‘Polybags have to go,' says apparel industry exec

Pira Intl. has published a second in a series of conference speaker interviews to preview topics to be presented at the Sustainability in Packaging 2012 conference. The event, to be held Mar 12-14 at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate in Orlando, FL, is organized by Pira Intl. in association with Packaging Digest and Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News. Early Bird pricing, which saves attendees $100 off the regular fee, expires Fri., Feb. 3, 2012. Click here to read the first Q&A with Tony Knoerzer, vp advanced research-food packaging at PepsiCo.

Chase Mueller

At Brooks, Mueller is responsible for developing and implementing sustainable supply chain initiatives internally and externally to manage capacity constraints, minimize inventory investment, develop suppliers understanding of environmental considerations, enhance planning processes and reduce waste in the supply chain.

Among the operational hats worn, he manages the packaging program for Brooks Sports footwear and apparel, an area he has identified as capable of substantial bottom line impact and opportunity for continuous improvement. His success has been centered on questioning the believed to be necessary aspects of packaging, and establishing testing protocols supported by scientific research to pave the way for a more sustainable packaging paradigm/consumer experience.

Here's a short preview, courtesy of Pira...

Q: From an apparel company perspective, how do you see the trends for sustainable packaging moving forward in the next five years?

A: Polybags have to go. They represent the largest environmental cost associated with getting a garment to market. I am not saying that PLA is the future either because that comes with its own set of problems and cost challenges. It is a handling, storage and acceptable cost-related solution that is necessary. I would like to move toward a solution where garments are bulk packed in a multi-use volume adaptable master pouch that can be re-used up and down the supply chain and move away from the single-use disposable.

Q: Can you briefly share with us (as a preview of your presentation at the conference) the status and developments of the Eco-Index project?

A: The Eco-Index project, as it relates to footwear and apparel, has morphed into a collaborative cross industry measurement tool now being chiefly chaired by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). Essentially the Eco-Index is the core of the SAC tool.

In my opinion, the single largest development in the evolution of the tool has been identifying the necessity of a scoring component that focuses on the overarching decision making framework that affects all product and packaging decisions; the Brand level. This had previously been an imbedded component of the Product level tier in the Eco-Index. It makes total sense to recognize, at a higher level, standard policies that are managed to in the supply chain as it relates to all products and packaging for a Brand.

To round out the scope of the tool, phase 2 will include a Fair Labor/ Worker Health and Safety component of the index. At the end of the day, the SAC is ultimately going to hold the keys to the polished version, which will include access to a materials LCA data base, while the OIA will encourage members to utilize an Excel version, with less rich LCA data, for maximizing environmental best practices as it relates a product's life stages.

Essentially the work done in the SAC is and will be backward integrated into the Eco-Index as much as possible. The OIA is moving forward with the development of a tool specifically for Equipment structured in concert with the SAC model. The collaborative process has resulted in a very dynamic approach that delivers unequivocal modularity enabling all contributors within the design to end of life continuum to participate in the sustainability position of a Brand, Product and Packaging.

Q: As a brand owner, where would you like to see suppliers go with solutions for end of life?

A: Obviously the answer to this question can vary widely by product. Cradle-to-cradle is the ultimate goal that industry needs total supply chain support on. For Brooks, it is a balancing act of striving to be as sustainable as possible without jeopardizing the performance characteristics of our products.

The primary challenge on the factory side in the Apparel and Footwear industry is that there is a lot of doing business the way it has always been done. The trick is encouraging and supporting the factories to strengthen their competitive advantage by being more proactive with sustainable solutions. Waste is a great starting point in the conversation because they understand the cost associated with inefficiency.

In our space, we are more focused on EMS, Worker Health and Safety, and sourcing responsibly. Brooks ultimately needs to take the leadership role in end of life by designing products that can be easily disassembled, to enable convenient recycling and biodegradation.

Q: And last, what are you looking forward to hear at the 2012 Sustainability in Packaging Conference next March?

A: I am most interested in technology and material advancements. As I continue to push the pace with packaging at Brooks, I am constantly keeping my eyes peeled for the next best approach at getting our products to market that will differentiate the brand as a thought leader in consumer experience and responsible steward of the environment.

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