Sustainable Packaging

Town bans plastic water bottles
Posted by Jenni Spinner, Senior Editor, April 27, 2012
Plastics Today senior editor Heather Caliendo reports that a Mass. town is the first to ban PET-bottled H2O. More
Popularity of food authentication on the rise
Posted by Jenni Spinner, Senior Editor, April 27, 2012
Concern about the veracity of organic and sustainable food labels is encouraging greater traceability throughout the packaging supply chain. More
Eco-conscious beauty brand chooses tree-free fiber packaging
Posted by Lisa McTigue Pierce, April 26, 2012
Face 4 humanity enhances its commitment to the environment by using FiberStone tree-free, water-free, low-carbon-footprint packaging for its skincare products. More
Coke bottler in Latin America sets up bottle maker on premises
Posted by Lisa McTigue Pierce, April 26, 2012
Over the next eight years, ALPLA Mexico will be supplying 900 million empty bottles per year to ArcaContinental, the second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in Latin America. ALPLA will join its trade partner in its facilities and produce most of the bottles inline. More
Removable in-mold label
Edited by Lisa McTigue Pierce, April 26, 2012
The R-IML removable in-mold label—developed to increase PP recycling rates in the U.K.—can be molded at standard dwell times and temperatures and therefore has no impact on molding processes. The label performs in moist, chilled, damp or microwave conditions. More
Partnership builds infrastructure around recycled polystyrene
Posted by Lisa McTigue Pierce, April 25, 2012
In an exclusive partnership, NextLife will transform recovered polystyrene products into sustainable resin that will be supplied to Cascades, who will use it in the production of foam trays designed for meat packaging. More
Reusable bottle 'counts' its eco impact
Posted by Lisa McTigue Pierce, April 25, 2012
Designed to encourage people to switch away from single-use plastic bottles by helping them track and visualize the impact of their choices, the 999Bottles container combines quality materials, sleek design and a tracking mechanism. More
Toilet tissue squeezes into sustainable packaging
Posted by Jenni Spinner, Senior Editor, April 24, 2012
UK-based Sainsbury's has cut the diameter of its FSC-certified cardboard tube and added planet-friendly on-pack messaging; the moves support the firm's "20 by 20" sustainability plan. More
Farmers and grocers think outside the wax box
Posted by John Kalkowski, April 23, 2012
Farmers and grocers are thinking outside the box -- the wax-lined box, that is. The produce industry, which uses tons of the nonrecyclable paraffin-coated cardboard boxes each year to ship fresh fruits and vegetables all over the world,is weighing a greener, wax-free option.

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Mirel-based biodegradable plant packaging launched
Posted by John Kalkowski, April 23, 2012
Supplied by Floral Plant Growers, SoilWrap is now available at Home Depot and Shopko stores. These plantable pots made from Mirel biopolymers are said to save gardeners time and provide a sustainable alternative to plastic. More
Earth Day study: Most shoppers won't pay more for green packaging
Posted by Jenni Spinner, Senior Editor, April 20, 2012
Online coupon company RetailMeNot.com finds less than half of consumers are willing to pay more for planet-friendly products. More
Bottles recycled to make heavy truck parts
Posted by Jenni Spinner, Senior Editor, April 19, 2012
Ann R. Thryft of Design News shares how recycled resin supplied by SABIC is used to make components of new Volvo trucks. More
Heinz continues global rollout of PlantBottle
Posted by Lisa McTigue Pierce, April 18, 2012
Heinz ketchup in PlantBottle packaging is now available in grocery stores throughout Canada in the 750mL size. A special "talking label" encourages Canadians to learn more about the packaging. More
Breakthrough creates recycled-content aluminum aerosol can
Edited by Lisa McTigue Pierce, April 18, 2012
New metal technology from Ball Corp. enables the use of recycled aluminum in aerosol cans and also allows lightweighting by about 10 percent without affecting package integrity. More
Recycled-content packaging adds more 'green' to Subway salads
Posted by Lisa McTigue Pierce, April 16, 2012
Salad bowls and lids for the restaurant chain are now made from 95 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) PET—predominately soda and water bottles. More
Groups reach consensus on EPR, packaging terms
Posted by Jenni Spinner, Senior Editor, April 13, 2012
Three product-focused organizations have hammered out common definitions regarding sustainability-related terminology. More
Bottles act as currency in 'The Great Recycle' event
Posted by Lisa McTigue Pierce, April 12, 2012
On Apr. 30, Honest Tea—and partners—will place a 30-ft tall recycling bin in Times Square and try to crowd-source recycle more than 45,000 plastic, glass and aluminum beverage containers in 10 hours. For each bottle people recycle, they will be rewarded with points, which they can redeem onsite. More
Hasbro to improve product-to-packaging ratio
Posted by Lisa McTigue Pierce, April 11, 2012
Hasbro's new initiative will result in an approximate 15 percent improvement in the average product-to-package ratio of select brands and products. Packaging efficiencies will include redesigned disposable boxes and blister packs that use less material. More
Easter eggs hop to White House in sustainable packaging
Posted by Jenni Spinner, Senior Editor, April 6, 2012
The eggs will arrive to the legendary White House Easter Egg Roll in paperboard certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. More
Market price of recycled material just doesn't match its true value

Anne Johnson, April 5, 2012
Aluminum prices are on the rise. Worth between $0.70/lb and $1.00/lb, aluminum cans are one of the most valuable packaging materials used. So why did we throw away 1.3 billion pounds of aluminum last year? This is equivalent to the aluminum in more than 27,000 Airbus A320s, according to Alcoa.
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