causes
we’ve only just begun
Remember The Carpenters’ lovesick melody “We’ve Only Just Begun?”
So many roads to choose
We’ll start out walkin’ and learn to run
And yes, we’ve just begun
Little did the pop-duo know that they might just as well have been talking about sustainable packaging!
Sustainable packaging has traveled many a road in the past several years, and at times has appeared to be going in too many different directions, and nowhere in particular. It started out walking, but quickly learned to run. Now it has picked up speed and is running the race of a lifetime.
the roads chosen
The Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry was challenged several years ago with reducing excessive packaging waste and started the ball rolling with the often-heard mantra “Reduce, reuse, recycle.” Programs that reuse packaging materials to make other products started popping up. Product owners started looking for recyclable materials for their packages, and worked to educate and compel consumers to recycle. Package size and reduction of packaging materials were top of mind and brought the added benefit of savings in material and transport costs to companies. The entire life cycle of a package had to be taken into account, and this required educating product owners, distributors, the supply chain, and consumers.
Large corporations, including Walmart, Coca-Cola, DuPont, Kellogg’s have been involved in this movement, which has allowed the materials manufacturers more financial support and opportunities for research and development, and they continue to develop new materials that use fewer resources, renewable resources, or materials that can be recycled, recovered or reused.
what’s in store for 2012
COLLABORATION BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS – National and global organizations have been created in response to sustainable packaging needs; the collaboration among with these organizations to standardize language and metrics, and to provide numerous resources to the industry, is encouraging. That collaboration will only grow stronger in 2012 and beyond.
COMMON METRICS AND INDICATORS FOR ANALYZING PACKAGING SUSTAINABILITY – Released in 2011, the Global Protocol on Packaging Sustainability (GPPS) should help with this issue as businesses become aware of it and begin implementation.
WASTE RECOVERY – New packaging recovery analysis from GreenBlue introduced January 5, 2012, outlines practices to improve waste recovery in the United States.
NO PACKAGING STORES – Buying in bulk to avoid unneeded packaging has been around for some time, but we will see many more stores adopting this practice, in addition to seeing the new zero-packaging or no-packaging stores that are becoming popular.
WASTE TO ENERGY – We will see more taking place in 2012 with a new style of landfill being built to manage waste and turn it into energy.
We have only touched the surface of what’s in store for 2012. There are great strides being made, and sustainable packaging is quickly becoming an integral part of business and our lives. This year promises even more progress because, as Richard and Karen said…we’ve only just begun!
foerstel cooks up 6-ton potato
If you think you saw a giant potato on wheels trucking down the road this weekend you were not hallucinating! It was real. Well, your vision was real…not the potato. Schofield Design in Weiser, Idaho, did such a great job constructing this radical russet, we have had to convince potato enthusiasts that it’s just a reproduction!
We inspired our client, the Idaho Potato Commission, to let us design, build and promote the world’s largest potato in celebration of their 75th anniversary. Complete with imperfections, bumps and potato eyes, this giant spud started capturing the attention of Idahoans from the moment of its debut at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Bronco Stadium this past Saturday.
At 12,130 lbs (that’s over 6 tons!) and 28-feet long, this spud has drawn huge crowds of people with their cameras since it emerged, literally stopping traffic and generating tons of interest and questions about where it came from and how it was grown! We may well be creating our own potato folklore to be passed down through generations about the largest spud ever grown in Idaho!
Next year the giant potato hits the road, on a custom-designed flatbed trailer, for a tour of the entire country. The traveling tater truck will make its way to the east coast and then back, ending the tour on the west coast, raising money and awareness along the way for Meals on Wheels. We don’t know how they would cook it, but if it was a real potato it would be the largest Meal on Wheels in history!
MiM happiness!
Hip-hip hooray! Three cheers for MiM, the new summer schedule, and for another sustainability effort at Foerstel.
For the third year in a row, Foerstel has participated in the ACHD May in Motion campaign (MiM). This year we had 58% participation which is pretty good considering several of our people live out in the Meridian area, and several have children and the busy schedules that go along with those children! We were happy about the participation this year. We were also happy that Tom decided to trial the options of four 10-hour days and telecommuting for the month to see how it worked with a small group like ours. Tom is not sure he liked the echos he heard in the office on certain days. He also thought he heard crickets, but I think it was his imagination playing tricks on him…..or Ralphie up to her old tricks.
We have an internal prize drawing each year to motivate the staff and encourage participation. Linda is usually the top point earner, but this year, Daryl and Jeff gave her a run for her money! We had a three-way tie for the “Foerstel MiM Grand Prize Winner” and the fun fact about this is that Linda primarily biked, Jeff primarily carpooled, and Daryl primarily carpooled to work and took the bus home.
Since Tom is not particularly fond of “echos and crickets” he proposed a different schedule for the summer—9-hour days Monday through Thursday and four hours on Friday morning. Friday afternoons are pretty quiet anyway, so starting next week we will be closing the office on Fridays by 12:30. All of the Foerstel staff will be participating in the new summer schedule. Even Ralphie.
the ride to 6000 miles
May in Motion in Boise is a city wide promotion to get single drivers out of their cars to try alternative modes of transportation. I am lucky enough to live in a neighborhood close to downtown so that in the nicer months, my main wheels are attached to a 1964 Schwinn Hollywood that takes me where I need to go, whether that be work or out for an evening on the town. This bike has a Sears Roebuck odometer on it that unfortunately stopped working a couple years ago – forever frozen at 1667 miles.
Another of my bikes (yes…I have more than two) is a sharp contrast to my vintage ride. It’s about as opposite as opposite can be. It’s a sleek Trek Madone 5.2, all carbon road bike that is so light I can pick it up with just a couple fingers. It was a most generous gift for my 40th birthday. I couldn’t believe then, and sometimes still can’t, that I actually own such a beautiful piece of cycling mechanics. It’s really art - but art that is really, really fun to ride really, really fast.
I’m entering the 4th season with this bike, and my odometer just turned 6000 miles. I have taken it out for a special ride – just the two of us – to celebrate the turn of each 1000 along the way. As the miles clicked over this time, I pondered where I could have gone with those miles, if they wouldn’t have been spent touring around the Idaho countryside.
For 3361 miles I could have pedaled my way to Cancun… couldn’t have made it a roundtrip ride, but maybe staying in Mexico practicing my mad Spanish skills and learning to salsa dance wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Honolulu is 3306 miles away, but am thinking there’s a bigger challenge to riding there than just the miles.
Miami is 2832 and one of my favorites, Boston, is only 2691 miles away meaning I could easily make the roundtrip for under 6000 with room to spare for some off-the-track sightseeing along the way.
I wish the old odometer on my cruiser was still clicking away the miles we spend together. In some ways, I feel like we’re missing out on the celebrations of our milestones but maybe that’s not what that bike is about. It’s not about going fast, being lightweight or even particularly attractive - it’s all about enjoying the ride.
it’s a blast working with dynamite
- new brand identity
- new packaging and brand architecture
Dynamite has a long history of commitment to providing the highest quality, environmentally sound products for animals, people, and the soil. We were impressed when they came to us with the primary goal of making their packaging more sustainable. It wasn’t easy finding the right solution for the packaging that protected the integrity of the product, fit the shape of the product better, weighed less for shipping, drastically reduced the amount of non-renewable resources being used in the manufacturing and shipping process, and finally, was a recyclable paper material.
Foremost in the new branding, messaging and package design was clear communication about the quality and integrity of this company and their products. In addition to quickly indicating the use of the product to the customer, it also had to convey an all-natural product which is handmade in small batches, and at the same time communicate the cutting-edge science that backed each of the formulations. Not to mention creating a clear differentiation between each of the product lines. It was a big job, but as you can see in the before and after photos, Debbie (the lead designer on the project) and the team did a bang-up job!
The launch was a great success , the new packaging was a hit, and we had a great time working on this project with Dynamite. Yeah, ok……we had a blast!
ftc green guides - is this your opportunity?
As the FTC works through their final revisions to the Green Guides, there is a great opportunity for your company to not only stand out from the competition, but to form a more solid and loyal relationship with your customers.
The FTC Green Guides are intended to help marketers avoid making misleading environmental claims, and at the same time help the consumer have a clear understanding of what a claim means. Environmental claims such as “green”, “eco-friendly” or “environmentally-friendly” are just too general. They lack clarity, and in the past have not been substantiated. Enter the knowledgeable and savvy consumer who actually wants to know what commonly used terms such as “green” and “sustainable” really mean. And enter the era of company transparency–the opportunity for you to connect with your customers in a new way, building a relationship of authenticity, trust and loyalty.
In October 2010, the FTC proposed to revise their Green Guides for the first time in 10 years. Initially issued in 1992, the Green Guides were revised again in 1996 and last revised in 1998. With the proliferation of sustainable initiatives and environmental claims, the revisions are badly needed.
Currently the FTC is in the process of reviewing public comments and making final revisions to the guides. These updates are designed to make it easier for companies to understand and utilize them. Included in these updates are guidance on the use of certifications and seals of approval, “renewable energy” claims, “renewable materials” claims, and “carbon offset” claims. Other proposed changes will give guidance on how to qualify claims such as “green” or “eco-friendly” and how “recyclable” and “compostable” can be utilized. Even with these updates, there are still areas that are not included and will need to be addressed in the future such as guidance on claims regarding a product’s life cycle or hidden trade offs.
What does all this really mean to you? It means more clarity in how to make accurate environmental claims on your packaging and your collateral as you comply with the new rules. It also translates into new opportunities. This is an ideal time to amp up your package design efforts. It is also an incredible opportunity for your company to form closer ties with your customers by communicating what you are doing to help the planet. Not just on your packaging, but also through your website and social media efforts. How can you take advantage of these opportunities?
- Utilize the FTC guides to help the consumer understand your message
- Consider cost-saving sustainable options for your packaging
- Ensure that your brand message is conveyed on your package to the consumer
- Utilize “Creative + results”–a successful approach to differentiating your package in the marketplace
- Utilize your website and social media efforts to reinforce your sustainability message
“Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the one you miss.” ~Author Unknown
2010 blanket drive
Last year we were very surprised by how many homeless people were out in the cold, and not able to fit into shelters or left outside between shelter openings. Because our office is at the crossroads of those shelters, we see it every day and wish we could help them all. We realized that we all had unused, extra blankets at home that would help these people.
We also thought that if we had some to give then other people must have extras too! We posted the request on facebook and the blankets came pouring in. We were so thrilled! We were able to literally hand the blankets to people who were on the streets and so thankful to have them! An added bonus is the sustainable practices aspect: creating a way for the blankets to be reused rather than going to a landfill.
This year we are doing it again. We will be collecting the blankets and handing them out, with all extras going to Corpus Cristi House and Interfaith Sanctuary. We’ve also teamed up with MUUV Studio in east Boise as an additional blanket drop-off point.
We were also very honored to be asked that during this drive we set aside blankets to hand out at the Homeless Memorial Service which will be held the evening of December 21st to honor those homeless who passed away in 2010.
So, please bring your extra blankets from home that you are not using…you know you have some!
graphic design with the planet in mind
In an on-going effort to offer our clients up-to-date, relevant knowledge about packaging trends, we invited John Bernardo of Sustainable Innovations to hold a seminar at Foerstel last week on The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging. What an amazing and complex subject, as well as timely and important to our industry!
John’s long history of consulting to assist businesses with their triple bottom line and sustainable operations, along with his association with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), GreenBlue, and the Dupont Innovative Packaging Awards provides him with a strong knowledge base and true, hands-on experience.
At Foerstel, one of our requirements in package design development is to consider the sustainable potential for each project, and we encourage and assist our customers in doing the same. John’s seminar was based on the SPC’s 8-part definition of sustainable packaging, which provided a deeper understanding of how these criteria can be integrated into packaging development. This definition has been widely adopted throughout the packaging industry and provides a common vision, framework and strategies that work towards more sustainable packaging.
A key point in the seminar was that trade-offs are an inherent part of pursuing sustainability. The SCP definition considers all facets of design and production, which results in the bar being set so high that today there is no such thing as a completely sustainable package. But there are eight steps, so the key is to choose one or two to focus on initially, determining which aspects of Sustainable Packaging are most important to your company and its mission and vision. It’s important to inform your suppliers of your interest and emphasis on Sustainable Packaging. The other key point that we found interesting is that committing to sustainable package design and production reduction typically saves money in the long run.
Many thanks to John for a truly fascinating and significant seminar, and thanks to Treasure Valley Packaging Group and our client, Kelly Kunzweiler of Good Cow, for attending the seminar with us!
local, organic farm tour
Early last Wednesday morning, strong coffee in hand, Jim Hall and I made the 2 hour journey to Buhl, one of Southwest Idaho’s quaint farming towns. We volunteered to help with the Organic Farm Tour sponsored by NCAP (Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides). As members of NCAP and with a good portion of our business being in the organic food industry, Jim and I thought volunteering would give us the opportunity to learn more about local sustainable agriculture. Little did we know how much our help was needed. Jen Miller, the only NCAP staff member in Idaho, handles each event from beginning to end.
NCAP organizes these tours each summer at several different farms to give organic farmers a forum to discuss and learn from experts and their peers in the sustainable agriculture community. This particular tour was hosted by Mike Heath at his farm, M&M Heath Organic Farms. Mike is a leader in Idaho’s organic agriculture and has been farming organically for 28 years. He currently runs 450 acres of certified organic production!
The day included several speakers from University of Idaho, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Idaho’s Bounty, tours of two of Mike’s fields, a 15-minute downpour that drenched us while we toured the first field, and a delicious lunch that consisted of all local foods from Mike’s and neighboring farms. We were amazed at the network of programs and agencies available to assist organic farmers. Valuable information was shared about agricultural trials and tests, non-pesticide alternatives for potato blight and other common pests, the best process for rotating crops, and more! You cannot help but admire this community of local farmers and organic agricultural specialists in their quest for a better food supply and a better environment. Foerstel applauds the local organic farmers in Idaho!
it’s a win, win, win!
Here’s something that really gets us excited - The first annual Good Food Awards recognizing the trifecta of good food: delicious, socially responsible, and sustainably produced.
In its inaugural year, with an organic all-star judging panel that includes Alice Waters and Nell Newman, Good Food Awards will be given to winners in seven categories: beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles and preserves. Awards will be given to producers and their food communities from each of five regions of the US. The Good Food Awards seal, found on winning products, assures consumers they have found something exceptionally delicious that also supports sustainability and social good.
