Converting Magazine

A Material World

• Rising raw-material costs for packaging trickling down to strapped consumers
  John Kalkowski, Editorial Director, 07/01/2008
  Suddenly, there seems to be a growing stream of price-increase announcements from both packagers and suppliers to the industry. This comes just aspurchasingdata.com says the May index for raw materials is 31.4 percent higher than it was a year ago. As raw-material and transportation costs have edged up over the last several years, the industry has been trying to increase its prices to keep up ... More
• Packagers can make informed choices by using tools like Life Cycle Assessments
  John Kalkowski, Editorial Director, 04/01/2008
  Because packaging is used daily by nearly everyone in America and is said to comprise 20 to 30 percent of US landfills, it is viewed by many purely as a waste of resources and a source of pollution. Plastic packaging, in particular, has a bad reputation among many who are concerned about the Earth's environment. More
• To boost recycling, make it profitable
  John Kalkowski, Editorial Director, 01/01/2008
  Wouldn't it be a better world if every piece of packaging that we use was recycled in a never-ending cycle of reuse? Sadly, that seems unlikely. More
• It's time to add inks into the sustainability equation
  John Kalkowski, Editorial Director, 10/01/2007
  Inks can be any color these days as long as they are “green.” Without a doubt, sustainability has become a major issue in packaging converting, and much of the focus has been on substrates. We've all seen stories that it's the substrate that takes up a lot of room in those landfills. If it isn't easily biodegradable, then it better be recyclable. More
• Building brands trumps trend toward commoditization
  John Kalkowski, Editorial Director, 07/01/2007
  The way converters view their raw materials highly depends on their role in the business. Purchasing agents, for instance, frequently think all materials are mere commodities. Films, foils, paper, inks, plates, whatever. Materials are interchangeable, and their price is subject only to market whims. OK. More