zunda Design Group creates brands that inspire, by designing visual identity and packaging that evoke emotions and connect consumers to their brand, ultimately captivating attention and purchase intent at retail.  Jackie can be reached at j.delise@zundagroup.com.

Popeye Spinach Earthfirst PLA Packaging

Steve Sterling had an interesting feature in the June issue of Packaging World focused on the use of Earthfirst PLA used to make the bag packaging for fresh baby spinach from Popeye.

The piece is the latest in Sterling's regular contributions focused on sustainability.

The development of the Earthfirst PLA film for fresh food packaging has taken a significant amount of effort by Plastic Suppliers makers of Earthfirst.

Once the material was developed Sterling reports Emerald packaging worked to develop it into a packaging format that fit Popeye's needs.

One of the key issues was temperature endurance. Reportedly Earthfirst PLA has the highest temperature of 175' F allowing it to be applied in a number of instances. Earthfirst claims their PLA films have the highest temperature of any of the PLA films on the market.

Popeye Fresh Baby Spinach in PLA packaging is available at retail stores here in the US. Given the increased variety of applications PLA is suitable for, fresh produce packaging seems to make a great deal of sense for the material. Conventional forms of salad and spinach packaging is almost always discarded by consumers ending up in landfills.
Wegmans Focused on Reducing Packaging

JUGIT Container for Milk Pouch Packaging

RPC Containers Market Rasen’s expertise in the injection molding of unusually shaped containers has been instrumental in the launch of an exciting new concept in milk packaging, the JUGIT.

RPC Containers Market Rasen has launched JUGIT, a product designed to make bagged milk more acceptable to consumers. 

Developed by Dairy Crest in association with the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain, JUGIT offers consumers a pouch-based format that uses substantially less packaging material than conventional plastic milk containers, allied to the convenience of an easy-to-pour, reusable jug manufactured by RPC Market Rasen.

“Consumers are increasingly conscious about the environmental impact of packaging, and material reduction is a key means of improving this,” explains Richard Pryor, Innovation Controller at Dairy Crest.

“A huge amount of plastic is used annually in the manufacture of milk containers, but pouches require only 25% of the plastic found in the equivalent size of container, making them extremely attractive from the viewpoint of sustainability.”
RPC Market Rasen Enables Sainsbury's to 'JUGIT"

Dairy Crest trialled pouches in Sainsbury’s in 2001 but, while successful, the format was not deemed ready for the mainstream marketplace. Today, Pryor believes that consumers are now prepared to make the change.

“The example of countries such as Canada, where consumers have successfully switched to this ‘greener’ way of buying milk, suggests the same can be achieved in the UK.”

To encourage reusability of the JUGIT, the only part that needs to be cleaned between pouches is the spike attachment. JUGIT is sold with two of these, so that consumers do not have to wash the attachment before fitting each new pouch. A detachment handle is also supplied to enable greater flexibility in pouring.

Dairy Crest asked RPC Market Rasen to turn the JUGIT concept into a workable pack because of its proven track record in creating complex packaging formats. The fact that the site is UK based was also a factor, reducing the freight miles involved in delivery of the jug.

RPC Market Rasen worked closely with Dairy Crest, Vibrandt 1hq and pouch manufacturer Glopak to ensure seamless integration of the four parts of the JUGIT – jug, lid, spike and handle – as well as the necessary durability for long-term reuse.

The lid, spike and handle are injection molded in white # 5 PP, while clear material is used for the two pint jug. This enables the Sainsbury’s branded pouch to be seen throughout its product life, while Dairy Crest has also taken advantage of the clarity by placing the cardboard sleeve used to brand JUGIT inside the jug.

RPC Market Rasen is currently manufacturing JUGIT using a pilot mold to coincide with the trial launch of the format in selected Sainsbury’s stores. If the trial proves successful, full tooling will be commissioned to enable a full national launch in 2009.