As we progress into 2008, let's take a look back and reflect on trends that influenced the momentum and direction of sustainability in packaging last year. One thing is certain: The sustainable packaging arena continues to be a whirlwind of activity.

Even the most optimistic were surprised by the impact that Al Gore's movie “An Inconvenient Truth” and Nobel Prize had in raising awareness of global warming and bringing reluctant policymakers to the table. There now appears to be a global consensus that climate change is real, it is happening quickly, and human activity is largely responsible. What we lack is any comprehensive plan for what to do about it.

Business is not waiting for the plan. The calculus is not hard. Energy is more expensive, carbon is being taxed in many parts of the world, and while our government may be slow-moving, multinational companies cannot afford to be. A year ago, carbon footprinting was novel; now there is the Carbon Trust carbon-reduction label. The label, currently limited to the UK, is intended to help consumers identify companies committed to reducing their carbon footprint and to communicate the carbon footprint of a product from manufacturing, packaging and transport.

Last year, we witnessed a transition from defining what sustainable packaging is to figuring out how to measure progress toward it. While Wal-Mart was the first retailer out of the gate in the US, sustainable packaging has been a major area of focus for European retailers for some time, and they too have scorecards. CPGs and their suppliers are now on the receiving end of a complicated set of eco expectations from retailers. This is not an enviable position and often not a particularly economically efficient one either.

One of the challenges is that there is currently no broadly accepted set of metrics for this purpose. Standardization would help the entire packaging industry. It may be time to consider the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or another consensus-based standard for measures of sustainable packaging. Clear standards may also help establish better guidelines for marketing claims.

Many will remember 2007 for its dramatic headlines about recalls. From pet food to the millions of toys with excessive lead levels, toxins captured mainstream attention. In a matter of months, long-simmering concerns over the presence of toxins in all types of products became a prominent issue for the consuming public. This demonstrates the power of kids and pets. It's not a stretch to see this extending to packaging soon. These incidents have severely undermined the confidence in Chinese quality-assurance practices. Supplier performance and the need for clear standards, expectations, and audits of environmental, health and safety performance are key sustainability issues.

For those on the fence about whether sustainable packaging is just the latest “flavor of the month,” 2007 also provided strong evidence that sustainability is part of the new sonar for navigating the waters of a business climate that is connected more than ever to critical environmental and social issues. Here's to making strides toward a more sustainable future in 2008.

434/817-1424, anne.johnson@greenblue.org