Recycled Packaging - Seventh Heaven for Eco-Products

22 November 2010 Seventh Generation, a Burlington, Vermont based manufacturer of non-toxic household and personal care products, debuted innovative new packaging featuring 96% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. Developed by Seventh Generation in collaboration with its packaging partner, Consolidated Container Company, the new packaging is constructed of resin derived from recycled milk jugs and other plastic bottles and represents a quantum leap over the 25% recycled content typically found in plastic packaging. The new packaging, featured in the brand's dish liquid and fabric softener, joins other high-PCR content bottles in Seventh Generation's roster of products, including its 80% PCR 150 ounce (4.4 litre) concentrated laundry liquid container. "For many years we've bemoaned the fact that our products were great for the Earth, but our packaging really wasn't," says Seventh Generation Director of Global Strategic Sourcing Peter Swaine. "It took a while to engineer, but we've proven to a skeptical industry that you can make a bottle that meets both high performance and top environmental standards." The company says that these bottles are made from HDPE (#2) plastic instead of PETE (#1) because manufacturing HPDE resin produces 42% less greenhouse gas emissions than PETE. Seventh Generation claims that the benefits of this switch are enormous: If every household replaced just one virgin plastic 25 oz. bottle of dish liquid with Seventh Generation's 96% PCR bottle, America would save over 8.6 million lbs (3900 tonnes) of plastic and prevent the release of more than 23.5 million lbs (10,660 tonnes) of greenhouse gases. "Consolidated Container Company is extremely excited to be working with Seventh Generation to create this industry leading, high-PCR content package for household cleaning products. We welcomed the challenge from Seventh Generation to develop a package that would meet their tough performance and environmental standards. With our design, engineering, and materials expertise, we've been able to develop this family of packages that will have a dramatic, positive impact on the packaging industry as well as the environment," Paul Newell, Consolidated's vice president of market development & innovation says.