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Hey guys! I am writing you from the lovely airport of Kansas City! This trip was scheduled last minute so again I apologize for not posting as frequently as promised. Lot’s of exciting updates are coming your way, including: SPC meeting feedback, Polyester Extrusion and Recycling Conference feedback, and tid bits from Pack Expo.

BUT guess what?!?

My cover feature in Green Manufacturer went live on their website yesterday afternoon and is set to be distributed to print subscribers by the beginning of next week! There is little I can say about this article because it is positively the nicest, most flattering thing I have ever read about myself, ha! I literally danced around my condo when I first read it. I needn’t say more. Follow this link for a digital version of the story, and enjoy!

Love,

Your Powerhouse in Stilettos

Hello and happy Friday!

So last week I presented at the Polyester Extrusion and Recycling Conference in Chicago on progress in recycling thermoforms since I published my Recycling Report in 2010. I’m really glad I went to this conference though the content diverged dramatically from the usual packaging and sustainability conferences I attend. As the name would imply, those speaking and attending this event were stakeholders in the extrusion and recycling machinery market; hence, I was amongst the ranks of representatives from Starlinger, Kreyenborg, EREMA, S + S Sorting, etc. These gentlemen (I was the only woman speaker) held extremely prestigious degrees in mechanical and chemical engineering from a variety of domestic and international universities, most having 10+ years experience in the plastics industry. Holy Toledo.

It is not a fair assessment to say I was intimidated by these gentleman and their extensive knowledge into plastic extrusion and recycling but I was humbled by their insights insofar as it presented yet another dimension to the complexities surrounding recycling in America. To date, my research into the recycling of clamshells has been dictated by a certain perspective, which can best be explained as a macroscopic view of waste management that focuses exclusively on post consumer residential waste and the market and technological requirements necessary for the economical recovery of a specific packaging material/type in the North American context. What was not included in this paradigm, therefore, was the privatization of the recycling technology market and the disconnect between those designing packaging and those designing machines capable of recycling said packaging. In other words, I have spent almost two years trying to understand the barriers to recycling thermoforms from a waste management perspective i.e. what waste management needs to begin collecting new materials for recycling; issues discussed include critical mass i.e. material generation in the waste stream available for recovery, supply and demand, international vs. domestic consumption of recyclables, sortation systems, specs for collection and baling, etc. What was not included in said analysis was the technical aspect to recycling, that is, how machines are designed or not designed to recycle/reprocess a specific material/packaging type. Several speakers in the recycling machinery market discussed their machine innovations and how said innovations allow post-consumer PET bottles to be reprocessed into an array of products from direct-food contact sheet and containers to strapping and/or polyester fiber/textiles. The technology was so sophisticated that it would maintain a homogenous IV, eliminate any spec of contaminant, be it dirt, sand, metal, etc., and produce clean flake, pellet, or product. It was crazy the level of sophistication that these machines seem to offer. However, most of the machinery discussed requires bales of PET bottles for reprocessing, with no attention given to PET thermoform bales or PET thermoform and bottle bales. Though it was not touched upon exclusively and I may not be well versed enough in these issues to comment, it seems as though these machines are developed primarily and exclusively to reprocesses PET bottles and any other derivative of PET, specifically thermoforms, are not considered nor desired. This observation leads one to conclude that if we are serious about recovering PET thermoforms, either within the PET bottle stream or as its own thermoform-PET exclusive stream, we need to collaborate with those manufacturing the recycling machines and technology.

I sent one of the presenters from S + S Sortation an email looking for more information on thermo-PET vs. bottle-PET in the context of what their recycling machines are capable of reprocessing and get more information on why the machines favor PET bottles exclusively. In a nut shell, I want to understand why there are no machines that were discussed at this conference that cater to recycling PET thermoforms + PET bottles OR PET thermoforms exclusively: Is it because lack of supply, investment, economics, etc.

Stay tuned!

AND, for your viewing pleasure, check out this video from Pack Expo—it’s my friend from Ecovative and I discussing the collaboration between our two companies on the design of their thermoformed “grow trays” for their new cooler product line.

Hellllllloooooooooooo my packaging and sustainability friends! I have returned to my beloved Chicago after two weeks of traveling: First, to the SPC’s member-only meeting in Dallas; then, to Las Vegas for Pack Expo! I have tons of awesome stuff to report, but unfortunately, am strapped for time as I have been invited to speak at the Polyester Extrusion and Recycling Conference last minute. Check out the description of my presentation below, super cool!

Presentation Title: Reflections on “Recycling Report?”

Presentation Description: In early 2010, Chandler Slavin released “Recycling Report: The Truth about Blister/Clamshell Recycling in America with Suggestions for the Industry?.” This report was the culmination of over a year’s work of independent research into the realities of waste management in America, with attention to the economical and infrastructural requirements of post-consumer PET thermoform recycling. Reflections on “Recycling Report?” discusses this research in abstract while highlighting the new developments in PET thermoform recycling as initiated through the industry and its associations. Slavin will report on the progress made in these regards after establishing a foundation for understanding the economics of recycling in America as described with reference to the 2010 Report.

Once I polish off my PPT, I will provide the following updates generated from my experiences the last two weeks:

SPC meeting feedback, including updates on following SPC projects: Labeling for Recovery Project, EPR AMERIPEN/SPC working group, Material Health working group; additionally, I will discuss the SPC’s call for “collective reporting” and the member-companies reaction thereto. And, second times the charm, I have been nominated to the Executive Committee! Ballots went out last week and the election closes this Friday; good luck to my fellow nominees!

Feedback on all things Pack Expo!

OH and I saw the mock-up for my Sept/Oct. feature in Green Manufacturer and am positively thrilled! It is by far the nicest thing anyone has every written about me, I am just tickled pink!

Untill next time!

Hey guys!

I just finished my presentation for the Polyester Extrusion and Recycling Conference in Chicago next week. It is basically a super-condensed version of my Recycling Report with a discussion of the progress made in recycling PET thermoforms since it was published in 2010. Check it out!

Reflections on "Recycling Report"

AND, to pick up on a conversation began way back when, Greenpeace and Mattel finally came to an agreement re: sourcing fiber from APP managed forests. Click here for the press!

Hello my packaging and sustainability friends!

I hope everyone is enjoying this lovely transition to fall!

Sooooooooooo let’s see what’s new and improved…our organic Victory Garden is in full grow mode! Check out the new pictures! Yum!

AND, after last year’s waste audit wherein we determined that corrugate comprised a large part of our material sent to landfill, we are now collecting our corrugate for recycling! Neat!

The Environmental Task Force of School District 200 is hosting its first meeting September 20th. Unfortunately, I will be in Dallas for the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s fall, members-only meeting. I will be sure to keep you updated on the initiatives of the ETF, however, and can’t wait to give you feedback on all things SPC-related.

AND, our press release introducing our NEW Pack Expo exhibit was picked up by Google Alerts Friday! EXCITING. Click here to read more!

Alright, farewell my fine weather friends—I leave for the SPC meeting this weekend, afterwhich, I go right to Pack Expo. Therefore, I will postpone blogging until I return from these events, chalked full of industry insights and sustainability and packaging tid bits. Cheerio!

HELLO!

I apologize for my absence! Been crazy busy coordinating Pack Expo, reaching out to media outlets to advertise presence at Pack Expo, and working out kinks of new website.

I have some exciting news! Drum roll please…

Yours truly has been selected for the COVER of Green Manufacturer Magazine!!!

Green Manufacturer is a print/digital publication and Website that brands itself as “your guide to adopting green manufacturing processes.” Each issue’s cover highlights a different manufacturer that has made efforts to become more sustainable in their processes/services. Topics covered include alternative energy, zero-waste, etc.

I reached out to the editor way back when to introduce myself and the work Dordan was doing in sustainability but our story wasn’t a good fit at the time. Imagine my surprise when the editor emailed me two weeks ago asking if I wanted to participate in an article about sustainable packaging and then offered me the FEATURE STORY! While I can’t divulge the focus of the story just yet, know that it is going to be AWESOME. Hopefully I don’t look like a dork and the editorial reflects well on Dordan and can serve as inspiration for other manufacturers looking for alternative approaches to green-up their operations and corporate positioning.

Wish me luck at the photoshoot! Cover of Green Manufacturer today, cover of Vogue tomorrow, ha!

Hello and happy Friday!

The photo-shoot for Green Manufacturer was so much fun! They had me pose in front of Dordan’s display cases and also perch atop one of our plastic rolls in our materials warehouse! It was like a million degrees in the plant yesterday and the photographer was at the top of our tallest ladder; he is such a trooper! The editor for Green Manufacturer is a real doll; it was SO flattering to be chosen for their Sept/Oct feature when so many manufacturers are doing exciting things in the green space! And, I got to talk about my favorite thing—PET thermoform recycling—so I was happy as a clam! I can’t wait to see the photo proofs and read the editorial copy!

There have been so many developments in PET thermoform recycling since I published the Recycling Report, which was an overview of the main obstacles facing the inclusion of thermoformed packaging in the recovery infrastructure. While I don’t believe our efforts in these regards initiated the recent developments in PET thermoform recycling (NAPCOR and others have long recognized the market potential of PET thermoform recyclate), it is really cool that we got to participate in the dialogue during this exciting time. Since I published the Recycling Report, I have been delighted by the following industry-initiated efforts to identify and work to eliminate the technical barriers keeping PET thermoforms from being recycled nationally: Canadian retailers mandating that all thermoform containers be converted to PET by 2012 to increase the material available for recovery and simplify the waste stream; SPI and NAPCOR teaming up to sponsor a grant for a processor to invest in the technology necessary to economically reprocess thermoform-grade PET; and, APR working with the Adhesives Council on developing guidelines for using adhesives in thermoform packaging to eliminate contaminates to the PET bottle recycling stream. AWESOME!

AND, I am super excited about our new exhibit at Pack Expo that demonstrates our collaboration with my friends at Ecovative Design, the materials science company I visited early spring!!! Click on the link below to read more about this neat exhibit!

Dordan Manufacturing and Ecovative Design Collaboration on Display at Pack Expo

Lastly, the Boston Consulting Group released a report that shows manufacturing to return to the US over the next five years due to the elevating labor and shipping costs associated with overseas manufacturing. I believe the full report just came out, but click here to read the press release distributed early May. The editor from Green Manufacturer explained yesterday that she only buys products made in America. That is the coolest thing I have heard in a while; I’m sure she will be delighted if the assumptions made in this report come to fruition! I know Dordan will be!

Have a fantastic extended weekend!

Hey!

It's official! Check out the email I got from Cal Recycle last night:

Plastic Collection and Recycling Listserv

The National Association for PET Container Recources (NAPCOR) and SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association (SPI) have just issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a grant of up to $100,000 to be awarded for development of a model PET thermoform recycling program. Funds are available to any United States' MRF or recycling program operator that can affect the variety of elements necessary for a successful program, as described more fully in the RFP.

The RFP is available for reviewing or download on the NAPCOR web site at http://www.napcor.com/PET/thermoRFP.html. Proposals are due on or before September 30, 2011.

AWESOME!

Go NAPCOR and SPI!!!

Hey!

I don’t have much time to chat BUT I wanted to include links to a couple news items I found about BPA while perusing industry publications today. Like the excerpts from the unpublished Truth about BPA & PVC posted August 16th, these articles paint a rather confusing picture about the human health implications of BPA. By including them here I do not intend to support the arguments made therein; I simply wish to share because they add to the already pervasive cannon about BPA and phthalates. As I am still in the information gathering phase and because I found the timing of these articles a bit ironic insofar as I spent the better part of July researching the effects of BPA and phthalates on the endocrine system, I thought I would share them with you! I like the blogging format because the conversation never really ends and you can pick up and leave off with different threads, which is exactly what I am doing now!

“Good Science, Bad Politics,” Plastics News

“Hardwired to Doubt Science?” Packaging World

Hello and happy Friday!

Guess what! My article titled “Assessing Sustainable Packaging through Life Cycle Analysis” was featured in the summer edition of Plastics Business Magazine as the industry insight!!! Check it out here. This is the most words I have ever been allowed to submit to a print publication, AWESOME! Love the fancy formatting, too.

As an aside, I am in the process of updating The Facts, released in 2009 via our website, to reflect new US EPA data on recycling. Therefore, The Facts is no longer available for download on our website. Once we polish off the new and improved version, you will be the first to know, my packaging and sustainability friends! Exciting stuff!

In my last post I included excerpts from the not-published Truth about BPA & PVC. Ironically, in the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s August Newsletter, received yesterday, BPA is discussed as it pertains to thermal paper. Check it out here. Weird bears!

Next week’s post will include new pictures of our organic garden! The tomatoes and peppers are looking good!

AND, click here for a SNEAK PEEK of Dordan's Bio Resin Show 'N Tell to be unveiled at Pack Expo as advertised in Packaging World's August New Issue Alert!

Have a grand weekend!