Hey guys. I hope you are reading this from somewhere warm. It is miserable in Chicago, -4 degrees F with wind-chill, ug.
Last year in preparation for International CES I submitted a guest post on sustainable packaging to the Consumer Electronics Association's blog, "Digital Dialogue." You can read it here. This year I wanted to take advantage of the same opportunity, though I was unsure what to blog about.
2013 had been a tremendously exciting year in sustainable packaging: PET clamshells became "recyclable," California's RPPC legislation was updated, China's Green Fence came and went, the SPC commercialized their 'Labeling for Recovery' project, and much, much more!
What would be the most interesting development in sustainable packaging to a stakeholder in the consumer electronics industry? Can I get a "W?"
Walmart introduced its Packaging Scorecard in 2006. In 2013 it reports that the metrics of the Scorecard will be married with the GPP's 'Protocol,' which will be communicated via a Global GS1 Standard. You have no idea the amount of time, confusion, energy, and money that went into submitting Scorecards for each SKU sold at Walmart. Now make that disapear and you will begin to understand the implications of this development in the world of sustainable products and packaging; things are getting real sophisticated yall. So that is what I decided to write about. You can read my submission here:
The year in review: Sustainable Packaging
2013 witnessed a groundbreaking development in the world of sustainable packaging: The Walmart Packaging Scorecard—introduced in 2006 and aimed at reducing the retailer’s gross packaging consumption by 5%—is to dissolve into an entirely new format for reporting sustainability, a Global GS1 Standard.
For the first time since the introduction of “sustainability” into the lexicon of packaging manufacturers, there is to be a universal framework for communicating sustainability credentials. The Walmart Packaging Scorecard and other tools are to be “integrated” into the Global Packaging Project’s metrics and indicators for assessing sustainable packaging; this common framework for communicating sustainability will then utilize the Global GS1 barcode reporting system, allowing for a streamlined approach to transferring information between manufacture and retailer in the context of product/packaging sustainability. Just as retailers require product weight and shelf life from product suppliers per SKU, so too will they have the ability to request information pertaining to GHG emissions and water consumption.
To learn about all the sustainable packaging developments of 2013, visit Dordan Manufacturing’s booth at 2014 International CES located in the Venetian Ballroom, #70299. And visit Dordan's electronics webpage for information on our consumer electronics packaging.