If you're a brand manager or package designer, you can play an important role in creating packaging that achieves branding objectives and also uses less packaging materials or incorporates reusable or recyclable materials. So says Amy Zettlemoyer-Lazar, Sam's Club Director of Packaging.
Zettlemoyer-Lazar offered Packaging World and Shelf Impact! an exclusive interview to discuss branding and sustainability, and to discuss in detail Wal-Mart Stores' packaging scorecard, which officially took effect Feb. 1.
Talking with Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor at Packaging World and Contributing Editor to Shelf Impact!, Zettlemoyer-Lazar mentioned two packages on shelves at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club that brand managers and package designers can examine as models for successfully balancing the branding/sustainability equation.
Owners of national brands that are designing packaging for sustainability should take a holistic approach. Evaluate both the package and the product, Zettlemoyer-Lazar advises. She cites General Mills as one company that succeeds by re-engineering the physical attributes of the noodles for its Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper meals. These changes enable General Mills to reduce packaging size by 20%—without sacrificing product quality or eroding consumer preference. "The company increased the density of the pasta shapes so they could be packed more tightly and in a smaller box," says General Mills' Kirstie Foster. "We also reduced the number of pouches in each carton."
Foster says the new packaging saves 890,000 lb in paper fiber and reduces greenhouse gases by 11% annually. It also eliminates 500 trucks from the road and increases shelf pack-out by 20%. These benefits enable retailers to stock the same amount of product in less space.
Zettlemoyer-Lazar notes that Sam's Club's work on its own sustainable packaging can provide direction on sustainable packaging, too. Wal-Mart and Sam's Club have been working with their own suppliers to improve the environmental impact of packaging for their own private-label products. Packaging for Member's Mark milk is one example. For the last three years, the milk has been produced using both a more sustainable production process and materials with environmentally friendly features, says Mike Ellgass, Sam's Club Director of House Brands.
In another example, packagers produce the 96-oz PET container for Member's Mark apple juice with 100% renewable energy from hydroelectric plants. These factories use moving water to generate electricity. The mill providing corrugated material for the packaging, and the converting process used in producing the bottle, have increased energy efficiency 35% by integrating new technologies throughout operations, Ellgass says.
Vendors transport nearly all of the apple juice in corrugated cases made with 85% post-consumer materials. The remainder moves into distribution in cases that use 25% post-consumer materials. All pallet caps and tier sheets use 65% recycled materials.
Besides cost savings, Zettlemoyer-Lazar points out, the Member's Mark packaging still exudes branding power. The graphic impact of the materials is sharp, providing visual impact at the point of sale.
Read on for Zettlemoyer-Lazar's update on Wal-Mart's packaging scorecard.
