Reducing packaging by concentrating product

by: Mirjam Visser, 2010-07-12 08:06:45 UTC
Sustainability Aspects: Walmart introduced a packaging scorecard to get its suppliers to reduce the use of packaging material and stimulate a overall 5% reduction in the use of packaging materials over the lifecycle of their products. The target is low but some supplier innovate

The Story

3 times concentrated liquid

After Walmart introduced the Packaging scorecard, to get its suppliers to reduce the use of packaging material, several of its suppliers realized a fair amount of sustainable improvements. According to Walmart:

All Small and Mighty:
In 2005, Wal-Mart partnered with Unilever to dramatically reduce the packaging on its “All” detergent. In February 2006, Unilever unveiled “All Small-and-Mighty,” an innovative product that is three-times concentrated and contains enough detergent for the same 32 loads as a 100-oz. bottle. Unilever expects yearly savings of 500 million gallons of water, 26 million gallons of diesel fuel, 150 million pounds of plastic resin, and 750 million sq. ft. of cardboard. Since May 2008 Walmart only carries concentrated liquid laundry detergents in their stores.
Transitioning to concentrated detergent will help Walmart save more than

  • 95 million pounds of plastic resin,
  • conserve more than 400 million gallons of water,
  • reduce the consumption of more than 520,000 gallons of diesel fuel,
  • and reduce the need for more than 125 million pounds of cardboard.

Hamburger Helper:
General Mills shrunk the Hamburger Helper box by 20 percent. They also invented a cardboard shipping case that has a window, which means 25 percent less cardboard.
Sustainability benefits included:

  • Saved 890,000 pounds of paper fiber used every year
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 11 percent
  • Eliminated 500 trucks from the road each year
  • Increased shelf pack out by 20 percent
Product: Packaging
Designer: several
Manufacturer: Unilever, General Mills
Category: Packaging
Websites: www.flexpack.org/MEMONL/mo_sustainable_packaging/sp_update/documents/Packaging_Scorecard_QA.pdf

Images

0e75d130-6fbb-012d-4490-40405940767a
3 times concentrated liquid
0e75d130-6fbb-012d-4490-40405940767a
3 times concentrated liquid
Reduces the packaging material by; Unilever

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