Sustainable Operations: Design for the Environment
Ross Fine,Olivia Guiliana, Gabriella Shink, Kyle Birns The Problem
● Group of American students noticed lack of resealable packaging of food products in Italy when compared to that of U.S. ● Items such as meats and cheese come pre-sliced in a plastic tray with plastic wrap ● Plastic trays are wasteful and there are no solutions to resealing already opened packaging ● Many use plastic bags to reseal the already opened packaging, wasting additional plastic The Problem
Plastic tray holding meat
Single-use plastic sheet covering tray Current Life Cycle Material Flow
Aim: minimize use of virgin materials, minimize waste, increase use of residual materials for new packaging Reform
● Resealable bags using zip-lock technology ○ The function of the packaging is not only the same but rather, enhanced
Pictured above: Hard salami in a single plastic bag with resealable feature and a mock drawing of a bag with resealable feature Reduce... Use of Plastic
● Thin 100% Recycled Plastic Bags
● Maintained Durability
● Completely eliminate plastic tray Reduce...
Negative Externalities
● Newly designed packaging means food spoilage will decrease ● Use of other plastics and aluminum foil will decrease ○ People will not need to repackage food to keep fresh ● Lighter weight and flexible packaging makes for inexpensive shipping and handling Recycle
100% Biodegradable and recyclable
All bags can be recycled into new product at disposal, encouraged via all-natural inked label “100% recyclable! Recycle after use”
With lightweight packaging less energy is used for transport Reuse
● Innovative easy-to-open and re-seal system allows for continued reuse ● All packages are equipped with self-sealing & resealable adhesive strip that will allow consumers to store different types of food in each package ● With these reclosability functions consumers will be able to use these bags for multi purpose. Each bag can be reused for other food product Student Survey
● Goal was to determine: a. If people prefer resealable packaging to non-resealable alternatives b. If people use additional items besides the packaging to lengthen the use life of their foods c. How often are people throwing away spoiled food d. If the change will affect consumer purchasing Survey Results Survey Results Survey Results
● 146 student responses comprised of Americans and Italians ● People prefer sealable to non-resealable packaging across various food items ● 84% of respondents need to buy extra items to try to keep their food fresh longer ● The majority of respondents (58%) are forced to throw out spoiled food any where from 2 to 6 times a month ● Conclusion: consumers will not only still purchase product, but are more likely to do so Impact
● Example: Poland Spring used thinner water bottles, minimizing their plastic use by 37%* ○ Material thinning strategy has the potential to minimize ⅓ of current plastic use ● Resealable packaging eliminates the need for secondary plastic containers (84% respondents admitted to using), major decrease in plastic disposed in landfills ● 100% recyclable/reusable materials available at end of product life
*http://www.slate.com/articles/business/operations/2012/06/poland_spring_s_new_bottles_why_are_they_so_thin_and_flimsy_.html