Sustainability goals and consumer preferences drive new technologies
October 4, 2012
Trends such as sustainability and daily nutrition from packaged beverages will be some of the highlights at this year’s Pack Expo International 2012, Oct. 28-31 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Beverage manufacturers also will find a number of targeted resources that will make their search for innovation easier, including the new Beverage Cooler Lounge.
Jamba Juice Co., Emeryville, Calif., enhanced its comprehensive eco-sustainability strategy by forming a strategic relationship with the Global Green USA’s Coalition of Resource Recovery (CoRR), an industry working group dedicated to accelerating waste diversion programs.
The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, is collaborating with musician and producer will.i.am along with other iconic brands to inspire a global movement with the launch of Ekocycle, a brand initiative dedicated to help encourage recycling behavior and sustainability among consumers through aspirational, yet attainable lifestyle products made in part from recycled material.
As Kermit the Frog once sang, “It’s not easy being green.” Although he was not referring to environmental friendliness, being green is not any easier when Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is the goal.
South African wine brand Two Oceans has been repackaged in lightweight 350-gram bottles that are fully recyclable and decorated with biodegradable labels, inks and adhesives.
The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, released its eighth system-wide sustainability report that ranks the company at a self-declared B-plus level, according to the disclosure and reporting requirements of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The report’s highlights include the expanded availability of the company’s PlantBottle technology, improved water-use efficiency, carbon footprint reduction progress and philanthropic activities.
Three-quarters of Americans believe many consumer products are over-packaged, according to a survey of lifestyle of health and sustainability (LOHAS) consumers conducted by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), Harleysville, Pa. Minimal packaging is most preferred among consumers, followed by recyclable packaging and use of environmentally friendly packaging materials.
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), New York, and energy solutions provider GE, Fairfield, Conn., have formed a strategic alliance to develop innovative manufacturing solutions that are designed to drive energy efficiency and water savings in existing and “greenfield” AB InBev facilities across China.