How Can CPG’s Better Play the Green Card?

by Rich Lindgren, CPP - Chainalytics
If more consumer goods producers played the “Green” card, would the consumers buy into it? Often most companies try to go for a "green look" which usually means brown (kraft) packaging and toned down graphics but they have not really done much to change their sustainable impact. Usually a much more sustainable impact is attained by reducing materials and the overall size of the packaging, not just switching out materials.

Picture a scenario where instead of a package boasting 20% more product, a company right size their package & displayed a banner that shouted “20% Less Packaging”.
Maybe on the back or side panel instead of just nutrition facts they could tally trees saved or gallons of diesel saved by their packaging optimization changes.

Would shoppers in the aisles recognize this value and use it to make buying decisions?

Kellogg’s is testing a similar concept, that they call a “Space Saving Box” I believe their marketing angle is that the box better utilizes a standard kitchen cupboard or pantry, but I would venture to guess there is some good packaging material cost savings and sustainable wins with the Kellogg’s test design as well.

If it works, maybe they will put the Packaging Engineer on the front of a Wheaties Box some day….

New APHIS Regulations – The Lacey Act

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics

It has come to our attention that APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) under the Department of Agriculture has amended the Lacey Act with new regulations with regard to the importation into the US “to a broader range of plants and plant products”. There is a phase-in schedule for those importing products to provide declaration documentation for various types of products that began in April 2009, but will go on to include paper based products. Below is a chart with the phase-in schedule. APHIS will continue to provide updates on their website and you can register for updates on their website.

APHIS website:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ - http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/lacey_act/

APHIS Docket No. APHIS-2008-119 http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/lacey_act/downloads/FederalRegister02-03-2009.pdf

Eat Your Packaging For Breakfast

by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP - Chainalytics

I recently had the pleasure of watching old re-runs of Mythbusters on a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon. The second part of the episode was set aside to debunk the myth of which had more nutritional value … a fruity, sugary breakfast cereal, or the paperboard box it actually came in. Adam recalled how his mom always told him that the paperboard box was healthier than many of the sweet, sugary cereals he wanted as a child.

The team used a calorimeter to test the amount of calories in each specimen. The paperboard box was ground up and blended to a mush, and 1 gram of the mix was placed on top of the calorimeter and lit on fire. The same was done to the cereal mash. Once the samples finished burning the temperature was recorded and calculations were made. It was determined that the 1 gram of cereal had 9 calories, while the mix of the box had around 7 calories.

Next they tested the nutrients in each sample. It was deemed that the cereal had sugar, protein, fat and starch – just as the label on a cereal box would say. The box on the other hand had almost no notable nutrients.

Sorry mom… Myth Busted! The paperboard cereal box had some calories, but no nutritional value. Now I can feel guilt free the next time I’m eating my favorite morning cereal (Cinnamon Toast Crunch – in case you were wondering!).

Breakthrough in Can Technology

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics

Unfortunately, I’m one of those people who usually polish off my beverages from a can in pretty short order. I do know many who would like to take a few sips and then return it to the fridge. But until now, you would return to find your carbonated beverage flat and pretty lifeless.

The Canmaker Magazine from Great Britain has awarded their 2008 Cans of the Year Awards top prize to a Ball Packaging Europe innovation called “Ball Resealable End” (BRE). The first application was for a Coca-Cola energy drink from France called Burn. In a similar move, Monster is launching a North America import that incorporates the BRE fea

ture.

To view all the award winners from 2008
http://www.spgevents.com/PressRelease.htm

http://www.canmaker.com/main/index.php

Packaging Complaints uncovered by Photo Sharing sites

by Rob Busse, CPP - Chainalytics

Have you ever gone online to a photo sharing site and searched for “bad packaging”? If you’re a packaging engineer, you might be interested in some of the hits.

Flickr – 84 results for “bad packaging”

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=%22bad+packaging%22

Photobucket – 19 results for bad packaging

http://photobucket.com/images/bad%20packaging/

After going through these, I am sure you have found similar frustrations as many of these photo sharing users have shared.