P+PB: PACK EXPO Was Reminder Of Sustainable Solutions Ahead BY MARY ANN HANSAN This year the Paper and Packaging Board team and B2B partner, Stein IAS, joined some 40,000+ people attending
PACK EXPO at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Their largely corru- gated booth and props played off the Pack to the Future theme offering a virtual reality experience about the sustainability of our working forests along with a photo opportunity with a corrugated, DeLorean-inspired car.
Mary Ann Hansan
Many of the companies were actively looking for solu- tions to help them substitute elements of their packaging with paper-based solutions. The paper and packaging
industry is perfectly positioned to connect and amplify this trend, helping to establish the narrative that taking proactive action to move to paper-based approaches is
increasingly an essential element of being an environmentally responsible manufacturer. In- novation is at the heart of the next generation of sustainability. It is important that customers and shippers see the paper and packaging industry as col- laborative innovators who will partner with them to deliver solutions that will meet their sustainability goals. According to PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies publish sustainability reports; 89 percent of those companies revealed recy- clable design is a key sustainability strategy, 80 percent want source-reduced packaging, and 56 percent want packaging made from renew- able materials. Downstream packaging customers and box companies were found to be highly receptive to the Box to Nature recycling message. It should be made as easy as possible for them to participate, either directly through the P+PB or through their paper and box manufacturers. Making clear that the major box manufacturers are involved in Box to Nature goes a long way to establishing credibility and interest. If com- panies funding the P+PB program promote their involvement, there is likely to be strong interest among many of their customers who ship to consumers. According to P+PB, it feels like we are in the midst of a sea of change in materials selection. There is an opportunity and a responsibility to make sure the packaging industry is the center of that conversation, and ready with answers to the questions customers and consumers are asking. Visit paperandpackaging.org for more in- formation and resources.
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November 21, 2022
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