Despite the economic downturn, or perhaps because of it, sustainability was once again the buzzword of this week's PackExpo conference in Chicago. Retailers and manufacturers discussed the topic in several workshops, while hundreds of vendors on the exhibit floor flouted the environmental benefits of their products or services.
A packed room of attendees heard Amy Zettlemoyer-Lazar, packaging director, Sam's Club and co-manager of Walmart's Sustainability Value Network deliver a keynote, Keeping Score: How Walmart and its Suppliers Continue to Advance Packaging Change, Innovation and Sustainability.
The world's largest retailer, she said, has learned a good deal from its vendors since it announced its Packaging Scorecard, which is designed to make packaging greener, more sustainable and less wasteful, in 2006. As part of its ongoing sustainability efforts, Wamart Stores intends to reduce total packaging used in its supply chain by five percent by 2013.
Betsy Cohen, vice president of sustainability at Nestlé, urged listeners to become activists in her keynote, Food Safety, Product Protection, Sustainability...Where Does Packaging Go?
She said, "Packaging serves as way to get goods to consumers. I want to be part of the solution, and working for Nestlé or your companies, we have a chance to do that." Among Nestlé's initiatives are glass-to-plastic conversion for baby food containers, which cut solid waste 67 percent, and Nestlé Waters moving to lightweight bottles.
Underlining the importance of sustainability to businesses across industries was a research study benchmarking the state of sustainability in packaging released at the show by Packaging Digest and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. The survey revealed that familiarity with sustainability has grown rapidly in the past year, with 67 percent of the respondents saying they were moderately or very familiar with the issues. Respondents said that brand owners and retailers have increased their sustainability demands, with 53 percent saying that more than half of their customers are seeking more eco-friendly packaging.
Discussion Questions: How is the trend toward sustainable packaging impacting the retail industry? Where do you see it headed next?