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 SOURCE:  COMPASS (Comparable Packaging Assessment), developed by THE SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING COALITION

Less is Not Always More  

You’ll hear a lot about the weight of a product's package as if it were the sole criterion for determining sustainability. While less weight certainly helps reduce freight costs …

  • Distribution is only one of the six phases in the life cycle of a sustainable package.
  • Paper mill wood waste and byproducts are converted into energy, supplying 2/3 of the energy required to produce paperboard. (Technical Association of the Pulp & Paper Industry)
  • When plastic's bulk is considered, less weight may not even mean less space in a landfill.

The EPA reports that in 2008, 54% of all municipal solid waste was dumped into landfills. However, a record 65.5% of the paperboard packaging waste generated by Americans in 2008 was recycled. Europe came close to 80%. By contrast, only 13.2% of plastic waste was recovered.

Why such a difference? Paperboard is readily and easily recycled. But there are 7 major grades of plastic, some of which are difficult to recycle and most cannot be intermixed. The issues regarding the use and re-use of plastic packaging are complex. More information from a not-for-profit and two municipal organizations may be found here:  DESCRIPTIONS, MISCONCEPTIONS, LIMITATIONS.

 Click here to get the EPA's 2008 report on the composition and disposition of municipal solid waste.

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