WikiPak: What is Sustainable Packaging?

The growing consumer demand for greener packaging alternatives comes not as a huge surprise to industry trend watchers. A recent Pike Research study found that sustainable packaging is expected to grow to 32 percent of the total global packaging market by 2014, up from 21 percent in 2009. On top of that, it’s hard to ignore large global retailers like Wal-Mart, who continue to raise the bar for sustainable packaging on store shelves and throughout their supply chain through such actions as the company’s Sustainability Packaging Scorecard, which measures suppliers on such criteria as GHG emissions, product-to-package ratio and the amount of renewable energy used in manufacture and delivery of products.

According to the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), sustainable packaging must meet a variety of requirements that make it eco-friendly while still being cost-efficient and useful for businesses and consumers. The SPC believes that sustainable packaging is that which:

• Is beneficial, safe & healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle;
• Meets market criteria for performance and cost;
• Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy;
• Maximizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials;
• Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices;
• Is made from materials healthy in all probable end of life scenarios;
• Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy;
• Is effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial cradle to cradle cycles.
  
  

The 7 R’s of Sustainable Packaging

In 2006, the Packaging Network announced its desirable principles of sustainable packaging to suppliers through the “7 R’s of Sustainable Packaging.” The “7 R’s of Packaging” are:

1- Remove: Eliminate unnecessary packaging, extra boxes or layers
2- Reduce: "Right size" packaging, use fewer or lighter components
3- Reuse: Use post-consumer recycled material (PCR), reusable plastics
4- Renew: Use materials made from renewable resources
5- Recycle: Recycled, recyclable, compostable materials
6- Revenue: Achieve the above for the same or lower cost
7- Read: Print recycled / recyclable message on packaging

Sources:

Wal-Mart is Taking the Lead on Sustainable Packaging

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Sustainable Packaging Coalition: Definition of Sustainable Packaging

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The Rise of Sustainable Packaging

Pike Research: One-Third of All Packaging Materials to be Eco-Friendly by 2014
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