Environmental Leader

If the rate of companies adopting 100 percent recycled cardboard labeling persists for all of 2009, this will be the most active year on record, said the the 100% Recycled Paperboard Alliance.

Through June 30, 18 American brand owners have chosen to sign a license agreement with the RPA-100%, granting them the right to display the group’s symbol on packaging, according to a press release.

New licensees include Harland Check, Nestle’ Purina Petcare and Snyder’s of Hanover, among others. In its 14-year existence, the group has a total of about 150 licensees. The group hopes to add 40 total members this year.

“This high number of new licensees proves that today’s brand owners are increasingly interested in communicating to their customers that the products they are purchasing are packaged in 100 percent recycled paperboard,” said Mike Kiepura, Chairman of the Board at RPA-100%.

Less is more

Not only are companies shifting to recycled content in their packaging, they are finding ways to reduce the amount of content that goes into packaging.

This is being driven, in large part, by Wal-Mart’s Packaging Scorecard system, which encourages companies to streamline their packaging for less waste and ease of transport and handling, reports MediaPost.

The article lists a few examples:

• Procter & Gamble now lets its rigid tubes of Crest toothpaste stand on retail shelves without boxes.
  
• By using narrower labels on its water bottles, Nestle Waters North America saved 20 million pounds of paper over the course of five years.
  
• By redesigning the shape of its Dasani water packaging, Coca-Cola aims to save 7 percent in packaging costs.
  
• Kellogg is testing shorter, fatter cereal boxes.

Reducing CD/DVD waste

With more and more CD and DVD cases going to the recycle bin, there should be a single polymer standard for the music and film industry, writes Steve Robinson, Director of GEM – Southwest.

The myriad blends of polymers used in jewel cases and DVD packaging adds difficulty in sorting them for recycling, he writes at MesaAlliance.org.