PFFC - March 2008 - (Page 20)

NEWS CLIPS ON THE WEB Find more news at www.pffc-online.com Wal-Mart Scorecard Needs More Batters By Edward Boyle, Contributing Editor READING, PA | Remember the hubbub surrounding Y2K? Why, if we didn’t act fast enough, when the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31, 1999, doomsday scenerios saw power grids failing, satellites falling from the sky, and nuclear weapons putting on the most spectacular (and maybe the last!) New Year’s Eve display the world has ever seen! What happened? A light bulb went out in Pamona. The converting industry was sent into a similar tizzy on Feb. 1, 2007, when Wal-Mart announced the development of its “packaging scorecard,” which required each of its vendors to track and report their use of packaging materials in the more than 120,000 individual products it stocked. The goal was to reduce the volume of packaging sold off its shelves and increase its downstream recyclability. It was implied that those who didn’t complete the scorecard would risk having their products kept off the shelves of the world’s largest retailer. As of Feb. 1, 2008, Wal-Mart was to begin using the packaging scorecard to measure and recognize its entire supply chain based upon each company’s ability to use less packaging, utilize more effective materials in packaging, and source these materials more efficiently relative to other suppliers. In response, industry trade publications like PFFC wrote countless articles, and trade associations like the Flexible Packaging Assn. formed task forces, developed support materials, and sponsored seminars that reviewed key aspects of the scorecard to help converters help their packaging buyers prepare for the worst. During the one year trial period, suppliers were expected to input, store, and track data, learning and sharing their results as desired. So what happened? As of January 30, more than 97,000 products have been entered into the scorecard by just 6,371 of Wal-Mart’s 66,000 vendors—and Wal-Mart shelves remain well stocked. For its part, Wal-Mart stands behind the initiative, with its noble goal of reducing the volume of packaging by 5% by 2013. “We set a goal to have all products entered by February 1, 2008, and while it’s not mandatory for suppliers to enter packaging information by this date, we hope they all see the value in doing so,” Tara Raddohl, senior communications manager/Wal-Mart Corporate Communications, told Paper, Film & Foil Converter. “If a supplier doesn’t enter their information into the scorecard, the underlying consequence is a lack of information for our buyers when making purchasing decisions. The buyers will only have information on the packages that have been entered into the scorecard and, therefore, can only reward those suppliers accordingly. “In the meantime,” says Raddohl, “if a supplier has not entered their products into the scorecard, we encourage them to work with their buyers to answer any questions they may have about entering a product and finding more sustainable solutions.” Raddohl notes that some of the products carried by Wal-Mart and Sam’s Clubs “don’t have any packaging,” including phone cards and gift cards where “the packaging is part of the product. If we took out all of the products that don’t have packaging, we would be dealing with a smaller number than the total amount of products that a typical Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club carries.” Wal-Mart does expect the number of suppliers completing the scorecard and the number of products listed to grow. 20 | MARCH 2008 uSani-Blast, Spring Grove, MN, is acquired by Peter Mulheran, a veteran of the printing ink industry. uExopack Performance Films, Spartanburg, SC, purchases the performance films division of DuPont Liquid Packaging Systems (LiquiBox), including the Sclairfilm and Dartek operations at Liqui-Box’s former Whitby, ON, Canada, facility. uMohawk Fine Papers, Cohoes, NY, is honored by the EPA as a Green Power Partner of the year. uWausau Coated Products, Wausau, WI, adds slitting, warehousing, and distribution capacity with a new facility in Southern California. uAnilox Roll Cleaning Systems, Hatfield, PA, is acquired by Jeff Paduano. uKeller and Heckman LLP, Washington, DC, a law firm providing legal, regulatory, and scientific advice to help companies bring new packaging materials to market, relocates its San Francisco, CA, office to 3 Embarcadero Ctr., Ste. 450; 94111; 415-948-2808. Packaging Acquisition NEW YORK, NY | One Equity Partners, the private equity arm of JPMorgan Chase, has acquired Global Packaging Corp., Miami, FL, supporting a management buyout of the company. Global Packaging Corp., now designated Globalpack, is a holding company whose primary operating subsidiary is Aluprint S.A. de C.V., a flexible and folding carton packaging company based in Mexico. The investment will fund expansion of the company’s operations in Mexico and Latin America and continue growth of its global customer base through a broader range of products and services. AT Packaging Press Is Online MARYLAND HTS., MO | Quest Graphics calls itself a general commercial printer, but the 30-year-old Missouri company’s markets include packaging, POP, and more. When the company needed additional capacity plus faster turnaround and in-line UV capabilities, it chose a KBA Rapida 162 six-color, 64-in., sheet-fed press. “We had confidence in their technology, service, and training,” Quest president Dan Cribbin says of KBA. “We felt that their large-format presses were tried and true, and their reputation is second to none.” The press features KBA’s Logotronic system that guarantees multi-system digital data communication. A closed-loop Densitronic S scanning spectrodensitometer system is said to reduce waste by measuring both the density and spectral values on the x and y axes. The in-line UV capabilities are an important bonus for Quest. “We’ve always printed on styrene,” says Cribbin, “but we feel having an in-line UV system will allow us faster turnaround times to meet our customers’ needs.” uKBA North America | www.kba-usa.com PFFC-ASAP 332 W O RK WWW.PFFC-ONLINE.COM http://www.pffc-online.com http://www.kba-usa.com http://WWW.PFFC-ONLINE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PFFC - March 2008

PFFC - March 2008 Table of Contents First Glance Calendar of Events From the Editor Web Lines Process Management News Clips Narrow Web & Label Reporter Narrow Web & Label What's New Products Label Converting Sleeves Cover Story - Plasma Treating Top 10 Lamination Metallizing Flex-Pack What's New Products Services Directory Classified Marketplace Equipment Buyers & Sellers Advertisers Index Experience Speaks Buyers Guide Buyers Guide Contents Product Classifications Index Basic Materials Services & Supplies Equipment, Accessories & Machinery Advertisers Index Manufacturers & Suppliers Index Free Information/Reader Service US & International Associations Hang On Insert

PFFC - March 2008

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