Responsible Packaging – The Great Debate

Many companies use plastic in their products, packaging and packing of their packaged products – which amounts to a lot of responsibility for the customer and end consumer!  27% of PET containers were recycled in 2008, which pales in comparison to the 2,500,000 plastic bottles that Americans use every hour.[1]^,[2]  Environmental groups say one of the biggest problems with plastic bottles is that consumers do not recycle them.  So, how responsible are the new plant-based and compostable packages?

Adventures at Wal-Mart!

Yesterday our team took a trip to the local Wal-Mart, and we were on a mission: to hunt down products that we feel have opportunities for improvement in various areas of sustainability. Hallie, our fearless mission leader, provided us with a helpful list of questions to answer in our search for said products. One of our tasks was to find a product that had extraneous packaging (makeup is a great example). Upon finding this product, we were to brainstorm how this product might creatively reduce their packaging.

“Beyond Green”

By Margie Flynn, Principal and Co-Owner of BrownFlynn

Originally published in Paperboard Packaging on March 1, 2009.

Many leaders today believe “going green” will enable their company to gain competitive advantage and market share, especially during a challenging economy. That may be true, but how deep does the commitment to “green” permeate their organizations? While manufacturing and selling environmentally friendly paperboard and packaging products can increase sales, generate efficiencies and potentially enhance your company’s brand, two key questions remain:

• Is your commitment to green authentic and core to your company’s culture and operations?
• Have you explored the benefits of thinking beyond green to reap the wide-ranging benefits of sustainability?

More consumers are seeking to buy green paperboard packaging, versus plastics and other forms of packaging, but that doesn’t mean they’re overlooking a company’s true intention in selling such products. If a company, on face value, appears to be committed to “green” environmental practices based on its product marketing, yet the majority of its operations and manufacturing processes are brown (far from green), then the company is “greenwashing.”

Greenwashing triggers increased scrutiny and criticism by a multitude of key stakeholders, including customers, shareholders, advocacy groups, and many more. Therefore, before going too far down the green path, be sure to align your internal practices with your external actions and intentions.

But, why stop at just green? Think beyond green. Think sustainability. Companies integrating sustainability into their business operations recognize the convergence of environmental, social and economic values will truly set them apart from the competition. In doing so, your company can create value for customers by providing packaging solutions they want and need to enhance their lives while reaping the benefits of sustainability.

A good example is MeadWestvaco Corp., named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the fifth consecutive year, which believes sustainability is both a business strategy and an ethical imperative. The company sees it as the driving force behind its innovative products and environmentally responsible manufacturing processes. Most importantly, however, it describes sustainability as “the foundation of a company built on integrity, accountability and stewardship.”

In this tough economy, however, does it pay to be sustainable?

Insider Perspective from the TAPPI CorrExpo ’09

Margie Flynn just got back today from the TAPPI CorrExpo ’09 in Chicago  (TAPPI = Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry).  Here’s her account of the event:

Just back from Chicago after presenting at the TAPPI conference along with Paul Earl-Torniainen of General Mills.  We discussed the impact of sustainability on the corrugated packaging industry and why integrating sustainability into your business operations is a business imperative.  The audience, comprising a wide variety companies (users, suppliers and distributors of corrugated packaging) as well as industry associations, was well engaged in the session.  Some issues of greatest interest to them were the competitive threats of alternative, flexible packaging as well as the importance of educating stakeholders about sustainability while effectively managing the messages (internally and externally) about a company’s initiatives.