By David Callif, President of BCM INKS
We started to renovate our offices approximately 2 weeks ago. The renovation got me thinking about how we are helping our carpet, tile, furniture, etc. suppliers recycle for profit. We are installing carpet and tile made from recycled plastic and paper fibers. We are sending our old furniture to “Goodwill” so some other business can reuse it. In each case, the manufacturers/suppliers found a way to turn a used product into a new product. A product that they could sell for a fair price and make a profit. We are just one business. However, if more of us start to “Recycle for Profit” we can have a BIG impact on the environment and our bottom lines.
A recent “Sustainability in Packaging” study conducted by Packaging Digest and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition found that survey respondents stated “Recycled content is the most cited criteria used to evaluate sustainability”. Is this important for the corrugated industry? You bet!
The Corrugated Packaging Alliance just completed the first ever US Corrugated life cycle assessment (complete results are available at www.corrugated.org). The assessment found that the average corrugated product contains 46% recycled content. This means less material goes to landfills which results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions from their
disposal. This means we should promote what we are doing to help the environment on every box we manufacture. We should also encourage recycling before state and local governments mandate a fee for every corrugated box that goes to a landfill.
Did you know that America Recycles Day is November 15th? This is a nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and think about buying products made with recycled materials. This day offers our industry a great opportunity to educate our customers and their customers about how many of our products “close the loop” on recycling and therefore, are more sustainable. BCM Inks is proud of our efforts to date to “close the loop” on recycling with our Eekoflex inks. Eekoflex is made from a byproduct of the paper/pulp making process. It is packaged in reground 5 gallon plastic pails and/or reusable fibre 55 gallon drums or 250 gallon totes. Some of our customers are educating the ultimate consumer with a statement on the corrugated box which reads as follows:
“This package is (% recyclable) with (% post consumer materials) and printed with inks made from natural pine tree rosin.”
What are you doing to educate your customers? Packaging Digest’s June 22nd edition stated “93% of CEO’s surveyed believe sustainability will be critical to the future success of their companies”. A major component is their recycling programs. Two examples of companies who have instituted
recycling programs are:
- Vanguard Packaging, a BCM Inks partner
- The Coca Cola Company
Vanguard Packaging Kansas City, MO recently was honored with the Greener Package Innovator of the Year Award. Vanguard “recycles for profit” by reusing inks from their ink blending system, reusing their ink buckets and drums, recycling waste paper, etc. Vanguard reports that “everything that can be recycled is recycled”. Their initiatives prevent 95% of their waste going to a landfill.
Coca Cola is another company that is committed to recycling. They want to completely replace petroleum based plastic resins with plant based materials that don’t compete with food crops and are 100% recyclable. They have also started the largest recycling campaign in the world with their “Give it Back” program.
With all this talk about sustainability, what better day than on “America Recycles Day” to commit to “Recycling for Profit”. BCM Inks is happy to help you get started. Call or email me today.
Regards,
David Callif
Ph: 513-469-0400
E-mail: dave@bcminks.com
“Where Green is More Than a Color”
P.S. We want to wish you and your loved ones a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving!
New ISO World Standards for Packaging and the Environment
The new International Standardization Organization (ISO) World Standards for Packaging and the Environment will most likely be published within two years. One of the more maddening aspects of sustainability has been the numerous organizations who have attempted to establish global standards. This has resulted in various scorecards but no one global standard. Now ISO is attempting to develop world standards for packaging
and the environment.
According to Labels and Labeling magazine, ISO delegates met in Beijing, China late May/early June to discuss and start writing the standards. The desire is to have all companies involved in the activity of packaging (i.e. packaging designers and manufacturers, recyclers, retailers, CPCs, and manufacturers of packaging materials and inks) follow the new ISO standards. The new standards will address the optimization of packaging by source reduction, the responsible use of heavy metals and other noxious substances, the possible reuse of packages and the different modes of recycling (material, energy, or composting).
BCM Partner Global Printing Solutions wins Runner-Up in the 2010 AICC Supplier of the Year Competition
BCM Inks has worked with Global Printing Solutions’ owner, Barry Williams, for several years. Global Printing Solutions has developed a unique eco-friendly ink additive. We want to pass along our congratulations for product innovation that enhances performance, reduces cost, and saves the environment.
For more information about Global Printing Solutions, please visit their website at www.globalprintingsolutions.com