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Pacific
Seafood's New Sustainable Shipping Cases
By Patrick Smorch, Director of Packaging Sustainability,
Georgia-Pacific
Edited by Steve Sterling, Packaging News
June 9, 2008
The days are growing longer, the sun
feels warmer, and that means one thing: summer is here! As we gear up
for hot weather, the seafood industry readies itself for another busy
season peppered with new challenges. With the rising cost of gas and
an increasing demand for sustainable products and packaging, seafood
distributors must find a way to ship fresh fish, mussels, clams,
crabs, and lobsters in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly
way.
It's no surprise that a healthy
environment means a healthy ocean, which yields a heartier and more
bountiful supply of seafood. Although the success of the seafood
industry is directly tied to the health of the environment, packaging
in this industry has traditionally been less than eco-friendly.
Typical packaging for the seafood industry includes polystyrene foam
containers and/or heavily waxed corrugated boxes, both of which are
petroleum-based and therefore not recyclable. Under increased pressure
from consumers to provide environmentally friendly products, major
retailers are seeking out suppliers who can deliver quality without
sacrificing sustainability.
To meet this need, Pacific Seafood Group,
Portland
,
OR
, a family-owned seafood distribution company, turned to strategic
business partner and corrugated manufacturer, Georgia-Pacific. The
company presented Pacific Seafood with Greenshield, a family of
recyclable corrugated solutions with a proprietary moisture-resistant
coating. The new corrugated solution is a cost-effective alternative
to polystyrene foam and heavily waxed boxes‹it delivers tested
strength and is 100% recyleable.
"Pacific Seafood is committed to
reducing waste in order to sustain our resources, meet the demands of
our customers, and mitigate our overall environmental impact,"
says
Frank Dulcich
, CEO of Pacific Seafood. "We now use Greenshield to distribute
our fresh, frozen, and prepared seafood products to customers around
the world. Greenshield is not only recyclable, it also provides the
insulation properties and water resistance we need to maintain the
integrity of our seafood."
Product safety, warehousing, and
logistics are important factors that must be accounted for when
selecting a packaging alternative. If these factors are not considered
properly, suppliers may face packaging damage and product quality
issues, causing additional waste and inefficiencies. For example,
un-waxed recycled corrugated lacks the water resistance and material
strength necessary to withstand the stresses of shipping frozen
products. By contrast, products in the Greenshield line can withstand
the stress of shipping fresh and frozen seafood, while also taking up
less space in warehouses and trucks than polystyrene foam. Space
optimization decreases the total amount of shipments necessary,
thereby reducing fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions.
Beyond incorporating alternative
packaging into their corporate sustainability initiatives, Pacific
Seafood takes proactive measures to decrease waste from other
corporate streams. The company engages in studies that evaluate its
carbon footprint and investigates innovative methods of utilizing its
resources—natural and manmade—to ensure a sustainable seafood
supply for generations to come. For instance, the company's seafood
waste is processed into fish-based organic fertilizer. Annually, this
reuse process prevents millions of pounds of fish by-products from
entering
U.S.
landfills.
Also, remember those polystyrene foam
containers? Some are still used in order to provide retailers with the
uniform packaging they require. To lessen the negative effects of this
medium on the environment, while still meeting the needs of retailers,
Pacific Seafood has invested in a machine to break down the
polystyrene for reuse. Rather than sending the non-biodegradable
material into a landfill, the broken down foam is sold to molding and
picture frame manufacturers for use in their products.
"There are a number of ways to
increase a company's sustainable efforts. Through alternative
packaging, we have found a cost-effective solution that also enhances
logistics and warehousing efficiencies," concludes Dulcich.
"We will continue to assess our entire packaging supply chain and
identify further sustainable opportunities."
Georgia-Pacific recently appointed
Patrick Smorch to the position of Director of Packaging
Sustainability. In his new role, Smorch will be responsible for
Georgia-Pacific's packaging sustainability initiative, the division
design team, and the Packaging Systems Optimization (PSO) program. He
welcomes your comments pmsmorch@gapac.com.
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