Why Are Coca-Cola, Kellogg, and DuPont Hanging Out Together?

These companies have decided to join other companies including Colgate-Palmolive, ConAgra Foods, Dow Chemical Co., MeadWestvaco, P&G, Sealed Air Corp. and Tetra Pak Inc. to create a new packaging trade organization that is dedicated to helping the environment.

AMERIPEN, as it's called, is modeled after European and British counterparts (EUROPEN AND INCPEN). Its goal is to "encourage science-based decision-making on sustainable packaging initiatives and provide a point-of-view and guidance to policy makers and thought leaders on the value and role of packaging."

"The organization will play an instrumental role in conveying this message to opinion leaders in North America and ensuring that participants in the packaging value chain have maximum scope to innovate, compete and operate in a resource-efficient way," explains Joan Pierce, president of the group which is based in East Lansing, Michigan.

The group will work with trade associations, academic institutions, NGOs and government agencies to conduct research and identify standards.