2Sustain

Make a purchase at any fast food restaurant, and it’s impossible not to notice the packaging waste generated. Usually, there’s the cup, the cover to the cup, the straw, the paper/plastic/box the food is wrapped in, the stack of napkins . . .

Why can’t fast food restaurants develop a “greener” way to package their products?

Fortunately, some are taking significant steps in that direction.

Last week, Dogwood Alliance released “Greening Fast Food Packaging: A Roadmap to Best Practices,” a report which

• outlines eight key attributes of environmentally friendly fast food packaging,
• highlights fast food industry leaders that are implementing key initiatives to help move the entire sector toward more sustainable packaging,
• provides simple guidance on how to assess environmental impacts in the supply chain, and
• offers a valuable action plan to focus corporate sustainability efforts.

According to the report, a few leaders have stepped out from the pack to take initiative on the development of sustainable fast food packaging. For example: (more…)

For the last five years, an annual study by Packaging Digest has shown sustainability’s steady growth as a driver of change and innovation in the packaging sector. Unfortunately, though, data from this year’s survey indicates that this momentum might be slowing.

The Sustainability in Packaging study is the longest running benchmarking survey on this topic in the industry, and the September 2011 drew 674 responses from a cross section of the packaging industry, including consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs), retailers, packaging services and converters, as well as machinery and materials suppliers.

Here are a few key findings: (more…)

Earlier this year, toy and game maker Hasbro, Inc. directed its suppliers to stop using paper sourced from unsustainably managed forests.

Now, the company has unveiled a comprehensive policy intended to ensure that all procurement decisions align with the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability and support sustainable forest management.

Hasbro’s new Paper and Forest Procurement Policy (PFPP):

• sets stringent vendor requirements for credible third party certification (such as the Forest Stewardship Council) of fiber.
• requires that no sources of Mixed Tropical Hardwood (MTH) virgin fiber be used in products, including packaging.

The PFPP underscores a goal Hasbro already had established: By 2015, the company wants 90 percent usage of paper packaging and in-box game content derived from recycled material or sources that practice sustainable forest management. (For 2011, the goal is 75 percent.)

In addition, Hasbro has taken the supplementary step of achieving Forest Stewardship Council certification for its US manufacturing facility, and the company is pursuing similar certification for its manufacturing facility in Ireland.

According to Kathrin Belliveau, Hasbro’s Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Government Affairs, the company recognizes these moves have important strategic benefits. As I’ve mentioned before, “peak deforestation” creates three specific valuation risks for your company and its associated investment portfolios: (more…)

In March of 2010, AT&T launched an initiative to slim down its accessory packaging, and since then, the company has succeeded in eliminating more than 500 tons of paper and plastic used for packaging device chargers, cases, batteries and data cables.

Now, AT&T is ratcheting up its commitment to sustainable packaging one more notch. Last week, AT&T announced that it will become the first US telecom company to use new plant-based plastic in its accessory packaging.

The new plastic is composed of up to 30 percent plant-based materials sourced from natural sugarcane. According to AT&T, the sugarcane used is a rapidly renewable agricultural crop and replaces nearly a third of the fossil fuels traditionally used in this particular packaging. (more…)

Today’s consumers are more concerned about environmental issues such as pollution, water shortages, packaging waste and the use of pesticides than they are about climate change, according to Nielsen’s 2011 Global Online Environment & Sustainability Survey.

The latest findings, compiled from a poll of more than 25,000 Internet respondents in 51 countries showed that: (more…)