Sustainability
N’ Stuff
Chandler Slavin
Dordan Manufacturing
Today’s Presentation
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Context for business and sustainability
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Dordan’s Sustainability Journey
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LCA, COMPASS
Clamshell Recycling Initiative
Extended Producer
Responsibility/Voluntary Producer
Responsibility
Dordan’s Sustainability Efforts
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Zero-waste
Organic Garden
D200 Environmental Task Force
Contemporary Environmental
Anxiety
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Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth
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Increased reporting of natural disasters
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Volatile global weather patterns, resulting in crop
shortages
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Rising cost of natural resources i.e. fossil fuel
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Increasing population
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Irresponsible consumer disposal i.e. ocean debris;
irresponsible industrial disposal i.e. Gulf Coast “dead
zone”
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Fear of chemicals and synthetic manufactured goods
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Proliferation of environmental legislation
Dun dun dunnn!!!!!!
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World Wild Life Fund estimates that current
demand for the Earth’s resources is 1.25
times what scientists believe our planet can
sustain.
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According to the Living Planet Index, on
September 25 of 2008 our resource use
surpassed what is sustainable.
But fear not!
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Emergence of global dialogue around
sustainability:
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World Business Council for Sustainable
Development U.S. Inc. (Vision 2050)
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Sustainable sourcing certifications (fair
trade, “Bonsucro”)
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GreenBlue (green construction, materials
and packaging)
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The Sustainability Consortium (crossindustry coalition of CPGs and their supply
chains, NGOs, and academics)
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Global Packaging Project (retail,
packaging/product relationship )
“Sustainability?”
The most popular definition of
sustainability can be traced to a 1987 UN
conference. It defined sustainable
developments as those that "meet present
needs without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their needs”
(WECD, 1987).
Business and Sustainability?
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“The Social Responsibility of Business is to
Increase its Profits” (Milton Friedman, New
York Times, 1970).

Emergence of Corporate Sustainability
Reporting (CSR); details actualization of
three “pillars” of sustainability i.e. social,
environmental, economic.
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Widespread awareness that
environmental savings equate to
economic ones
CSR Motivations
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Regulatory compliance i.e. Environmental
Packaging International
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Risk management i.e. security of supply
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Marketing i.e. “the Green consumer”
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Reduce waste i.e. “zero-waste”
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Increase recycled content
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Reduce greenhouse gases i.e. Wal-Mart
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Reduce water consumption
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Increase use of renewable resources i.e. Coca
Cola’s PlantBottle™
Sustainability Coordinator?
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Graduated DePaul University, 2009;
received degree in Ethics and Social Justice.
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Offered “consultant” role at family company
Dordan Manufacturing researching
packaging and the environment.
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Offered full-time job August, 2009.
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Knew NOTHING about environmental
science but had a knack for technical
research.
Dordan Manufacturing
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3rd generation family-owned and operated
custom thermoformer of plastic clamshells,
blisters, trays and components for a variety
of industrial and consumer markets.
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Packaging design and manufacturing firm,
based in Woodstock, IL; it spans over
50,000 square feet and has the capacity to
convert 75,000,000 pounds of plastic
annually.
Old Dordan, circa 1970
Package Design Rendering
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZWeQ_Bw
S1w
Dordan’s First Sustainability
Efforts
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Joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition;
the meetings laid the foundation for my
education in sustainability.
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Introduced to “life cycle analysis” via
Environmental Profiles of Packaging
Materials, Technical Briefs; charted
environmental requirements of plastic vs.
paper vs. aluminum production for
conversion into packaging.
Life Cycle Analysis
A life-cycle assessment (LCA, also known as
life-cycle analysis, cradle-to-grace analysis) is
a technique to asses environmental impacts
associated with all the stages of a product’s life
from cradle-to-grave i.e. from raw material
extraction through materials processing,
manufacture, distribution, use, and
recovery/disposal.
Ex: Packaging life cycle
Benefit to LCA
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Greater clarify on where materials come from
and how they are made.
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Strengthens your position on selecting
materials/designs that align with sustainability
strategies.
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Identify hot spots for further investigation and
reduction.
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Identify opportunities for increased efficiency.
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Reduce environmental impacts.
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Respond to supply chain and consumer
concerns.
LCA Tools
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Guidelines—WRAP (Guide to Evolving
Packaging Design)
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Packaging specific analytic tools—Wal-Mart
Scorecard
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Packaging specific LCA based analytical
tools—COMPASS, PIQUET, PEAT
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LCA software: “clean slate tools;” SimaPro,
Gabi
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Streamlined LCA software—Earthster,
Sustainable Minds
COMPASS
https://design-compass.org/
COMPASS case study
Tom Tom Objective
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Reduce total packaging for GPS selling
unit
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Dordan Approach:
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Redesign package to achieve a
lower product-to-package ratio
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While in the redesign phase, Tom
Tom directed that the plastic
content be reduced by using a
0.015" RPET lid and 0.025" HIPS
tray for the GPS unit and
incorporating a paperboard carton
to house the tray, lid and
accessories
Results
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83% cost savings compared to previous
package.
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The old package consumed 198.14 grams of
plastic; the new package consumes 23.66
grams of plastic. This converts to an 88%
reduction in the weight of plastic consumed
for the package.*
*The integration of paperboard box resulted
in higher water, biotic and mineral
consumption and high aquatic toxicity.
Dordan’s Clamshell Recycling
Initiative
2009—Discovered that thermoformed
packaging is not recycled in 60% or more
American communities; therefore, can’t be
considered “recyclable” as per FTC Green
Guides.
Recyclable?
While conceptually everything is recyclable,
only those types of package/material
combinations that are collected post
consumer, reprocessed and/or
remanufactured in the “substantial majority
of American communities” can be labeled
“recycled and/or recyclable” as per the
recently revised FTC Green Guides’
definition.
Power of Social Media
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Winter 2009—Began a blog narrating dayby-day efforts to uncover the obstacles
keeping thermoformed packaging out of the
recovery infrastructure.
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2010—Invited to serve as co-lead of WalMart Canada’s PET Subcommittee of the
Material Optimization Committee.
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Introduced to EPR via “Stewardship
Ontario”
Extended Producer
Responsibility
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A strategy to place a shared responsibility
for end-of-life product management on the
producers, and all entities involved in the
supply chain, instead of the general public
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First implemented with the management of
electronic waste and vehicles, EPR now
extends to packaging: Today, over 30
countries mandate EPR legislation for
packaging
EPR Legislation?
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Waste Management
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Product Design
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Refers to the funding of the recovery of
electronic and packaging waste
Refers to material restrictions and design
for recycling/reuse
Informational Requirements
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Requires producers label the product,
user manual, and/or packaging to inform
the consumer of its end of life disposal
options
Voluntary Producer
Responsibility, Consumer
Incentive
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Estee Lauder’s “Bring Back to Mac”
campaign
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Pepsi’s “Dream Machine”
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Aveda’s in-store cap recycling program
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TerraCycle
TerraCycle’s Business Model
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Partner with CPG’s to sponsor “brigades” i.e.
Capri-Sun brigade
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For every package collected, volunteer
receives dollars towards charity of choice
Transport collected material to TerraCycle
facility where “upcycled” into branded
merchandise for resale i.e. Capri-Sun tote
bags
TerraCycle Graffiti
TerraCycle Waiting Room
TerraCycle Office
Volunteer Producer
Responsibility,
Industry Initiatives
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PET bottle industry recycling program,
1970s
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Tetra Pak’s recycling program, 2007
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PET Thermoform recycling program, 2009
Initiative Recognition
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Winter 2010—Published Recycling Report:
Truth about Blister/Clamshell Recycling in
America with Suggestions for the Industry.©
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2010-2011—Published thought leadership
articles and presented Report© findings at
industry events.
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Fall 2011—Awarded cover feature of Green
Manufacturer Magazine.
Progress in Thermoform
Recycling
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NAPCOR (2009): Conducted PET thermoform
reprocessing pilots.
 Adhesives
 Florescence
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APR (2011): Issue bale specs for non-bottle rigids;
introduced new testing protocol for adhesives used
on thermoform labels.
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SPI (July 2011): Propose grant for development of
model PET thermoform recycling facility.
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RETAILERS (June 2011): Canadian grocers mandate
that thermoform containers transition to PET by 2012.
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SPI (May 2012) award grant recipients for build-out of
PET thermoform recycling facility
Dordan Sustainability Efforts
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Zero-waste—environmental
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Organic Garden—economic
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D200 Environmental Task Force—social
Zero-Waste
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Spring 2010—Dordan CEO announces goal
of Zero-Waste
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Summer 2010—first waste audit
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Fall 2010—second waste audit
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Spring 2011—construct composter out of
post-industrial materials for Dordan food and
yard waste
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Summer 2011—isolate corrugate to bale for
recycling
before
after
Organic Garden
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Fall 2010—volunteer use of Dordan’s land to
local organics farmer.
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Spring 2011—install irrigation system
utilizing rain-water run off.
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Summer 2011—produce organics for closedloop economy between Woodstock farmers
and consumers.
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Duke Alehouse & Kitchen
Farmer emily
Rain irrigation
The Plot
Spring 2011
Summer 2011
You and Sustainability?
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Strong demand for sustainability
professionals in every facet of the
marketplace.
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I literally created my job and continue to
develop projects based on industry insights;
must be self-motivated!
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The youth are predisposed to be more
“environmentally savvy;” take advantage!
Entrepreneurship and
Sustainability, Ecovative Design
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Business plan conceived by Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Seniors in 2008.
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Students received support from RPI to test
out plan in the market; they received
governmental grants and latter investments
from 3M, RPI, and SealedAir to
commercially market their technology.
Material Science Innovation
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“Grow” packaging materials and other products
out of agricultural waste, utilizing the biology of
mycelium to “bind” the substrates together.
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Featured on TedX, Wired Magazine,
PlanetForward, How It’s Made, Pop Tech
Media, and more!
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Received numerous sustainability awards,
including:
 US EPA’s 2012 Environmental Quality Award
 Greener Package’s Innovator of the Year
 Dow’s Sustainability Honor
Cool shroom stuff!
http://www.ecovativedesign.com/store/
Thanks!
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Cslavin@dordan.com
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@DordanMFG
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http://www.recyclablepackaging.org/