SPC Spring Meeting Next Month!

This year’s SPC Spring Meeting is quickly approaching! The meeting will be held April 23-25 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. A new feature at this year’s meeting is Dinner & Dialogue evening, which is an opportunity for small group dinners at local restaurants to discuss key topics of interest for the packaging industry. Dialogue topics include compostable packaging, LCA/LCI, sustainable consumption, energy recovery, and more, and attendees interested in participating will be able to sign up at the beginning of the meeting.

You can find the current meeting agenda and registration information on the event website. If you have not yet registered, please do so by Wednesday, April 11 to avoid a $150 late registration fee. Also please note that the cut-off for the SPC room block at the Fairmont is March 22, so please contact the hotel as soon as possible to ensure accommodations at the discounted meeting rate. We hope you’ll be joining us in Toronto next month!

We would also like to thank this year’s Spring Meeting hosts for their generous support and leadership: BASF Corporation, Be Green Packaging, MWV (MeadWestvaco), Shanghai Luxin Packing Materials Science & Technology Co., Ltd., and TricorBraun. We still have a few hosting spots available and we will be accepting requests for another few weeks. If your organization is considering hosting, please contact Director of External Relations Erin Malec for more information.

SPC Releases Guidelines for Recycled Content in Paper Packaging

The SPC recently released its latest report, Guidelines for Recycled Content in Paper and Paperboard Packaging, which highlights opportunities and challenges for using recycled fiber in packaging. More specifically, the 31-page report outlines opportunities to use recycled content in 20 common retail packaging applications, including shopping and take-out bags, cereal boxes, toothbrush blister packs, software boxes, and coffee canisters. The report is available free to SPC members and to non-SPC members for $125.00 and can be downloaded here.

Final Call for SPC Video Challenge Submissions!

There is still time to submit videos for the SPC Packaging Stewardship Video Challenge! SPC members have until close of business this Thursday, March 15, to submit short videos highlighting their company's progress, innovation, and commitment to sustainable packaging. Members that would still like to submit a video can refer to the Video Challenge page on our website.

Packaging Recovery Label System Toronto Meeting

The Packaging Recovery Label System pilot continues to progress, with a new Facebook page and consumer survey now available. In addition, the project team is planning a meeting on Thursday, April 26 at 10:00 am-12:00 pm EDT in Toronto after the SPC Spring Meeting to explore the possibility of a Canadian version of the label. Please contact Nina Goodrich if you are interested in attending this meeting, and feel free to contact Anne Bedarf for more information on the labeling pilot.

Essentials of Sustainable Packaging: Hong Kong Recap

In February, Senior Manager Minal Mistry and Project Manager Adam Gendell led three versions of the newly updated Essentials of Sustainable Packaging course in Hong Kong. The course was taught as a one-day private event for Kingfisher, a home improvement retailer. A two-day extended version was held at Hong Kong Productivity Council, which covered the full curriculum in addition to a COMPASS workshop. In attendance were packaging professionals with diverse packaging needs such as furnishings, aircraft, toys, and consumer goods. In addition, GreenBlue will make the course available on mainland China through a partnership with Sustainable Packaging Limited. To accommodate this offering, Minal and Adam worked with trainer candidates to prepare them to deliver the course in five major cities in China (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xiaoman, Shanghai, and Beijing) starting in May 2012. The schedule will be posted soon.

Opportunity to Showcase Sustainability Success Stories

The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging course offers many opportunities to showcase short case studies that demonstrate sustainability advancements. We would like to showcase more examples from our diverse membership as a way of demonstrating the direct relevance of sustainability in packaging. We are seeking examples that demonstrate sustainability success stories related to the following topics: sourcing, recovery, end-of-life, material health, cleaner production, and implementing life cycle thinking and LCA. This is a great opportunity to feature the ambitious work of SPC member companies in the SPC’s educational offering in Hong Kong, China, and Mexico. All interested parties are encouraged to contact Minal Mistry directly for more details.

Design for Recycling Guide Working Group Still Open for Participants

The SPC is developing a Design for Recycling Guide that will facilitate informed recyclable package design. This project combines the SPC's knowledge of access to recycling that has been accumulated in the Labeling for Recovery Project with the design knowledge that has been generated through the Closing the Loop project to create a practical reference guide that can be used by packaging decision-makers across the supply chain. The SPC has engaged a working group of SPC members that are interested in developing the project, and additional SPC members are encouraged to join by contacting Adam Gendell.

SPC Member-Led Working Group on Energy Recovery to Release Findings

Led by SPC members Paul Comey from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Jeff Wooster from The Dow Chemical Company, eight SPC members have convened since August 2011 to discuss the role of energy recovery in sustainable packaging. At the Members-Only Lunch portion of the SPC Spring Meeting, the team will provide a preview of their results, which will be exclusively available to SPC members. SPC members are also encouraged to attend a webinar at 4:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, May 22 during which the team will review their findings and answer questions. More information on the webinar is available here.

Got an Idea for a New SPC Member-Led Working Group?

Whether the goal is to produce a white paper, develop an idea for an SPC project, or simply to hold regular discussions, SPC Member-Led Working Groups provide opportunities for members to convene around topics of interest and work towards mutual objectives. Five groups have been underway since mid-2011 and remain open for SPC members to join. Current topics include transport packaging, energy recovery, consumer education and outreach, the WBCSD's Vision 2050 for packaging, and compostable packaging. SPC members are also encouraged to introduce ideas for new Member-Led Working Groups, and we hope to gather your ideas and launch new groups at the SPC Spring Meeting. Please email Adam Gendell for details.

COMPASS License Renewal Update

Please be advised that over the next few weeks, COMPASS will be transitioning to an online renewal system to facilitate easier annual license renewals. Active COMPASS license holders will no longer receive an invoice from GreenBlue, but instead the system will notify designated primary and secondary contacts two months prior to the license expiration date. License holders will be able to renew their subscription for another year online, and past due accounts will be deactivated on the anniversary date. License holders are encouraged to provide updated contact information for primary and secondary contacts to Danielle Peacock.