april 2010 earth day edition
	sustainable packaging: striking a balance There is an increasing level of pressure on manufacturers from today’s well-informed consumers to design, produce, package and promote more sustainable products. Due to this strong demand, companies should consider the entire life cycle of packaging to minimize its total environmental impact. Packaging constitutes one-third of the waste that ends up as litter on the streets and trash in the sea and landfills. However, a certain amount of packaging is necessary to prevent tampering, provide information, prolong shelf life, protect health and safety, deter theft and preserve freshness. Without it, food spoils, fragile items break and distribution becomes hazardous, leading to a great deal more waste and increased health risks. Thus, the need for a balance. look at the big picture A company’s sustainability strategy must avoid looking at packaging in isolation of the overall life cycle. Improvements in packaging should minimize waste and resource consumption without degrading the performance or quality of the product inside. Some of the challenges for packaging are to be attractive, informative, consistent with brand concept and retailers’ store image while minimizing its environmental impact. The list of considerations for creating sustainable packaging includes the raw materials used, how they are converted and printed, distribution, the retail environment, the consumer experience and disposal. It’s a daunting list for sure, but working with packaging professionals who specialize in this area will guide you through the process and create packaging that satisfies all the pertinent criteria. It may take time and an up-front investment but it will pay off by optimizing operations and, more importantly, increasing sales. Sustainability is good business! design for the long term Avoid short-term sustainability fads or illusory solutions that have little real impact and fail to take a balanced long-term view. Don’t make ‘green’ claims just to meet single, isolated issues or jump on a band wagon to match your competitors. This will defeat the purpose, dilute your efforts, disappoint your customers and damage your company’s reputation. Instead, strive for continuous improvement and review your strategy on a regular basis to ensure you’re still on track. Sustainable practices and modifications take time to accomplish, but they will help stabilize your business, protect your company’s future, enhance your reputation and build trust with your customers.
	Client: Kimberly-Clark, Inc. Design: Leibold Associates, Inc.		reuse the box! When is a package not really a package? When it’s a box! A photo box that is. These Huggies® Newborn Gift Packs were designed to provide expecting and new moms all the essential diapering items they’ll need. Instead of packaging the items using traditional options, Huggies® put them all together in an adorable photo box. Nesting the lid on the bottom of the box allow the products to be shown off. The display card provides essential branding and fulfills legal requirements using a minimal amount of material, which can be easily recycled. The appealing graphics on the photo box make this gift pack so attractive that it doesn’t need to be wrapped. Together it’s what the new mom wants and needs, plus, it makes gift giving easy for her busy family and friends.
	what does “biodegradable” really mean? The term "biodegradable" seems to be popping up more and more these days but sadly, there is no legal definition for the term. The American Society for Testing and Materials defines the term as “a degradation caused by biological activity, especially by enzymatic action, leading to a significant change in the chemical structure of the material.” However, the term "biodegradable" has been applied to a wide range of products, even some that might take centuries to decompose or could break down into harmful toxins.
			The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued general guidelines on what types of products qualify as legitimately biodegradable, and has sued companies for unsubstantiated, or misleading use of the term on product labels. According to the FTC, only products that contain materials that “break down and decompose into elements found in nature within a reasonably short amount of time when they are exposed to air, moisture and bacteria or other organisms” should be marketed as “biodegradable.” However, there is no current official organization that verifies the use of the claim. Every time you purchase a product you are voting with your dollars. Manufacturers who have solid scientific evidence demonstrating their product will decompose in a short period of time deserve your business. If you have questions regarding what qualifies a product to be labeled "biodegradable," contact the manufacturer directly. You are entitled to file a complaint with the FTC if you encounter a manufacturer that seems to be stretching the definition of biodegradable.
			earth day birthday Just a quick reminder that the Leibold staff will be hosting a Happy Hour on Thursday, April 22 to celebrate Earth Day – and its 40th anniversary – at Holidays Pub & Grill (1395 W. American Dr. Neenah) from 4-6 pm. Turn off your lights, power down your computers and get ‘down-to-earth’ with some creative juices. Door prizes will be raffled off and earth friendly gifts will be shared with all who attend. Hope to see you there!
	events of 1960 As we continue to look back upon our 50th year, we’d like to share a few more highlights of this pivotal year.		Before 1960, 95% of soft drinks sold in the U.S. were furnished in reusable bottles, but in 1960 aluminum cans were used for the first time. “The Flintstones” was television’s first prime-time cartoon series. Minimum wage was $1.00. The ‘Etch-a-Sketch’ went on sale.