Packaging News & Views: September

To assist you in keeping up to date on consumer preference, food safety and environmental issues as they relate to packaging, O-I is pleased to offer the following information. Look for similar e-mail updates on a regular basis.

In this edition:
· Wine boxes bad for planet.
· Consumers prefer products packaged in glass.
· 46,000 pieces of plastic for every mile of ocean.

Wine boxes bad for planet. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has introduced 35 wines packaged in Tetra Pak into 600 Ontario stores, citing the packaging's environmental friendliness as its rationale. However, environmentalists take issue with the aseptic packaging, which is difficult to recycle because of its many components and multiple layers of laminated materials.

"Tetra Pak is the Hummer and glass is the bicycle," said Gord Perks, activist with the Toronto Environmental Alliance. "I don't think we should even be allowing Tetra Pak to be used as a beverage container; the majority of the material does not get recycled." LCBO project leader for Environment Strategy Lyle Clarke and Perks confirm about 15 percent of Tetra Paks sold in Ontario make it into recycling programs. Glass bottles in the area are currently recovered at a rate of 60 percent.

(Source: The Hamilton Spectator. July 26, 2006.)
Note: A glass container can be recycled, made into a new container and be back on a store shelf in as little as 30 days.

Consumers prefer products packaged in glass. A May 2006 national survey produced for the Glass Packaging Institute found glass packaging is consumers' first choice for quality, purity, and preserving the taste and quality of food. At 82 percent, glass is seen overwhelmingly as the all around healthiest form of packaging. The survey found respondents' preference for glass does not alter by age, sex or income. In addition, the preference for glass packaging increases significantly with organic consumers.

(Source: Glass Packaging Institute. Produced by: Lindberg Group, LLC.)
Note: Glass is inert and it does not leach, keeping its contents pure and fresh.

46,000 pieces of plastic for every mile of ocean. A June United Nations Environmental Program report made this estimate and added that 70 percent of the litter will sink to the bottom of the ocean, while the rest will float indefinitely. The findings are no surprise in California. According to Jennifer Stock of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, rounded plastic pellets, a by-product of the recycling industry, are the No. 1 item washing up on southern California beaches. Mistaken for food, the plastic is eaten by wildlife. This was confirmed in a study by Moss Landing Marine Lab Researcher Elizabeth Phillips which found that 71 percent of 190 dead northern fulmars (seabirds) examined had plastic in their stomachs.

(Source: Point Reyes Light. June 13, 2006.)
Note: An estimated 300,000 sea mammals are killed annually by floating debris, mainly attributed to plastic, along the Pacific Northwest coast.

Interview Opportunity
An O-I expert can address these topics or any questions about packaging.
Please call Kelley Yoder at 419-247-1388 to schedule an interview.
Millions of times a day, O-I glass containers, healthcare packaging and specialty closure systems deliver many of the world's best-known consumer products to people all around the world. With leading positions in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America, O-I provides consumer-preferred products that enable superior taste, purity, visual appeal and value benefits for their customers' products. Established in 1903, the company employs nearly 30,000 people and has more than 100 manufacturing facilities in 23 countries. In 2005, annual revenues were $7.2 billion.

For more information, visit www.O-I.com.