Business Management - Sustainability

Events during the last six months have made research for this article a real challenge. It’s almost like writing an article on the state of the commercial airline industry for the November 2001 issue of “Your Aviation Monthly Magazine.”

CLEARWATER, Fla.—Innovation can eliminate packaging waste and enable a future where all packaging is recycled or its value is recovered, DuPont’s vice president and general manager said at the Packaging Strategies CEO Summit. “The packaging industry has long focused on reducing to the minimum necessary packaging. But this is not enough; we can do more through innovation,” said William F. Weber.

Experts from Henkel Corporation, Curtis Packaging and Flint Group will present more sustainable ink and coating options at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition spring meeting in Chicago on March 24.

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI, Canada—J Zarwan Partners has published an in-depth research study, "Environmental Impact of Printing Plates," to help printers make informed choices when purchasing plates, and to bring to an often confusing issue. The report analyses four main areas where plates can have an environmental impact—chemistry, energy, water, and waste, and compares the relative environmental impact between different categories of plates, as well as comparing the resources used by different plates within a category.

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI, Canada—J Zarwan Partners has published an in-depth research study, "Environmental Impact of Printing Plates," to help printers make informed choices when purchasing plates, and to bring to an often confusing issue. The report analyses four main areas where plates can have an environmental impact—chemistry, energy, water, and waste, and compares the relative environmental impact between different categories of plates, as well as comparing the resources used by different plates within a category.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership has announced that six printing facilities are now certified as SGP Printers: Fineline Printing Group, Indianapolis, Ind.; Pictura Graphics, Minneapolis, Minn.; Pratt Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind.; The John Roberts Company, Minneapolis, Minn.; Monroe Litho, Rochester, N.Y.; and most recently, Meisel, Carrollton, Texas.

Innovia Films’ sustainable and compostable packaging film, NatureFlex™ has been chosen by Twinings to wrap one of its major tea products, Everyday.

HOLYOKE, Mass.—Hazen Paper Company has achieved Chain of Custody tri-certification and is now able to supply converted paper and paperboards that are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Certified, and/or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) Certified.

There are some things as an advocate of paperboard packaging you would expect to hear from me—how it protects, promotes, identifies, and informs the consumer better than any other form of container; how the printing quality of the folding carton, and now in some instances the corrugated box, is unequaled; how it offers visibility, product differentiation, and style versatility in almost limitless combinations; and how it meets the challenges of distribution, freight, and maximizing shelf space.

Putting ink on paper to convey a message has become second nature, so it’s almost hard to believe there would be anything new to talk about. However, paperboard suppliers continue to innovate. Helped along, no doubt by the Wal-Mart Scorecard, printers of paperboard packaging face informing their customers about virgin paperboard grades as well as myriad recycling grades.