• Login
    • Join
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Exclusives
    • Labels & Packaging
    • Markets
    • Technology
    • Equipment
    • Supplies
    • Buyers' Guide
    • Events
    • Jobs
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • Labels & Packaging
  • Markets
  • Technology
  • Equipment
  • Supplies
  • Buyers' Guide
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Editorial
    Columns
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    Top Features
    The 2019 TLMI Awards

    Labelexpo Europe holds most international edition yet

    Cannabis Labels

    Digital Printers and Presses

    Digital Printing Update
    Breaking News
    Converter News
    European Label News
    Industry News
    Industry People
    M&A News
    New Products
    Expert's Opinion
    Live From Shows
    Top News
    GSE products provide quality assurance for Pharmalabel

    Mark Andy joins forces with UPM Raflatac

    Siegwerk opens Europe's largest, fully-automated ink facility

    Domino welcomes Steve Daily to Service & Support Team

    Kodak and Uteco sell first Ultrastream flexible packaging press
    Beauty & Personal Care Labels
    Beer Labels
    Beverage Labels
    Flexible Packaging
    Folding Carton
    Food Labels
    Glue-Applied
    In-Mold
    Industrial Labels
    Medical Labels
    Pharmaceutical Labels
    Pressure Sensitive
    Prime Labels
    Promotional Labels
    Security Labels
    Shrink
    Smart Labels
    Specialty Labels
    Spirits Labels
    Wine Labels

    Kodak and Uteco sell first Ultrastream flexible packaging press

    Schreiner MediPharm and PragmatIC form strategic partnership

    Avery Dennison acquires Smartac’s RFID inlay business

    Luminer expands NJ manufacturing facility

    PPG Teslin labelstock receives BS 5609 Section 3 certification
    Africa
    Asia
    Australia
    China
    Europe
    India
    Latin America
    Middle East
    North America

    L&NW’s top online features of 2019

    GSE products provide quality assurance for Pharmalabel

    HP teams with Haney for sustainable packaging

    Austrian converter installs first Nilpeter press

    Schreiner MediPharm and PragmatIC form strategic partnership
    Flexography
    Digital Printing
    Prepress
    Finishing
    Sustainability

    Mark Andy joins forces with UPM Raflatac

    Domino welcomes Steve Daily to Service & Support Team

    Kodak and Uteco sell first Ultrastream flexible packaging press

    HP teams with Haney for sustainable packaging

    Herma's labelstocks receive new certification
    Digital Printers & Presses
    Flexo Presses
    Label Converting Equipment
    Label Finishing Equipment
    Prepress Equipment

    Domino welcomes Steve Daily to Service & Support Team

    Austrian converter installs first Nilpeter press

    MPS Systems North America relocating to Philadelphia

    First Mark Andy P4 installed in Russia

    Memjet technology drives new COASO label press
    Dies And Tooling
    Flexo Supplies
    Ink & Coatings
    Prepress Supplies
    Pressrooom Supplies
    Substrates

    Increase production uptime with magnetic cylinder audits

    Mark Andy joins forces with UPM Raflatac

    Siegwerk opens Europe's largest, fully-automated ink facility

    Herma's labelstocks receive new certification

    UPM Raflatac launches high-tack adhesive for film labeling
    All Companies
    Categories
    Company Profiles
    Label Converters
    Trade Associations
    Add New Company
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Praxair Surface Technologies Inc.

    Flexo Wash LLC

    Domino

    Durst Group - Durst Phototechnik AG Headquaters

    MPS Systems North America Inc.
    Industry Events
    Webinars
    Live from Show Events
    • Magazine
      • Current & Past Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Buyers' Guide
      • All Companies
      • Categories
      • Company Profiles
      • Label Converters
      • Trade Associations
      • Add Your Company
    • Labels & Packaging
      • Beauty & Personal Care Labels
      • Beer Labels
      • Beverage Labels
      • Flexible Packaging
      • Folding Carton
      • Food Labels
      • Glue-Applied
      • In-Mold
      • Industrial Labels
      • Medical Labels
      • Pharmaceuticals Labels
      • Pressure Sensitive
      • Prime Labels
      • Promotional Labels
      • Security Labels
      • Shrink
      • Smart Labels
      • Speciality Labels
      • Spirits Labels
      • Wine Tables
    • Markets
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Australia
      • China
      • Europe
      • India
      • Latin America
      • Middle East
      • North America
    • Equipment
      • Digital Printers & Presses
      • Flexo Presses
      • Label Converting Equipment
      • Label Fishing Equipment
    • Supplies
      • Dies And Tooling
      • Flexo Supplies
      • Ink & Coatings
      • Prepress Supplies
      • Pressrooom Supplies
      • Substrates
    • Online Exclusives
    • Slideshows
    • Experts Opinions
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Infographics
    • Whitepapers
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live from Show Events
      • Webinars
    • Jobs
    • Resources
      • Supplier Gallery
      • Literature Showcase
      • Homepage Showcase
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Letters From The Earth

    Taking responsibility

    Related CONTENT
    • RadTech announces new president and board members
    • RadTech announces new president and board members
    • Avery Dennison launches new wine label materials
    • This is not about China
    • The sword and the substrate
    Calvin Frost03.14.19
    If we’re committed to a world, a planet in balance, how in the world do we do it? Well, certainly it takes a “pure” committed Huawei, not the one that we’ve recently come to know in the US.  The Huawei I wrote about earlier had created an “inverter,” making solar energy easy to convert from DC to AC. That was exciting; that was helping to create balance. The Huawei in today’s news is anything but! Huawei is now accused of stealing secrets and violating sanctions.  I suspect there is some truth in those charges and I am so disappointed.  They have been such a leader in converting renewable energy into useful, day-to-day energy.

    Okay, let’s move on. Let’s go to a truly committed conservationist, Jane Goodall, who said, “Only if we understand, can we care.” And, “Only if we care can we help.” She has it right, and I happen to think that EPR is necessary to help us correct the dilemma we find ourselves in:  a contaminated, dirty, polluted, undisciplined worldly environment.  EPR, what is it? Can it help? Is it financially viable?

    This column looks at Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to determine if it fits in our industry. Think about this: If I make it, I am responsible for its end of life. The manufacturer is responsible for an environmentally compliant end of life. Labelstock, matrix, release liner waste, flexible packaging by product, none of this will exist. No more landfill for non-recyclable by-product. Wow, can you believe it! 3M, Avery Dennison, Loparex, Mondi, the folks who created this waste, they’re responsible and must provide a solution. Wow! I love it. Call these companies and they will “take away my waste.” Count me in!

    Hold it, not so quickly. What in the world will these companies do? How will they solve this problem? Is EPR the solution? Hmmm, let’s look at EPR and see if it is the right answer to non-recyclable by-product generated in the packaging industry.

    The idea of EPR is that the producer of a product – a car, lawn mower, washing machine, label substrate or tape – is responsible for the life of the product. Indeed, the idea of EPR supports the concept of a circular economy, the latest environmental buzzword. Extended Producer Responsibility is a form of product stewardship. Manufacturers and brand owners are responsible for the products they make or sell from start to finish.

    Frankly, EPR really means two things: Number one, the responsibility for disposal is shifted upstream to the producer, and number two, the concept of EPR forces the manufacturer to make the design of their products more environmentally-friendly.  Without a doubt, Lester Brown was one of the early advocates of EPR, except he took it one step further.  Lester wanted to shift the “lifetime” extended cost of a product to its manufacturer. In the case of tobacco and cigarettes, the manufacturer would have the extended cost of health care, due to lung cancer caused by smoking.  The only way the tobacco company could survive would be to raise the price of cigarettes. Ultimately, smokers would be paying so much for a cigarette, they’d stop. Voila, problem solved. In fact, that is exactly what is happening in the Western Hemisphere. The cost of cigarettes has gone through the roof (not so in less developed countries).

    To be fair, the concept of EPR doesn’t go quite so far. If this were the case, look at what would happen to the automobile industry: A speedy car crashes and the driver is hurt and rushed to the hospital.  The Lester Brown concept means the car manufacturer is responsible for all the costs for the hospitalized driver. No, the EPR concept doesn’t go that far. However, what is fascinating, at least to me, is that the automobile industry already practices EPR and it works.  Think about it:  If you want to buy a new car, you trade your old one in. The trade-in not only gets you cash toward a new car but also allows you to dispose of your old car in an environmentally compliant manner.  What then happens to your old car? It is either refurbished for resale or sold for “recycling.” Here’s the point: EPR exists in the automobile industry and has for years. We no longer have unused, rusting, unfriendly cars sitting around dripping oil and creating an ungodly environmental mess. EPR works in the automobile industry.

    EPR also exists with other small consumer items like lawn mowers and snow blowers.  This past October, I traded in my 15-year-old snow blower for a modern, state-of-the-art model.  I asked the dealer what he would do with the old machine. He explained, “I’ll salvage some of the parts, drain the oil/gas and whatever remains will be picked up by the recycler.”  This is EPR at its best! Extended Producer Responsibility is a practice in which producers take responsibility for the management of the disposal of products they produce, once the products are no longer useful. Responsibility may be fiscal or physical or a combination of both. The underlying concept is that products will be designed for useful end of life.

    EPR for the packaging industry is more complicated than the end of life for big ticket items like cars, refrigerators, lawn mowers and the like. Think of the supply chain of a pressure sensitive label: forest/oil field, to pulp/refinery, to paper/film, to lamination with glue, to printing, to application on a package, to distribution, and, finally, to the consumer who takes it home and consumes the product and throws the package away. Who has the ultimate responsibility? In my view, each part of the chain has to be involved in a responsible solution.  This includes the consumer, where accurate, correct, education is an absolute necessity. I believe that we have failed to create a proper environment in this regard, and hold us all accountable. Education begins with kids in school.  We need to teach proper disposal of packaging. In fact, I shared a presentation a number of years ago at a high school with Cindy White, president and CEO of Channeled Resources. Our takeaway:  even the teacher of this class on environmental studies was ignorant of solutions for the disposal of non-renewable packaging.  The message here is that we have done a poor job explaining what we can do to make a better contribution to reducing waste.

    To be sure, major brand owners are concerned about packaging waste, in particular, single use packaging like detergent, shampoo and bath gel packages.  Alan Jope, Unilever chief executive, said at a recent conference, “I sometimes wonder if it’s a fair accusation that we’re in the branded litter business.” Simon Lowden, president of PepsiCo’s global snack business, commented, “From a philosophical point of view, we have got to lean in and learn about this stuff.” He confirmed, “People talk about recyclability and reuse and say they’d like to be involved in helping the environment, so let’s see if it’s true.” He was referring to reducing single service plastic waste.  These two companies, along with Nestle SA, Proctor & Gamble and 25 others, have bought into a novel kind of EPR proposed by recycling company TerraCycle.  The idea is to sell products in glass, steel and other containers that are designed to be returned, cleaned, refilled and reused. Novel, right? Remember the milk bottle, the original Coke and beer bottles? All of these were returnable.  A lot of us grew up in that culture.  Packaging in those days was compliant with the general guidelines of EPR: make it and take care of it during its useful life. Tom Szaky, CFO of TerraCycle, said of his Loop program, “Recycling is not the answer to garbage. The real problem is how do we solve waste and the root cause of waste is disposability.” The Loop project will start in several pilot cities with several of the 25 brand owners participating with a select group of shoppers.

    Shoppers whom the companies selected for the trial will be able to order hundreds of products – including Nestle’s Haagen Dazs ice cream and Clorox Co’s wet wipes – from a website for home delivery. Products arrive in a reusable tote.  Once finished, users schedule a pickup for empty containers to be cleaned and refilled.  They can sign up for a subscription-based service that replenishes products once empty containers are returned.  TerraCycle will handle delivery, returns and cleaning.

    The products will cost roughly the same as the versions in single-use containers but users will also have to pay a deposit of $1 - $10 per container. Shipping charges start at roughly $20, decreasing with every item added.

    According to Unilever, a refillable steel container for its Axe and Dove stick deodorant will last eight years, or long enough to prevent the disposal of as many as 100 traditional deodorant packages.

    EPR starts to get a little fuzzy when you think about TerraCycle’s Loop. I, for one, don’t want to have a deodorant stick for eight years.  Nor do I want additional containers packaged in totes. Where would I put all this stuff? What about the additional carbon footprint generated by pick-up and delivery? Loop is interesting, and we’ll wait and see if it is practical and economically viable. I’m taking a wait-and-see approach for the time being.

    My own view is that the only way EPR makes sense to our industry is to compartmentalize the supply chain into sections, creating solutions along the way. For example, we know matrix can be diverted into energy.  We know that spent liner can be recycled.  In this case, the OEM, the laminator, becomes responsible for the matrix and the converter, the printer, becomes responsible for the liner. The brand owner is absolved from these two but definitely has the ultimate responsibility for proper disposal for the package that was sold to the consumer. EPR can work but must be practical. And, educating the consumer on proper package disposal is critical.

    Another Letter from the Earth.



    Calvin Frost is chairman of Channeled Resources Group, headquartered in Chicago, the parent company of Maratech International and GMC Coating. His email address is cfrost@channeledresources.com.
    Related Searches
    • tape
    • Flexible packaging
    • lamination
    • management
    Suggested For You
    Avery Dennison unveils new all-temperature adhesive Avery Dennison unveils new all-temperature adhesive
    AWA presents release liner industry leadership awards AWA presents release liner industry leadership awards
    Avery Dennison launches M_use Avery Dennison launches M_use
    Avery Dennison opens I.Lab in India Avery Dennison opens I.Lab in India
    Avery Dennison materials support healthcare industry Avery Dennison materials support healthcare industry
    Garbage patch gyres Garbage patch gyres
    Avery Dennison drives development of durable labels Avery Dennison drives development of durable labels
    Avery Dennison Avery Dennison's Intelligent Label Converter Academy
    Avery Dennison hosts Intelligent Label Converter Academy Avery Dennison hosts Intelligent Label Converter Academy
    Avery Dennison announces transition in Board leadership Avery Dennison announces transition in Board leadership
    Ice cream packaging that’s a sweet success Ice cream packaging that’s a sweet success
    The sword and the substrate The sword and the substrate
    This is not about China This is not about China
    Avery Dennison launches new wine label materials Avery Dennison launches new wine label materials
    RadTech announces new president and board members RadTech announces new president and board members

    Related Letters From The Earth

    • Sacrifice and survival

      Sacrifice and survival

      Can “sacrifice zones” create positive change? I think so. First, what is a sacrifice zone?  It is “a geographic area that has been impaired by environmental damage or economic disenchantment.”  Think of the southern…
      Calvin Frost 11.15.19

    • Invasive plants and animals

      “For my people are foolish…they are stupid children, they have no understanding. I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains and they have quaking, and all th…
      Calvin Frost 10.11.19

    • Palm oil

      Several issues ago I wrote about synthetics, manmade chemistries, if you will. I had numerous e-mails about that one, some positive and some not so positive. Such is life! But I have a post script to that column. I just read a wonderful opinion piece…
      Calvin Frost 09.04.19


    • Evian spelled backward

      I was going to discuss the ROI on EPR in this column.  Some of you would say, “What’s he talking about?” Very simply, the return on investment on extended producer responsibility. But, right now we’re sitting on a powder…
      Calvin Frost 07.10.19

    • Chemistry is the culprit

      There’s something going on that doesn’t make a lot of sense. I’m going to divert from my “scheduled” topic, but it’s necessary. I’ve been reading about chemistry (Bill and David, do you remember Chemistry 101…
      Calvin Frost 05.31.19

    • Garbage patch gyres

      My wife invited me to join her to watch a movie at a recent Garden Club meeting.  The movie, “Bag It,” was about plastic contamination in oceans. (What else at a garden club meeting, right!?) It was very graphic and had me thinking a…
      Calvin Frost 04.05.19


    • This is not about China

      Wow, a flurry of emails from you regarding my last column on Chinese domination of the solar industry. And, most recently, the controversy surrounding the arrest of Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, of Huawei. Lots of spirited comments, but at l…
      Calvin Frost 02.01.19

    • China means business

      In my last column I wrote about the importance of photosynthesis.  I said photosynthesis “is the essence of life.” I spent most of the column discussing the biological process of photosynthesis and the importance of sun energy as the…
      Calvin Frost 11.16.18

    • Improving photosynthesis

      Improving photosynthesis

      Photosynthesis is the essence of life, in more than one way or another. In photosynthesis, plants use the energy of the sun to turn air and water into sugar, the food that plants use to build their tissue that feeds the world.  When we emit carb…
      Calvin Frost 10.12.18


    • Sustainable investing

      Sally came to dinner the other evening. We don’t see her as much now that Bob is gone.  She lives north in the summer, south in the winter and west in between. Who knows where she is or when? It was kind of fun to semi-listen to her update…
      Calvin Frost 09.10.18

    • A monster of a problem

      A monster of a problem

      Folks, we have a problem. Neither the “love” potion as postulated at the royal wedding by the Most Right Reverend Michael Curry, the presiding head of the American Episcopal Church, nor the love messages from Bob Dylan and others of 50 ye…
      Calvin Frost 07.13.18

    • Passing Gas, Keeping Score

      Passing Gas, Keeping Score

      First, apologies for that photo in the April issue. Suffice it to say, I had no idea our editor would connect it to my comments on California’s Cap & Trade scheme, as well as my admiration for Governor Jerry Brown. Nor had I looked closely…
      Calvin Frost 05.25.18

    • Californication

      Californication

      There’s a wonderful article in Mother Jones called “Dreamers of the Golden Dream.” Mother Jones has always been one of my favorites: liberal, investigative, irreverent, and holds no hostages. In this case, however, Gabriel Kahn was…
      Calvin Frost 04.09.18

    • Taking on a new life

      In my last column I wrote about a study on the incredible growth of the plastics industry and a similar growth in plastics going to the landfill. The study concluded: “Thus without a well-designed and tailor-made management strategy for end…
      Calvin Frost 03.09.18

    • Plastic parallels

      Plastic parallels

      In my last column I mentioned that “the current linear plastics system is broken.” Sadly, like so many other truly important contributors to our society (and let’s not debate the degree of importance), many of our developments since…
      Calvin Frost 01.26.18


    Breaking News
    • GSE products provide quality assurance for Pharmalabel
    • Luminer promotes Heather Bookman to prepress manager
    • Materials Exchange launches to solve excess inventory issue
    • Mark Andy joins forces with UPM Raflatac
    • Omet India opens in New Delhi
    View Breaking News >
    CURRENT ISSUE

    November/December 2019

    • THE 2019 TLMI AWARDS
    • Labelexpo Europe holds most international edition yet
    • Cannabis Labels
    • Digital Printers and Presses
    • Digital Printing Update
    • Narrow Web Profile: Adflex Corporation
    • View More >
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Contact Us

    follow us

    Subscribe
    Nutraceuticals World

    Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

    Deerland Obtains Certification from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration
    OptiMSM Shown to Improve Hair & Nail Appearance and Condition
    DCC Acquires Contract Manufacturer Ion Laboratories
    Coatings World

    Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

    Arkema: Bostik Acquires Danish Company LIP
    Axalta Adds New Epoxy Primer to Tufcote Liquid Industrial Coatings Portfolio
    Chromaflo Technologies Promotes Sergio Duenas to Country Manager of Mexico
    Medical Product Outsourcing

    Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

    FDA OKs World's First Single-Use Duodenoscope
    Dr. Stephen Hahn Confirmed as New FDA Leader
    FDA OKs First Test to Help Screen for Newborn Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
    Contract Pharma

    Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

    Sanofi Awarded $226M by US Gov't for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness
    Amgen Selects Location For R&D Facility
    Arctoris Opens Oxford R&D Facility
    Beauty Packaging

    Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

    Time Features 5 Best Beauty Inventions
    CES 2020 Preview - Innovation Award Honorees in Health & Wellness
    Prada & L’Oréal Sign Long-Term Licensing Deal
    Happi

    Latest Breaking News From Happi

    Cosmetic Assessments Revealed at CIR Panel
    T-Boz Launches CBD Line
    DRF and Flowerkist Develop CBD Range
    Ink World

    Latest Breaking News From Ink World

    Ripon Printers Adds Ricoh Pro C9210
    LogoJet Opens Bogota, Colombia Office
    Canon Solutions America Powers University of Notre Dame Athletics' Printing Capabilities
    Label & Narrow Web

    Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

    GSE products provide quality assurance for Pharmalabel
    Luminer promotes Heather Bookman to prepress manager
    Materials Exchange launches to solve excess inventory issue
    Nonwovens Industry

    Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

    DuPont to Acquire Osmosis Specialist
    Nice-Pak to Expand in Indiana
    Hospeco Launches Compact Fem Hy Dispenser
    Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

    FDA OKs First Test to Help Screen for Newborn Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
    Europe, North America Comprise More Than 80 Percent of Global Bone Marrow Transplantation Demand
    TriMed Closes Out FDA Warning Letter
    Printed Electronics Now

    Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

    3D Printing Materials Market to Grow at 23.9% CAGR Through 2025: GVR
    Kyocera, TactoTek Collaborate on Injection Molded Structural Electronics Solutions
    Toray Opens R&D Innovation Center for the Future

    Copyright © 2019 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.