Packaging Sustainability: One More Stop On the Road to the Green Supply Chain

Oct. 28, 2009
Green is the new green. What I mean by this is that the concept of "green" is not new at all in the supply chain arena. Environmentally friendly efforts have been a hot topic for quite some time. But while many companies are implementing sustainable ...

Green is the new green. What I mean by this is that the concept of "green" is not new at all in the supply chain arena.

Environmentally friendly efforts have been a hot topic for quite some time. But while many companies are implementing sustainable efforts, the initiatives that are green (financially) as well as green (pro-environment) are leading the pack.

Businesses and consumers alike are encouraging environmentally friendly trends, but many times the costs of "going green" overcome the benefits, especially as companies work to regain their strength from the recession.

Yet we also see that companies like Wal-Mart are leading the sustainability efforts as they discover that sustainability is a powerful offensive strategy.

Along with Wal-Mart, more and more organizations are realizing the impact that sustainable packaging has on energy usage, material availability and costs. The increased consumer interest in environmental issues is also a major motivator for sustainable packaging initiatives.

According to a recent Packaging Sustainability Hot Topic Report published by the Supply Chain Consortium, sustainable packaging projects are resting on the shoulders of transportation efficiency, improved package handling, and the percentage of recycled content in the packaging material. See the chart by clicking below for the criteria used by participants from the Consortium's Packaging Sustainability survey to evaluate packaging. Click here

And, to improve their use of packaging sustainability initiatives, the Consortium's survey respondents say that that they need:

*A better collection and recovery process;

*Higher end-user awareness;

*A better-designed supply chain, and

*A life-cycle analysis process that identifies the cost effectiveness of sustainability initiatives.

So, with all of this green awareness and interest in greening supply chains, the future appears to be bright for the evolution of sustainable packaging, and I'm wondering how your company's supply chain strategy fits in with this trend. Are sustainability efforts important to you? What are your sustainability goals and what will it take to reach those goals? Leave a comment below if you would like to share your thoughts.

To view the Supply Chain Consortium's Packaging Sustainability Hot Topic Report, click here

Jim
Tompkins Associates

About the Author

Jim Tompkins | CEO

Dr. James A. Tompkins is an international authority on leadership, logistics, material handling, outsourcing, and supply chain best practices. As the founder and CEO of Tompkins International, he provides leadership for Tompkins globally.

His 30-plus years as CEO of a consulting / integration firm and his focus on helping companies achieve profitable growth give him an insider’s view into what makes great companies even better. Listen to an interview of Jim Tompkins on the Business Leader Radio show.

As a high-level business advisor, his unique perspective prepares corporations and executives for the future.

To share his knowledge and provide up-to-date information on supply chain and business trends, he developed the GoGoGo! Blogand Global Supply Chain Podcast.

He has written or contributed to more than 30 books and eBooks, including Caught Between the Tiger and the Dragon, Bold Leadership, Logistics and Manufacturing Outsourcing, The Supply Chain Handbook, andNo Boundaries. Jim has been quoted in hundreds of business and industry magazines such as The Journal of Commerce, Supply & Demand Chain Executive, and FORTUNE, and he has spoken at more than 4,000 international engagements.

Jim has served as President of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Materials Management Society, and the College-Industry Council on Material Handling Education, and Purdue has named him a Distinguished Engineering Alum. He has also received more than 50 awards for his service to his profession.

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