Assessing the Impact of Environmental Groups on Flexible Packaging

Transcription

1 Sept 2014 Assessing the Impact of Environmental Groups on Flexible Packaging

2 Who we are Tkingsbury Consulting facilitates improvements in the sustainability of packaging, plastics and chemicals. Future 500, builds bridges between corporations and NGOs through genuine stakeholder engagement.

3 Our Process We took a systematic approach to map, prioritize & focus research on the most pertinent packaging issues and highest value stakeholders for FPA. We validated these findings at every stage. Research & Inventory Prioritize Map Validate

4 Packaging Trends 2014 Drastic increase in interest by broad range of stakeholders on packaging, recycling and waste NGO campaigns are beginning to target brands to address these issues Climate change fuels funding, but has not yet been connected to packaging

5 Increase in Stakeholders Foundation / Funder NGO Mainstream / Policy NGO Activist Campaigner / Legal Opinion Leader 80 groups and growing Multi-Stakeholder Network # of Stakeholders Govt Business/Industry Assoc Other

6 Key packaging issues for NGOs Transparency End-of-life/Producer Responsibility Marine Debris Design

7 Transparency Earlier this year Walmart announced 10 High Priority Chemicals will be phased out form products. List not public but best guesses don t expect many chemicals common to packaging. However their larger list of Priority Chemicals includes many plastic monomers, chemicals common to inks and dyes, recycled paper, metals, etc. Last Fall Target Stores announced a Product & Packaging Sustainability Program Packaging credit driven by recyclability / recycle content chemicals banned / discourage a new list to worry about Reporting transparency requirements are extensive.

8 Key Groups Foundation / Funder Opinion Leader NGO Activist Campaigner / Legal NGO Mainstream / Policy Business/Industry Multi-Stakeholder Network Oak Foundation, Marisla Foundation, Overbrook Foundation William McDonough, RFK Jr Upstream, Surfrider Foundation, Green America, 5 Gyres, Ocean Conservancy, Clean Water Action, Sierra Club, Story of Stuff Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, Plastic Disclosure Project, World Wildlife Fund, Recycling Reinvented Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Unilever, Walmart, American Beverage Association, Grocery Manufacturing Association, Target Plastics Pollution Coalition, Make It, Take It, Trash Free Seas Alliance, Cradle 2 Cradle Other (Socially Responsible Investor, Consultancy) As You Sow, Reclay Stewards Edge

9 Funders In 2012 the U.S. was home to 86,192 Foundations with $715 billion in assets and $52 billion in giving

10 Key Research Findings for FPA Lack of end-of-life solutions driving packaging and broader antiplastics movement Positions on flexible packaging vary, but shifting from neutral to negative Marine debris connection is increasing funding and NGO interest Incineration is still a no-fly zone for NGOs Space is currently dominated by smaller, less corporate activist NGOs (but most likely temporary)

11 Implications for FPA Risk is currently Low Medium Expecting to increase to Medium High In the next 1-3 years

12 Key Packaging NGO Collaborations Make It, Take It Closed Loop Fund Upstream, NRDC, Green America, 5 Gyres, Clean Water Action Coca-Cola, Pepsi, World Wildlife Fund, Unilever, Conservation Intl Trash Free Seas Packaging Research Coca-Cola, Dow, Conservation Intl, Nestle Waters, Ocean Recovery Alliance

13 Make It, Take It Campaign Campaign targeting brands on producer responsibility for packaging Reach: 22 partner organizations representing more than 2 million Americans Risk to companies: Medium Willingness to engage: High Currently targeting: Kraft, Capri Sun Key Requests: Design for environment, Reduce and reuse packaging, support policies like EPR Key Coalition Members:

14 Bottom line: End-of-Life Packaging without end-of-life options will be attacked A monstrous hybrid can go nowhere but the landfill or incinerator - William McDonough holding up a pouch on April 18, 2013 talk at UC Berkeley's Center for Responsible Business But with end-of-life options, more favorable towards flexible packaging ʺWhy would I be more in favor of a rigid plastic container than a flexible pouch? I'm not. But one has end-of-life infrastructure and the other doesn't. That's what I am opposed to.ʺ - Key NGO stakeholder involved in packaging campaigns The flexible packaging industry needs to invest in technology that can truly recycle not just recover or burn its valuable materials. It s a flawed system of design if a product is put into commerce without a viable recycling option. Key influencer among the NGO packaging network

15 Activism Success via social media First case of successful environmental activism played out almost entirely on social media. Bottom-line: Rapid Retail Regulation w/o engagement

16 Across Sectors Sweatshop Labor Chemicals in Apparel Palm Oil Paper Procurement Clean Electronics

17 Shareholder Resolution Approach.

18 Costs: Relationship Building Resolution Escalation Early Issue Day-to-Day Stages of Issue Evolution = Reactive Communication = Engagement Proactively address problems before escalation Build relationships that lessen probability of escalation Align interests between business and community, locally and globally Graphic originally created by ExxonMobil using internal data

19 Bottom Line Flexible Packaging has a great life cycle GHG, Water, Resources Flexible Packaging protects products and saves food from spoiling Flexible Packaging is cost effective & convenient But To tell this story with these stakeholders you must deal with their issues FIRST Show you are working on end-of-life solutions Including recycling Marine debris Conversion technologies

20 Tony Kingsbury President TKingsbury Consulting