The Sustainable Divide

I spent two days at the Walmart Sustainability Packaging Expo this week.  A client asked if I could help (wo)man his booth and so I did. I felt a bit like a fish out of water --  flopping around in a world I know nothing about:  Consumer packaging.  Little did I know there are thousands of companies that make something so another company can put something in it.

Yes, a fish on the flop. But, that doesn't mean I came away with a cold blank stare. I learned more about my role as a consumer than I thought I would. And I met some interesting folks doing fascinating things.

Here's my take on the event from my fish bowl.

I had no idea it took so many companies to put one item on the shelf in my home. That yogurt you're slurping down? The lid, the container, the printing on the container, the printing plate for that message,  the pull-back cover, the photo of your favorite fruit -- all shipped in to your favorite yogurt brand from another company that just makes that item. 

And we haven't yet mentioned the cow. 

They call it the supply chain. Wikipedia spells it out: "A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer."

How many companies are involved in getting product to your home? I've tried but lost count. Let's just say a bunch.


Here's my second takeaway:


There's a lot of sustainability going on behind the scenes.

Did you know your detergent bottle was probably recycled from your last one? Not directly, mind you, but all those bottles you've been putting to the curb are really coming full circle in post consumer waste recycling.

Did you know the Burt's Bee's "paper" soap wrapper was made from rock dust and marble chips?

Did you know there are paper cups and take out containers that can go in your garden compost bin? 

Did you know $40 billion is spent building cardboard boxes every year? And that all these items get shipped in and shipped out in one?


So, here's my final thought. Why aren't companies being more vocal in helping the consumer make better (read greener) choices? If I knew one milk jug had 15% less plastic than the other sitting beside it at the same price, you can bet I would choose it. If I knew McDonald's was buying compostable cups, wouldn't I be loving it a little more? If I knew a supply chain for a product was conscientiously sustainable wouldn't I want to be their friend on Facebook?

I hear Walmart's Sustainability Index will help us with our choices. In the meantime, get on your readers and peruse those labels, folks. The tiny print matters.



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