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Hey guys!

I’m going to take a break from mind-numbing discussions of EPR and packaging and circle back to the CalRecycle study later…

In the meantime, I thought I would discuss this, that, and the other!

First and foremost, Dordan is exhibiting at The 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 8-11. Located in the “Sustainable Planet Tech Zone,” booth #70326, we are PUMPED about this opportunity to bring our sustainable packaging expertise to the CEA community.

Now, I have coordinated trade shows before, but boyyyyy howdy was I unprepared for planning the monstrosity that is CES. A quick search of the pre-registered media/analysis list, for instance, turns up tens of thousands of email addresses. I receive calls daily about booking “booth talent,” hosting press release events, and hiring celebrities for guest appearances. I suppose our “attention grabber,” that is, streaming 3D package design videos, may not be the hottest show in town, ha!

FYI this “streaming 3D package design exhibit” was created for Pack Expo 2012 and intended to educate show attendees on the integrated package design process at Dordan, which considers the conversion process i.e. thermoforming, at the forefront of the design process. Oddly enough, another plastics processor, highlighted in this Plastics News article, took a similar approach; great minds think alike! Here is an article from Packaging World that describes this package design exhibit.

Oh, and here is the actual “Package Design for Thermoforming" presentation unveiled at Pack Expo, which will also be displayed at CES 2013 in Vegas next month. Included are various package design videos, renderings and case studies that demonstrate Dordan’s experience-dictated package design process.

Dordan is also displaying its collaboration with material science company Ecovative at The International CES 2013. You may recall for Pack Expo 2011 in Las Vegas Dordan displayed the thermoformed “grow trays” it designed in collaboration with Ecovative, demonstrating its sophisticated design and engineering capabilities. Here is some press about the collaboration. Two years later, we are bringing this collaborative display, which consists of various custom “grow trays” and the associated mushroom-based product (candles, wine shippers, coolers, etc.), to the CEA community. In doing so, we hope to align our company with other sustainable product manufacturers looking to incorporate sustainable package design into their brand. Click here for the press release.

We are also bringing Dordan’s popular Bio Resin Show N Tell to The 2013 International CES. Click the botton below to download a copy of the presentation, which includes comparative cost and performance analysis of the available “sustainable materials!” What you won’t be able to download, however, is the thermoformed sample of the profiled materials; this is the meat of the exhibit as it allows booth visitors to understand the materials’ properties in a hands-on format. And, who didn’t like show N tell day in elementary school!?!

Dordan’s show specials are also now accessible via the CES app, which provides show attendees with one platform for managing all their CES scheduling needs. Download the app today to peruse the exhibitors by product category, request a meeting, or access the integrated floor plans.

We are also submitting a “guest blog post” to CEA’s “Digital Dialogue blog.” This is a pre-show communications channel where exhibitors can present a compelling case for their products or services, in a non-promotional way. Below is the first draft of my submission; please note the blog editor suggested I “sell the sustainability movement” not Dordan’s products and services, ha! Check it!

How important is the environment to you? According to various contemporary consumer marketing research reports, very. Google “sustainability” and “consumer preference” and you are bombarded with study after study, post after post, and article after article proclaiming that “sustainability” concerns are at the forefront of consumers’ buying preference value indicators.

 Sustainability isn’t just about selling more environmentally conscious products, however; it is also about selling more for less. And who “sells more for less” better than Wal-Mart, who in 2006 introduced the Sustainable Packaging Scorecard? Intended to reduce packaging across the supply chain 5% by 2013, this initiative sent a shock wave throughout the CPG supply chain that continues to reverberate today. For the first time in history, not only was packaging being assessed on quality, performance and cost, but fossil fuel consumption, cube utilization, and greenhouse gas emissions.

6 years later, the dialogue about sustainable packaging has grown to emphasize the environmental performance of both the packaging AND the product. By taking an integrated approach to sustainability, which considers the entire product/package life cycle system, not only can companies sell more sustainable products, they can do so for less.

To learn about sustainable packaging solutions, visit Dordan Manufacturing at The International CES in Las Vegas, located in the Sustainable Planet Tech Zone of The Venetian Ballroom, booth #70326.