Consumer Goods Technology - July 2008 - (Page 9)

SPECIAL REPORT HOT BUTTON TOPICS AND TRENDS tiveness and eco-innovation. The initiative is said to have saved 89,000 metric tons of glass last year alone, and reduced the carbon dioxide equivalent to planting 13,000 acres of trees. The most recent fruition of this initiative is a newly designed 600mL PET bottle. The Ultralight Bottle weighs 18 percent less than the previous one, and there are plans to expand the technology to other brands and packaging options. In 2007, the company invested in a closed loop recycling plant to provide 6,000 tons of recycled PET plastic material for use in new bottles. JUST THE BEGINNING Kraft Foods reveals its sustainability efforts through the changing of all varieties of its Milka 100 g chocolate tablets. By switching from aluminum foil wraps in a paper sleeve, to a single layer of packaging, not only is it easier for consumers to open and reseal the packages, but it created a 58 percent reduction in primary packaging. Roger Zellner, director global technology and quality sustainability for Kraft Foods, reinforces, “In projects such as these, optimizing our packaging design and materials has a positive effect on the environment for the entire life of the product — it means less energy and materials are used in production, shipping and distribution to the end consumer, while protecting the product and providing consumer preferred convenience.” The food and beverage categories are not alone in this push. HP shows that technology companies are on the same route. In 2007, HP revealed results of its packaging improvements in North America. The company completely removed PVC from its packaging, making it more easily disposable and reducing its weight, saving energy and transportation costs. Other highlights include the use of PET materials from 100 percent recycled content and the use of biopolyCONSUMER GOODS TECHNOLOGY | J U LY 2 0 0 8 | mers, which are biodegradable materials made from crops such as sugar beet and corn. Since 2003, the company has reduced overall package weight for inkjet cartridge multi-packs by 80 percent, quadrupling the number of packages that can be carried in a single truckload. HP estimates that the redesigned packaging eliminated the use of about 6,800 tons “A F T E R A F U L L Y E A R O F H A R D WO R K F RO M M U LT I P L E C O R N E R S O F T H E C O M PA N Y, W E H I T T H E T R I F E C TA — A B O T T L E T H AT S AT I S F I E D T H E N E E D S O F O U R S Y S T E M , OUR CONSUMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.” — R O B E R T L E W I S , V P O F W O R L DW I D E B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G A N D E Q U I P M E N T D E V E L O P M E N T, P E P S I C O of materials in 2007, more than 1,300 tons of corrugated cardboard and more than 3,000 tons of PVC. This reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 16,800 tons CO2e — the equivalent of taking more than 3,000 cars off the road for one year. A LIGHTER FUTURE These are just some of the many efforts companies are implementing in their packaging processes. With a reduction in the use of materials, there are fewer costs for these companies and more environmental impact for the consumers. This trend is on a fast track, and one can predict that it will stay on this course because it proves, so far, a “win-win” for everyone. CG 9 W W W. C O N S U M E R G O O D S . C O M http://WWW.CONSUMERGOODS.COM

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Consumer Goods Technology - July 2008 Contents Edit Note Insights Special Report Catching Up With... Energy-Minded Efficiency Waste to Wonder Greater Good Natural Business Built to Last Setting Sustainable Goals Sustainability, Part 2 CGT Events Between the Lines

Consumer Goods Technology - July 2008

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