May 13, 2019
It seems that nearly every day there is new headline about corporations setting ambitious sustainable packaging goals in areas like recycled content, responsible sourcing, and recyclability. Momentum around sustainable packaging is at an all time high, and companies are taking action to get ahead of regulations, respond to public outcry over ocean plastic pollution , sign on to global commitments like the New Plastics Economy, and set their own company-level sustainability agenda for the coming decade. In many cases, the deluge of goals is an effort to revise past commitments, which were either unrealized or not ambitious enough to respond to heightened marketplace demands for packaging sustainability.
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition® (SPC) recently studied industry pursuits in its newly-released Goals Database, a resource that is available for SPC members, and found that 86% of the close to 100 companies surveyed have either concrete goals or statements of support that address one or more concepts in sustainable packaging.
So, the vast majority of companies are publicly committing to making their packaging more sustainable. Great! But how do you develop a roadmap to achieving these ambitious goals? While setting goals is a critical first step, we need to take additional steps to ensure that industry commitments to sustainable packaging are not just aspirational and instead focus on implementation. How might we move the conversation from aspiration to impact?
Introducing SPC Engage, a new event launched by the SPC created to be an incubator for industry action. SPC Engage 2019 is focused on activating packaging sustainability goals. The event will have a salon-style format, focused on bringing a group of dedicated brands, suppliers and other stakeholders together to roll up their sleeves and workshop sustainability goal implementation.
Attendees will participate in interactive presentations, panels and workshops that provide a balanced overview on key topics and tradeoffs in sustainable sourcing and recovery goals, including:
- Using Bio-based/Renewable Materials
- Eliminating Unfavorable Materials
- Improving Recovery Infrastructure and Increasing Recycling
- Enhancing Recyclability
- Using and Increasing Recycled Content
- Undertaking Responsible Fiber Sourcing
Hear from speakers from Starbucks, General Mills, Amcor, and Pepsi among others.
SPC Engage 2019 will help organizations understand how to align their goals with larger global sustainability frameworks and commitments like the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Plastics Economy, and provide baseline knowledge on goal setting and implementation strategies. Topics discussed will include: criteria for responsibly sourced, renewable, and recyclable materials; a discussion of what ‘good’ goals look like and the nuances; how to set and execute goals including examples from key industry stakeholders; trade offs, troubleshooting issues, and the right questions to ask; and tools for creating action maps to implement goals.
The SPC is thrilled to host our inaugural SPC Engage event co-located with the GreenBiz Circularity ‘19 event in Minneapolis, where the theme of ‘Accelerating the Circular Economy’ is appropriately aligned.
We all know we need to set and implement ambitious packaging goals that accelerate the circular economy. Now let’s explore how. We hope to see you there! Visit the event website to register and find out more.
