• Fully compostable film converted by Label Technology with a top
layer made from NatureFlex (a cellulose film by Innovia), a middle
metalized NatureFlex layer, and a sealant, made by FKuR (a blend
including cellulose and PLA from Cargill). This sealant doesn’t
provide a strong enough barrier for the oil in our product. It would
work for other products that don’t need as much of a barrier, but it
is very expensive.
• Fully compostable film (round two) called Cello/Bio film devel-
The Least You Can Do; An Inactive Approach to Consumer Activism
“The power of a million people doing next to nothing” is the slogan for the consumer “inactivist” website, www.theleastyoucando.org (LYCD), developed by a group
of graduate students from Boulder Digital Works, an affiliate of the University of
Colorado–Boulder. The group created this site to help Justin’s quest for the sustainable squeeze pack, and other causes, generate consumer support in an era of overstimulation. “Everyone wants to do something
to save the world these days, but most people
don’t have the time. This is about taking something very complex and breaking it down to
something as easy as clicking a button,” says
Justin McCammon, one of the project leaders.
True to the LYCD’s slogan, consumers can
help create awareness and change via three easy
small steps, including: clicking “Like” on the
cause’s Facebook page, signing a petition or
e-mailing companies to encourage them to use sustainable packaging. If people
want to “do more,” the site provides the names and addresses of companies that
make squeeze packs and tells them to send back used packs. Or to “do the most,”
consumers can build something that is meant to last (from artwork to a shed) with
used squeeze packs and then share their creations via Flickr. The site then keeps a
gauge of your level of “inactivism.” McCammon says that the inspiration for sending
back squeeze packs came from a case study where an elementary school in New
England started sending Styrofoam back to McDonald’s to encourage the corporation to be more eco-friendly. This science project was aired on local news stations
and grew into a community project. Ultimately, it gained national media exposure,
leading McDonald’s to stop using Styrofoam.
This LYCD “start simple” approach could be applied to many different types of
causes, however, for now it is a bit on hold. While the project can still be found online at www.theleastyoucando.org, Justin’s alone cannot afford the full-time staff
member it would take to run it, and thus the students who created it have moved on
to full-time jobs to pay off their student loans. If several companies were to support
this project, though, this novel approach to consumer activism could be brought
back to life or morphed into something that can be used on a wider scale—perhaps
a click-through application that could be posted on individual company websites,
McCammon says. To find out more, send an e-mail to contact@leastyoucando.org.
oped by Flextec and Phoenix Converting. The outside printed layer
is cellophane bonded to a polyethylene layer with a 1 percent additive that renders the PET
biodegradable within nine months
to four years in the presence of organic matter (water, soil, heat).
The latest version is certified home
compostable. It also has a sealant
that is meant for oil-based products and a shelf life that is greater
than one year. It does not need
oxygen to break down, so it will
biodegrade in both aerobic and
anaerobic environments.
Cello/Bio is also recyclable in the
regular plastics waste stream and
can be made from recycled plastic.
Additionally, we have received a
fully compostable technology developed by Accredo Packaging but are
waiting to get a sample that is large
enough to run through our machines. We’re currently conducting
shelf and active-life tests on the other
four films to determine usability.
We are also constantly encourag-
ing other companies to put pressure
on their film suppliers to source more
sustainable options. Manufacturers,
contact these folks to start testing
your product today:
• Brian Garofalo from CP:
bgarofalo@cpflexpack.com
• David Bankson from Label Tech-
nology: dbankson@labeltech.com
• Craig Chaine from Packaging Pros:
craig@packagingpros.net
• Jeff Collins from Flextec:
jeff@flextec.net
• Malcolm Cohn from Accredo:
mcohn@accredopkg.com
Also, if there are film suppliers
reading this, let us know if there’s
something we’re missing. Send us
your film. We would love to test it!
Our new goal is to be at 33 percent
renewable packaging by December
2011, with an overall goal to convert a
layer of film to be more sustainable
every year until eventually we have a
