2Sustain

What is the environmental impact of pre-packaged sandwiches and baked goods? Are there ways businesses can work towards their sustainability goals –and cut costs –by changing the way these items are prepared, packaged and stored?

Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), an organization that works in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to help businesses reduce waste and develop sustainable products, wants answers to questions like these, and so it has launched a study into the amount of waste in the UK retail supply chain created by pre-prepared food.

The landmark study will include four representative products –sandwiches, pizza, quiches, and ready-made meals –and it aims to: (more…)

Starbucks wants mayors and other municipal leaders to evaluate and improve local commercial and residential recycling systems, so that the company can develop what it calls a “comprehensive recyclable cup solution” by 2012.

Starbucks made the pitch last week at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C.

As I’m sure you realize, current recycling capabilities vary considerably from city to city and county to county. So, Starbucks is looking  to partner with a variety of groups –including municipal governments, raw materials suppliers, cup manufacturers, retail and beverage partners, recyclers, environmental NGOs and experts from the academic sector –to rethink recycling programs and create sustainable systems that can work across its entire nation-wide value chain.

“Scalability is critical. We can only achieve it if we take a holistic approach and join forces with our entire value chain,” says Jim Hanna, Starbucks director of Environmental Impact. “Mayors are uniquely positioned to mobilize stakeholders at a grassroots level and help drive solutions that will make our cups and other packaging more broadly recyclable in form and in practice.”

(more…)

Recent research found that the vast majority of companies have, or are developing, some type of sustainable packaging policy.

But even though there’s a heightened awareness and lots of interest, green packaging remains poorly understood.

Fortunately, a new three-part online series by Nancy Parmer shines a spotlight on the issue, promising to address the fundamental concerns surrounding sustainable packaging and its role in the green supply chain.

Parmer, who is senior director of sustainability, customer solutions group, at UPS, says the series will dissect each of these three key green packaging strategies: (more…)

The U.S. Postal Service has redesigned its green-oriented website, USPS.com/green, to make it even easier for consumers to find eco-friendly options for mail and shipping.

Visit the site and you’ll learn about USPS online services, eco-friendly packaging products, and how to green your mail. (If you have a spare three minutes, you can even calculate your personal carbon footprint.)

What’s more, the site also highlights the Postal Services’ overall commitment to environmental stewardship.

For instance, I learned that the Postal Service has established several very specific green goals, including: (more…)

If you’re in the sustainable packaging sector, the good news just keeps coming.

Last week, the Tompkins’ Supply Chain Consortium released news that its survey of top retail- and manufacturing-related companies found that more than 65 percent of companies have some type of sustainable packaging policy in place. Another 28 percent are currently developing a policy.

That means nearly all (93 percent) of the companies polled are making a commitment to sustainable packaging . (more…)