Sustainable Packaging Diane Jones Recycling Coordinator Rappahannock Regional Solid Waste Management Board Sustainable Packaging

Definition of Waste: Given to or characterized by useless consumption or expenditure No Waste No Problems

Packaging containers account for almost 45% of materials landfilled in the United States.(1) Figure 1

Plastic bags: begin as crude oil and used for a few minutes; many are discarded to pollute the earth for years. Figure 2

5 trillion bags produced annually.(2) Figure 3 Figure 4 5 trillion bags produced annually.(2) Figure 5

4/26/18 Drilling Gas Wells

Reduce Environmental Impact by use of Life Cycle Assessment Life Cycle Thinking

(3)

Material Production starts with natural, raw material

(3)

Common Sustainable Packaging Trends Increased use of renewably sourced materials Downsizing / light weighting (use of concentrates) Increased Recycling Content Increased Recycling and Waste Recovery *When renewed as quickly as it is used, a resource can last indefinitely.

Materials are defined as renewably sourced when they contain a minimum of 20% by weight of renewable plant source or biomass ingredients verified by 14C dating (ASTM definition) (4) “ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards developing organizations in the world... not-for-profit organization that provides a forum for the development and publication of international voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems and services.” (5)

Renewably sourced materials Teflon™ EcoElite™ finish is the first renewably-sourced, plant-based and non-fluorinated fabric treatment for durable water repellency. (6)

Mushroom Based Packaging(7)

Newton Shoes packaged in biodegradable molded pulp packaging (8) (L) Food tray made (below) car charger mold made from 100% sugarcane fiber/pulp (9)

Future Visions of Sustainability and Packaging

To minimize its environmental impact, the concept tire is made from bio- sourced and biodegradable materials, including natural rubber, bamboo, paper, tin cans, wood, electronic and plastic waste, hay, tire chips, used metals, cloth, cardboard, molasses and orange zest. (10)

Plastic-less water bottle (11) It is 100% made of Plants & Seaweed  Biodegradable in 4-6 weeks, just like a piece of fruit Edible, can be flavored and colored Fresh (shelf life of a few days) 5x less CO₂, 9x less Energy vs PET Plastic-less water bottle (11)

Make Your Own Edible Bottle(12) Brown Seaweed Calcium Lactate Make Your Own Edible Bottle(12)

HOPE Increased Recycling and Waste Recovery One triumph in recycling was the harvesting of ocean plastics by major companies. By collecting plastics from beaches that have washed ashore from the sea, Procter & Gamble is harvesting these plastics to use in ¼ of all Head & Shoulders bottles in the future. (13) Jan 2017 Further more, it can be used in actual products like the Adidas x Parley sportswear collection

The limited edition bottle is made from 90% PCR plastic and 10% ocean plastic © P&G UK (2018) (14)

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/ http://www.theworldcounts.com/counters/waste_pollution_facts/plastic_bags_used_per_year https://www.grantadesign.com/eco/audit.htm http://www.dupont.com/products-and-services/plastics-polymers-resins/bio-based-polymers.html https://www.astm.org/FAQ/ https://www.chemours.com/Teflon_Fabric_Protector_Partners/en_US/products/teflon_ecoelite.html https://ecovativedesign.com/faq?ref=footer https://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/01/newtons-eco-friendly-packaging-a-snug-fit/ http://www.paperpulptray.com/industrial-molded-pulp-packaging/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/dougnewcomb/2017/06/16/michelin-reinvents-the-wheel-and-the-tire- with-its-vision-concept/#1c73741267bd http://www.skippingrockslab.com/ooho!.html www.iflscience.com/chemistry/how-make-edible-water-bottles https://www.ernestpackaging.com/procter-gamble-leads-brave-new-plastic-economy/ https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/procter-gamble-launch-pcr-bottle/ Figure 1 https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/1508921362 Figure 2 http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module14/title.htm Figure 3 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1682478-poster-1280-plasticbags.jpg Figure 4 https://pxhere.com/en/photo/423456 Figure 5 https://www.flickr.com/photos/zainub/430144883