As manufacturers, retailers and consumers all look for more eco-friendly packaging, suppliers continue to innovate environmentally conscious solutions.

While the worlds of business, activism and academia use the concept of sustainability to incorporate economic, social and environmental issues into one tidy concept, according to market researcher The Hartman Group, most consumers understand its underlying values to be better expressed in terms of “responsibility.”

In a 2010 report by The Hartman Group, 15 percent more consumers are now aware of the term “sustainability” compared to three years ago (69 percent in 2010 said they are familiar with “sustainability” vs. 54 percent in 2007), but only 21 percent can identify a sustainable product and even fewer (12 percent) can name specific companies as “sustainable.” 

More recently, however, studies show consumers are more eco-conscious of their product and packaging than ever before and this focus is growing, said Stacy Santos, marketing manager at Massachusetts-based Dion Label Printing.
“Consumers are looking at the recyclability of their packaging as well as convenience.There are several complaint websites about ‘too much packaging’ for certain products.As a result, consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are continuously looking to offer more sustainable, convenient and reusable packaging.”

Although consumer knowledge and awareness has certainly increased, up to this point, most is more perceptive than actual, warned Ajith Nair, senior vice president of global research and development at Bilcare Research, a Switzerland-based producer of a vast array of rigid films. “It is important that consumers be educated about the real eco-friendly facts of the products they consume rather than perceptions so that they can make informed choices,” said Nair.

A Market in Demand 

The movement toward sustainable packaging and processing has grown over the years. “With market leaders and retail giants promoting scorecards for sustainable and reduced packaging, our clients are turning to us for eco-friendly packaging,” said Santos. “With more than 40 years of packaging experience and an emphasis on sustainability, we have been able to help our clients reduce their carbon footprint and expand their brands through other distribution channels. In Regards to sustainability, the packaging market is still in a growth phase. There is still more research to be done and products coming to market.”

As [consumer] awareness increases, so does the demand, added Tom Flottman, president of Ohio-based Rxperts Printing Alliance—Flottman Co. “As more businesses focus on being or becoming eco-friendly and make this charge a true part of mainstream production, then even more of a demand will be created.As the availability of ecofriendly materials increases and more consumers purchase these eco-friendly materials over other packaged good, the demand will continue to increase.”

Thus, the onus is on suppliers to come up with more eco-friendly packaging options. For companies in the organic or natural food industries, sustainable packaging is an extension of their product, said Nate Schlachter, executive director of the Sustainable Food Organization, a non-profit trade association that represents North American, missionaligned, organic food companies. “It is important to recognize the need for similar attributes in the packaging you choose for your product. Additionally, sustainable packaging is important for companies because we need to recognize the responsibility that we have as companies to address the end of use of our products and packaging. Packaging designed with the landfill in mind is irresponsible. As municipal and private infrastructure grow to provide better reclamation, consumers will do their part in pushing on companies to make products with packaging that is sustainable and easily handled by consumers at end of use.”

Truly Eco-Friendly 

According to The Responsible Packaging Project, there are three ways sustainable packaging is defined in the organic and natural products industry:

• Transparency of content and processin determining these guidelines, and which materials and inputs are preferred.

• Extended producer responsibility (EPR)—a strategy designed to promote the integration of environmental and Social costs associated with products throughout their life cycles into the market price of the products.

• Ecological principles drive the definition of “what is” either recyclable as a technical nutrient in manufacturing cycles, or compostable as a biological nutrient in nature.

And according to Dion Label Printing’s Santos, for a package to be truly ecofriendly, the materials used should have one or more of the following criteria: materials used in the package are derived from renewable or sustainable sources; the materials may have come from post-consumer waste material; the materials have been produced in a way that uses less energy and resources as other methods and produces less waste; the byproducts of these materials and print methods are not harmful or damaging to the environment; the packaging is recyclable or biodegradable; and the packaging may be reused in some way.

“For the pharmaceutical industry, a huge hurdle to designing a cost-effective, eco-friendly blister package exists because conventional biodegradable materials have problems withstanding the mechanical, thermal and biological stress undergone during a blister’s forming and its in-market life cycle,” added Nair. “With ECOmply, Bilcare has overcome this obstacle through an innovative Formulation that breaks down only under favorable anaerobic conditions typically found in landfills, he said.

ECOmply™ is an eco-friendly blister combining the demands of biodegradability and product protection stability. It blends standard PVC film with a special additive that makes it truly biodegradable.The result is PVC-level functionality without a PVC-level environmental footprint. When used together, ECOmply film and Bilcare Nova® combine to form ECOmply™ Pack, which provides reliable protection for low-sensitivity capsules, pills and tablets.For highly sensitive products, ECOmply film can be paired with PvdC coated barrier films and Aclar® Laminated high-barrier films for maximum protection, said Nair.

Dion Label Printing, meanwhile, shows its environmentally friendly efforts in several different ways, said Santos. “Our clients understand that we offer environmentally friendly packaging solutions and that we always pursue eco-friendly methods and technology in our day-today operations. By doing so, we are able to offer packaging solutions they may use to promote their products. We are also able to better our processes by becoming more efficient and using less energy and resources. This helps reduce packaging waste and expenses.”

According to Santos, more than 95 percent of Dion’s waste is transformed into energy pellets used in conjunction with and as a substitute for coal. Other eco-friendly efforts from the company include: digital printing, which reduces waste; water-soluble adhesives, which allow labels to be washed off their containers, so the recycling process for containers is much simpler; water-based, solvent- free inks; a variety of eco-friendly material ranging from various levels of post-consumer paper, “tree-free” paper, and biodegradable and recyclable films; and bulk shipping for those customers who are willing to mix items within their shipping containers, allowing Dion to cut back on boxes and shipping paper.

Additional eco-friendly advancements vary from one packaging company to Another, said Santos, noting that shrink sleeves are a growing trend as they offer a fully recyclable product container and allow a product to have 360 degree design real estate to promote their products “[Additionally], flexible pouching allows product packaging and decoration to be one and the same. Brand managers particularly like pouches as they offer more room for product on limited store shelves, packages the product and attracts consumer attention through shape and convenience.” 

NeoCell, a collagen peptide-based dietary supplement manufacturer in California, launched its new-look labels and eco-friendly packaging at this year’s Natural Products Expo West trade show in March. NeoCell’s product line is now packaged in 100 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic bottles. PCR packaging generates far fewer greenhouse gases, reduces reliance on petrochemicals and keeps plastic out of landfills and oceans. “We wanted to be in line with the green direction our retailers were going and to provide our consumers with a more environmentally conscious choice,” said Sarah Quadri, head of NeoCell’s R&D department.

Challenges 

In the natural channel, eco-friendly packaging can be found on all types of products.One main issue suppliers have, though, is cost.

“While certain environmentally friendly material is more expensive than others, we have been able to provide eco-solutions that work with our client’s budgets,” said Santos.“In regards to the selling cost of products that are environmentally packaged, these products are not always sold at a premium.However, if the product within the environmentally friendly package is more costly to produce, then this can explain why a product is sold at a premium,” she said.

The biggest challenge for suppliers is to make these materials cost-effective and functional, added Nair. “This leads to varying levels of true eco-friendliness, as the increasing demand for green packaging leads some suppliers to incorporate some eco-conscious features into their products—as a means of being able to call attention to sustainability—rather than making products highly ecofriendly and truly biodegradable.”

Leveling the playing field in terms of cost and functionality with “regular” (i.e., non-eco-friendly) material is an obstacle, noted Nair. “The only real solution is advancement in technology, which will inevitably occur. Considering how far the sustainable products movement has come in a relatively short span of time, it’s logical to be confident about that point.”

Additionally, with all of the different types of packaging, it is important to recognize that there is an over abundance of eco labels for packaging that are confusing and somewhat nebulous, offered Sustainable Food Organization’s Schlachter.

“The FTC guidelines are a great place to start, but more robust goals and aspirations are needed to transition to responsible packaging. There is still confusion around compostability and biodegradability. There needs to be more certification and better communication of what these terms mean and how they are being implemented in packaging.”

Extra! Extra!

Visit www.niemagazine.com to learn about AMERIPEN, a new trade organization seeking to influence environmental packaging issues.

Responsible Packaging Awards 2012

The Responsible Packaging Project is a not-for-profit collaboration of the organic and natural foods industry to drive ecologically sound and socially responsible packaging innovation.According to its website (www.responsible-packaging.org), its vision is to raise the bar in the food industry through open inquiry and cross-supply chain collaboration. Responsible Packaging Awards annually recognize organic and natural industry achievements and innovations in packaging. They are directed by the project’s three guidelines: transparency, ecological principles and extended producer responsibility. The awards recognize brands for materials reduction, use of 100 percent post-consumer recycled material, non-GMO bio materials, compostability, third-party certified packaging, packaging that is returnable for reuse and easily recycled or reused by the end user.

The eight brands receiving awards this year are:

• EO Products—100 percent post consumer recycled PET bottle 

• Earthbound Farm—Elimination of virgin PVC shrink band for clamshell packaging

• EcoTeas—100 percent post consumer, FSC certified, paperboard

• Justin’s Nut Butter—100 percent post consumer recycled PET 16-oz. Jar

• Avalon Organics—100 percent post consumer recycled PET 14-oz. Bottle

• NeoCell—100 percent post consumer recycled PET bottle

• Alba Botanicals—100 percent post consumer recycled PET 12-oz. Bottle

• Natracare – Third-party certified, compostable bio bag.

For more information on the Responsible Packaging Project and guidelines, visit www.responsible-packaging.org.