November 2011
 

Packaging Recovery Labeling System: Pilot Participants Announced

Last month we publicly announced details of next year’s national pilot of the new Packaging Recovery Label System, a voluntary label developed by the SPC to communicate to consumers how to recycle a package after its use. Five leading companies have agreed to implement the label on select packaging starting in 2012: ConAgra Foods, Costco Wholesale, Microsoft, REI, and Seventh Generation. As part of this project, we recently launched the www.how2recycle.info website to provide information about the new label and resources on local recycling availability. The announcement has been covered in various media outlets including Plastics News, SmartPlanet, Packaging World, Food Production Daily, Packaging Business Review, and the Examiner. If you’d like more information about this effort, please visit our website or contact Anne Bedarf.

In conjunction with the announcement of the pilot participants, GreenBlue through its Closing the Loop project released a new report, Labeling for Package Recovery, which details challenges with current packaging labels, looks at two international labeling systems, and considers how an effective labeling scheme could address shortcomings of the U.S. recycling and recovery system. The report is now available for free download here.

Essentials of Sustainable Packaging: Mexico and China

The inaugural sessions of the newly updated Essentials of Sustainable Packaging (ESP) course will be offered in Mexico City and Hong Kong later this month. The Mexico City sessions will be held at the Asociación Mexicana de Envase y Embalaje (AMEE or the Mexican Packaging Association) facilities. The first public session in Hong Kong will be promoted via the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC). To register for the November 15th session in Mexico City, visit the AMEE website or call + 52(55) 5545-6258, and to register for the November 29th and December 1st sessions in Hong Kong, visit the HKPC website and search for course code: 41050748 or “The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging.”

While in Hong Kong, Project Manager Minal Mistry and Project Associate Adam Gendell will conduct a Train-the-Trainer event to tutor and prepare trainers who can deliver the ESP curriculum on behalf of GreenBlue and the SPC in Chinese. GreenBlue has entered into an agreement with Sustainable Packaging Limited, a newly formed entity to deliver educational content including the ESP and future sustainability related curricula developed by GreenBlue in Hong Kong and mainland China.

Tailored sessions of the course will be available in English/Spanish and English/Mandarin starting January 2012. Any organizations interested in a customized session or those interested in being a host to a public session in any Spanish and/or Mandarin speaking regions are encouraged to contact Minal Mistry directly to discuss details.

SPC Spring Meeting 2012 Update: Seeking Hosts

All are invited to join us in Toronto for next year's SPC Spring Meeting, which will take place April 23-25, 2012. Our meeting will kick-off with a range of tours and workshops on Monday afternoon, followed by our welcome reception that evening. We have a great lineup of speakers for plenaries and breakout sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday. Please visit the event website for additional event details and stay tuned for more developments as we announce the complete agenda. Registration will open in early December. We hope to see you this spring for the packaging event of the year!

In addition, we are currently seeking ten SPC member companies to act as meeting hosts. Our Spring Meeting is open to the public and we had over 325 attendees join us for our largest and most successful meeting ever last spring, and the agenda for the Toronto meeting is shaping up to be another great event. For details on hosting benefits, please contact GreenBlue Director of External Relations Erin Malec.

Reminder: Join the SPC's Packaging Stewardship Video Challenge!

Member companies are invited to submit short videos highlighting their company's progress, innovation, and commitment to sustainable packaging. SPC staff will choose the top videos to premiere at the SPC Spring Meeting and following the meeting, we will display all the videos on the SPC website. The theme of the challenge is: How is your company making the SPC definition come to life? Members can refer to the Video Challenge page on our website, where you'll find information on video guidelines and submission information. Submit your video by March 15!

Labeling Reach Data Meeting for SPC Members

We will be hosting two calls for SPC members interested in gaining access to recycling data and a potential SPC project around that topic. The calls will take place Monday, November 28 at 1:00-2:00pm EST and Monday, December 12 at 2:00-3:00pm EST. Any SPC members interested in participating in either call can contact Anne Bedarf for more details.

In the Loop

The Packaging Recovery Label System and Resin Identification Codes

The following is an excerpt from a blog post by Project Manager Anne Bedarf on GreenBlue's blog, In the Loop. Read all recent posts.

We have received substantial interest in the Packaging Recovery Label System after our announcement of the initial pilot participants this month! We also received some comments focused on the Resin Identification Codes (RICs) for plastic packaging (and durable goods), so I’d like to provide some clarification and additional information about why we are proposing an alternative approach. Read More

Select In the Loop posts will now be featured in GreenBiz, so please be sure to follow us there as well.

ASTM International Standards and Committees

There are few ongoing ASTM International standards and committees that are likely of interest to SPC members. ASTM D7611: Practice for Coding Plastic Manufactured Articles for Resin Identification adopts the Resin Identification Code (RIC) as an ASTM standard. Committee D20.95 will consider the following questions for future revisions of the standard: Are the chasing arrows surrounding the numbers still appropriate? What are the more specific definitions that might be needed for each resin identification code? And what are the criteria for adding new codes? For more information, or if you would be interested in contributing to the discussions regarding the potential revisions to the standard, read the ASTM press release here. In addition, Committee D10 on Packaging, which promotes knowledge in and the development of standards for packaging, has reconvened Subcommittee D10.19: Sustainability and Recycling and they are currently developing their agenda.

 
Click to unscubscribe