A move toward sustainability... a single layer at a time

Until somebody comes up with a single answer to all post-consumer packaging disposal, the synergy among marketers and suppliers sparking the search must count as progress.

Drawing closer to the goal a step at a time, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), Waterbury, VT, is starting to use bags made of (from the outside) 48-ga PET/28-ga foil/80-ga PLA/2½-mil PE.

Though that may not represent a giant leap toward sustainability, it is an important step. The new laminate, eliminating a layer of foil and a ½-mil of PE vs the web previously used, is now adopted by GMCR for whole-bean coffees it packages for the Newman's Own® Organics Fair Trade-certified line, most recently featuring a flavored Newman's Vanilla Caramel, and its own brand of 10-oz bags.

Also in the new packaging are Newman's Special Blend, Newman's French Roast, Newman's Special Decaf, Café Almond Biscotti, Nell's Breakfast Blend and Colombian Especial—all marketed by actor Paul Newman, whose likeness appears on the main display panels of the rich copper-shaded, squared-off, side-gusseted bags.

In toto, the switch to the new bag, produced, as was the former one, by Fres-co System USA (www.fresco.com) means the PLA component is 19.4 percent of the total mix. The PLA polymer is supplied from NatureWorks LLC (www.natureworksllc.com).

“We're moving forward carefully with this,” says Paul Comey, vp of GMCR's environmental affairs. “Our bags have evolved with special features that consumers have come to expect, and we want to preserve them.”

Says Comey, “The new film is used only on the 10-oz Newman's Own Organic and Green Mountain Coffee lines. We hope to, but haven't committed to all the lines yet.”

Features of the film are also functions of the pair of GL 14 v/f/f/s machines Fres-co supplied some years ago (see PD, June '02, p.60). Fres-co applies a pattern adhesive coating on the inside layer for one of these features the supplier calls Corner Seal™. Fres-co prints the structure via 8-color gravure on the PET layer. At GMCR's plant, a bar code and other variable data are printed on a side panel by Markem (www.markem.us) SmartDate2i imprinters provided through Fres-co. The p-s labels from Ginzler Graphics (www.ginzler.com) are flexo-printed on a 60# semi-gloss paper, applied in-line by Universal Labeling Systems (www.universal1.com) Model MP60VT label applicators acquired via Elmark Packaging (www.elmarkpkg.com).