Common Sense and Sustainability
Common Sense and Sustainability Blog, a practical and often humorous perspective on sustainability, specifically the packaging industry.
Sustainable Packaging Focus on Reuse in 2010
It is that time of the year for projections and when prognosticators tell us what to expect this coming year and new decade. I admit not having a crystal ball and prove it on an almost daily basis, yet I believe there are some trends developing that are fairly obvious, if you know where to look. The Other “R” One of the trends that I see becoming most obvious is a serious interest on ...... Read More
Comments (13)Ten Ways to Make Your Secondary Packaging Greener in 2010
“Secondary packaging is the first thing your customers see but the last thing on your mind” is a great line our marketing director came up with for one of our brochures, because it is so true, especially if you are one of the up and coming e-commerce companies. All of those boxes, tape and void fill you use to get your product from point A to point B are a major expense, but also a t ...... Read More
Comments (6)"The China Syndrome"
. This is the title of a 1979 hit movie that predicted the earth’s demise via a nuclear energy disaster and it is best recalled for featuring a very young trio of Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas and Jack Lemmon. Ironically, today that same title could apply to the potential environmental disaster resulting from the massive amounts of unsafe and poor quality product and packaging being imported ...... Read More
Comments (1)Should End Users Buy Their Packaging from a Factory, Converter or Distributor? Part 2
The broad selection of available packaging products is extensive and most are taken to market in a variety of different ways. Some manufacturers sell only through converters or distribution and others will only sell to end users. Many sell both ways because they understand that in some scenarios, a converter or distributor can serve the end user customer better and quite frankly, more profitably ...... Read More
Comments (2)Should End Users Buy Their Packaging from a Factory, Converter or Distributor? Part 1
First, allow me to say I am not particularly fond of multi-part blog posts because quite frankly, my attention span is simply not that long. The appeal of writing a blog like this is being able to jump from topic to topic and have virtually no limitations or restrictions. However in this case, I was certain I could not do an adequate job on this topic in one post, unless it was much too long for ...... Read More
Comments (5)An eco dictionary...kind of
"You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means," states the vengeful yet good hearted Inigo Montoya to the unquestionably villainous, Vizzini in the Rob Reiner film "The Princess Bride." Just in case you are one of the few who has never watched this very funny, enjoyable family movie, throughout the first part of the film, Vizzini repeatedly uses the word "inconceiv ...... Read More
Comments (5)When Green Meets Packaging and they run into Sales and Marketing
Think of this as a classroom case study of a unique product with a green story, and tremendous potential, that is all dressed up and has nowhere to go. Chris Marszalek, a business associate and good friend of mine, invented a product called Drink Links. It is an ingeniously simply idea where a plastic ring easily snaps onto the neck of a plastic bottle indentifying your bottle from o ...... Read More
Comments (15)When green packaging fails
Recently I was made aware of a Twitter conversation initiated by an Amazon customer complaining about the high damage rate on her books since the mega shipper decided to “green up” their secondary packaging. Amazon will undoubtedly recover from the unfavorable public comment but my concern is that sustainable secondary packaging is more than likely taking another undeserved black ey ...... Read More
Comments (6)Is Your Green Packaging "Eco Obvious"?
Is Your Green Packaging "Eco Obvious"? Anyone who knows me will tell you I love a good catch phrase. For example, I am not sure if I can take credit for creating the term "eco-consistency" but I am certain I have made it more popular through repeated use in presentation and writing. I think the concept of being thorough and consistent about one’s commitment to helping preserve the earth i ...... Read More
Comments (14)The Incredible, Promotional Green Bag
I realize the word "incredible" is typically used in the context of something that is excellent or amazing, such as “the incredible catch our right fielder made last night in the sixth inning.” In this case I prefer to use it in the less common definition “hard to believe” or as some put it, “lacking credibility.” First, allow me to say that I am N ...... Read More
Comments (8)Square Watermelons? Has Sustainability Gone Too Far?
When I first heard of this new idea coming to us from Japan, I was certain sustainability advocates were dancing and rejoicing in the streets. After all this idea borders on genius! Japanese farmers discovered they could grow watermelons in square glass cases and the end result was a perfectly square watermelon. There are probably few items we buy that are as inefficient as watermelons wh ...... Read More
Comments (13)The Gray about Green
"There is no black and white in green, and the gray in sustainable packaging is growing daily." I may be paraphrasing a quote I first heard some time ago at a green conference but I think the message is clear. For people who want and need absolutes such as yes/no, good/bad, right/wrong, etc., this relatively new area of sustainability can be frustrating and confusing. Though we sometimes choose ...... Read More
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