Processing
Breaking Down Sustainable Packaging Options
By Kevin Williams
What is “sustainable packaging?”
Depending on who is asked you will
likely have quite differing answers.
For those who are not involved in manufacturing, sourcing and design (i.e. the average
or even conscientious consumer), sustainable
packaging is all the paper, plastic and glass
that has to be put into bins for curbside collection. The exception is possibly the paper
that goes to the landfill, because as we all
know paper unlike plastic is biodegradable
and will break down so it is naturally a better
choice…right? The public perception of
paper, versus plastic, is that paper, unlike plastic, is a natural and renewable resource. That
is why it’s often affiliated with all-natural
products to project the image of being natural and ethical.
The truth is that anything destined for a
landfill breaks down very slowly, because the
necessary elements to decompose matter
(light and oxygen) are not available. So what
goes in stays there, at least in our lifetime and
several to come. The fact that paper contributes to over a third of the country’s total
waste compared to plastic (approximately
one tenth) puts the percentage of paper in
landfills considerably higher. However, one
must also consider that of all the recycling
efforts surrounding plastic, only 9 percent is
actually reclaimed and put back into use. The
rest ends up in the trash heap.
Enterprise Thinking
In the organic industry especially, the
package is the primary vehicle of consumer
communication and education. The choice
of packaging speaks volumes about your dedication to environmental sustainability, one of
the key foundations of organic. However, the
effects of packaging go beyond just what the
consumer perceives. Packaging has been
called the most integrated component of the
dynamic commercialization process, because
a change in the package can affect the cost of
goods, manufacturing throughput, distribution, merchandising and product usage.
To determine how sustainable a packaging
system is, meaning its environmental impact,
you need to consider: the resources and energy required to produce and deliver the package leading up to product manufacturing; its
effect on distribution after filling as a product
delivery system; and, lastly, how the package
enters the waste stream or recycles back into
the system. This is referred to as a life cycle
assessment, because it considers all aspects of
the package/product from very early stages
of sourcing to final elimination, otherwise
referred to as “cradle to grave.” The public
perception of sustainable packaging is based
on the last stage, the waste, because this is
where they have the most contact and the
greatest awareness. This is why the focus is
often on recyclable and renewable materials.
However, it’s weight and material volume
reduction that often serve the greatest good,
establishing a low package to product ratio.
If all products were sold in high volume
bulk we would achieve the ultimate level of
sustainability, however, it would be at the
expense of brand differentiation, preservation and convenience. The goal of most businesses within the organic and natural products market is to offer value added products
in the most sustainable and environmentally
responsible fashion while staying competitive.
A life cycle assessment is the most effective
method to gauge the environmental burdens
a packaging option presents throughout all
