2Sustain

Last Wednesday, the Coca-Cola Company and H.J. Heinz Company announced a strategic partnership that enables Heinz to produce its ketchup bottles using Coca-Cola’s innovative PlantBottle packaging.

I first wrote about the PlantBottle when Coca-Cola launched it back in 2009. It looks, feels and functions just like traditional PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic –but, the PlantBottle is made from up to 30 percent sustainably-sourced plant-based material. Plus, it is 100 percent recyclable, like traditional PET plastic. (In other words, PlantBottle packaging can be recycled in the existing commercial recycling infrastructure.)

By adopting the PlantBottle technology, Heinz is making the biggest change to the brand’s iconic ketchup bottles since the company first introduced plastic in 1983. Heinz plans to convert to PlantBottle globally, beginning with the 20-ounce variety of Heinz Ketchup, which will be rolled out to US consumers this summer. All told, Heinz says it will introduce 120 million PlantBottle packages in 2011. (more…)

Earlier this month, the Procter & Gamble Company announced that it will be using renewable, sustainable, sugarcane-derived plastic on selected packaging in its beauty and grooming product line. The company says it will be piloting the new packaging globally over the next two years, with the first products expected to be on store shelves in 2011.

The new sugarcane-derived plastic is made using an innovative process that transforms sugarcane into high-density polyethylene (HDPE) –a plastic commonly used for product packaging. The new packaging   remains 100 percent recyclable in existing municipal recycling facilities, and represents a significant step forward in sustainable packaging because it is made from a renewable resource –unlike traditional plastic, which is made from non-renewable petroleum. (more…)

At the Global Label Association Summit held earlier this month in Barcelona,  the Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI), the Féderation INternationale des fabricants et transformateurs d’Adhésifs et Thermocollants sur papiers et autres supports (FINAT) and other major associations in the label industry agreed to promote sustainability and environmental standards worldwide.

For example, the global label associations, suppliers and converters, say they’re committed to: (more…)

Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ), a non-profit organization that promotes recycling, has announced winners in its “Greener Containers, Packaging and Printed Matter: Today’s Reality, Today’s Opportunities! Recognition Program.”

This year’s awards went to: (more…)