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.