Re|focus 2016: The power of collaboration
Re|focus 2016: The power of collaboration
<![CDATA[
Pictured, from left: Monique Oxender, Rob Flores and Ashley C. Hall
Panelists Ashley C. Hall, senior manager of sustainability at Wal-Mart; Rob Flores, director of sustainability at Berry Plastics Corp.; and Monique Oxender, chief sustainability officer at Keurig Green Mountain, discussed how they have been able to drive sustainability within their companies and how the various links in the supply chain can work together to realize sustainability objectives during the general session plenary panel at the Re|focus Recycling Summit & Expo, April 25-17, 2016, in Orlando, Florida.
Hall said Wal-Mart President CEO Doug McMillon believes all of the company’s employees are members of its sustainability team, as the concept factors directly into how Wal-Mart does business.
While sustainable packaging is still an issue, Hall said, “clearly there is some good work out there.” She added that opportunities remain to increase the use of recycled packages, to reduce packaging size and to educate consumers about packaging.
In the area of education, one tool Hall cited was the GreenBlue Sustainable Packaging Coalition How2Recycle Label, an on-package labeling system created to provide clear, consistent recycling information to consumers. In late 2014, the Wal-Mart Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to GreenBlue to support the How2Recycle Label. In 2015, the company joined the program and is working with its suppliers to incorporate these labels on Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club private label packaging and encouraging national brand suppliers to consider using the label as well.
The retailer, through the Wal-Mart Foundation, also is helping to encourage investment in recycling infrastructure through the Closed Loop Fund.
Keurig Green Mountain’s Oxender announced that the first recyclable K-cup, made from polypropylene, will be coming to market later this year. She said the company worked with material recovery facilities (MRFs) to test their ability to recover K-cups at scale in 2015. According to these tests, 70 percent of the K-cups were recovered at the MRFs in question.
Oxender said this development would not have been possible without partnerships. She added that partnering with recyclers in this fashion also helps to keep Keurig Green Mountain honest about the recyclability of its K-cups.
However, Oxender stressed that K-cups are a small portion of the overall packaging stream, adding, “We would like to see the conversation opened up beyond [the K-cup.]”
She continued, “We have a huge appetite to create and catalyze change at Keurig Green Mountain.”
To help catalyze this change, Keurig Green Mountain recently joined The Recycling Partnership as a funding partner. The organization seeks to improve residential recycling.
From a life cycle perspective, plastic packaging, particularly in the form of lightweight pouches, performs well; however, Berry’s Flores says, “consumers don’t always get that.”
Oxender agreed, saying, “The customer doesn’t understand life cycle analysis.”
Instead, she said, customers feel bad when they have to dispose of packaging in the trash rather than in the recycling bin. “You can’t overcome that with LCA.”
Oxender said both recyclability and LCA are important considerations for brand owners.
On the topic of extender producer responsibility, Flores said that while the concept “sounds good,” brand owners are concerned that these programs are not well-run.
Hall said Wal-Mart is not waiting for the U.S. to move in the direction of EPR but is instead determining how to move in that direction voluntarily.
Oxender said that while EPR is part of the landscape, “What excites us the most I the innovating we’re seeing at a voluntary level.”
The Re|focus Recycling Summit & Expo was April 25-27 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando.
]]>
Source: Recycling Today
Re|focus 2016: The power of collaboration
<![CDATA[Pictured, from left: Monique Oxender, Rob Flores and Ashley C. Hall Panelists Ashley C. Hall, senior manager of sustainability at Wal-Mart; Rob Flores, director of sustainability at Berry Plastics Corp.; and Monique Oxender, chief sustainability officer at Keurig Green Mountain, discussed how they have been able to drive sustainability within their companies and how the various links in the supply chain can work together to realize sustainability objectives during the general session plenary panel at the Re|focus Recycling Summit & Expo, April 25-17, 2016, in Orlando, Florida. Hall said Wal-Mart President CEO Doug McMillon believes all of the company’s employees are members of its sustainability team, as the concept factors directly into how Wal-Mart does business. While sustainable packaging is still an issue, Hall said, “clearly there is some good work out there.” She added that opportunities remain to increase the use of recycled packages, to reduce packaging size and to educate consumers about packaging. In the area of education, one tool Hall cited was the GreenBlue Sustainable Packaging Coalition How2Recycle Label, an on-package labeling system created to provide clear, consistent recycling information to consumers. In late 2014, the Wal-Mart Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to GreenBlue…