February 2014 • www.specialty-coffee.com | 23
A revision in Federal Trade Commission Green
Guidelines should lead to less confusion over labeling of
green packaging.
Many companies are trying to nd ways to reduce the
impact of their packaging on the environment. Some are
using new materials, while others are reducing the amount
of material used.
"e FTC has issued revised Green Guidelines to
stem the false or misleading claims made by some
manufacturers," according to Robert Pocius, president of
TekPak Solutions. "Claims must be specic, veriable and
available to at least 60 percent of US communities."
"ere are fewer than 300 Commercial Composters
in the U.S., according to the Biodegradable Products
Institute and there are over 33,000 communities," Pocius
says. "is means less than 1 percent of communities have
a commercial compost. e FTC Green Guide states your
claims must be available to at least 60 percent of U.S.
communities. erefore, making this claim would be false."
"Our single layer products are Recyclable and
Omnidegradable," says Pocius. "Omnidegradable
materials will decompose in a home-compost or
anywhere there are active microbes."
According to Pocius, no laminated material (two or
more layers ) is recyclable unless it is two layers of the
same material--except for PLA, which is not recyclable.
TekPak is working on developing an Omnidegradable
pod now, he says.
"When PLA was introduced it was considered a green
product because it could be composted," Pocius adds.
"However, it could only be composted in a commercial
compost site, and with less than 300 such facilities in the
U.S., it seemed unlikely that most of these products would
end up being composted."
Green Packaging
The originals.
Branding beverage centers since 1992
BRANDING SOLUTIONS
We've invested over twenty years in the
development of pumpskins technology so that you
get vibrant, durable marketing tools that give your
brand the greatest exposure.
t: 877 994 4600
pumpskins.com
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