THE  RECYCLABLE TRANSFER PACKAGING  ROUNDTABLE

Did you know...?  

• 2,000,000,000 lbs of mostly virgin tree fibers form cardboard boxes used to ship perishable foods to grocers, restaurants, and prepared meal producers, and they are then  dumped or burned.  
• 1,700 railcars of nonrenewable petroleum waxes are used to coat these boxes, making them nonrecyclable and  noncompostable because these waxes block the screens and  felts essential to forming a smooth sheet on a paper machine.  
• Cost competitive chemistry exists from a dozen manufacturers to substitute these wax-based water and oil based barriers  
• Global Green has gathered several of them in a Roundtable coalition along with those who make perishables boxes, pack them, distribute and retail their content, several  recycled paper companies who want these boxes  to be recyclable.  
• EPA has joined this Recyclable Transfer Packaging  Roundtable, and monthly meetings have been held  over the past year. The results are impressive:

1. An online directory of participating box manufacturers has been constructed with assistance from GreenBlue.org
2. Seven of the twelve waxed-box corrugating companies have joined.
3. EPA is publishing a brochure of Success Stories about the substitutes.
4. Articles are being written in major trade and business publications.
5. Seminar sessions are being presented by Global Green speakers

VISITORS ARE WELCOME TO THE  RECYCLABLE TRANSFER PACKAGING  ROUNDTABLE

Contact Max Wolf at MWolf@GlobalGreen.org  for current  session details.

Past Minutes
Session 1 - 4/4/05
Session 2 - 5/16/05
Session 3 - 6/15/05
Session 4 - 7/12/05
Session 5 - 8/16/05
Session 6 - 9/14/05
Session 7 - 10/17/05
Session 8 - 11/16/05
Session 9 - 12/15/05
Session 10 - 1/25/05
Session 11 - 2/16/05
Session 12 - 3/19/06
Session 13 - 5/15/06
Session 14 - 6/6/06
Session 15 - 7/27/06

Read about Albertsons' success using recyclable transfer packaging

BUSINESSES AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS ALLIED
FOR RECYCLING (BEAR)

Businesses and Environmentalists Allied for Recycling (BEAR) is a unique alliance of businesses, recyclers, environmentalists and other stakeholders working to maximize the recycling of beverage containers.

In 1999, only 41 percent of beverage containers were recycled, amounting to the annual disposal of 114.4 billion beverage containers (7.7 million tons). Aluminum can recycling rates dropped from a peak of 65 percent in 1992 to 55 percent in 1999, the lowest level in the last decade. PET bottles were only recycled at a 20 percent rate. BEAR's goal is to increase the national recycling rate of all beverage containers 80 percent.

The Multi-Stakeholder Recovery Project (MSRP) is one of BEAR's central efforts to move towards its eighty percent recycling goal. In this project, stakeholders from throughout the beverage and recycling value chain are working together on a Task Force to identify innovative strategies to increase beverage container recycling consistent with a set of eleven guiding principles.

The BEAR project embodies GG USA's mission of working as a mediator, facilitator, and catalyst to eliminate waste, support sustainable businesses and jobs, and protect the environment.

For more information on BEAR, visit www.globalgreen.org/bear.