Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News
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Originally Published July 1999
Our View
Momentum Builds for 100% Recycled Paperboard
Consumers prefer products in packages made from recycled materials.
Technological innovations in paperboard manufacturing have raised industry capabilities to new levels that were unattainable a few short years ago. As a result, 100% recycled paperboard can now be used to package more products than ever before.
No longer limited to traditional applications such as packaging for breakfast cereals, powdered detergents, facial tissues, and cake mixes, 100% recycled paperboard is being used in more and more product categories such as cosmetics, over-the-counter drugs, sporting goods, and fast foods.
Paul DeNunzio, chairman, RPA-100%'s marketing committee
Established in 1995 to promote the use of 100% recycled paperboard packaging across all categories of consumer products, as well as commercial and industrial packaging applications, The 100% Recycled Paperboard Alliance (RPA-100%) has created a distinctive brand identity for the packaging material through a new, updated symbol. This new symbol has helped raise consumer preference for 100% recycled paperboard to an all-time high and is now being used by more than 50 major packaged goods companies, including Procter & Gamble, Kellogg's, General Mills, Reynolds, and The Dial Co., on thousands of their branded and private-label products.
According to a recent national survey of primary shoppers conducted by Leflein Associates (Fort Lee, NJ), there's a strong link between consumer packaging preferences and positive feelings toward packaged goods companies and retailers that care about the environment.
An overwhelming 96% of women surveyed said they believed it was important for companies to do something good for the environment. In addition, 84% said they felt better about companies using 100% recycled paperboard as a packaging material, with more than 90% maintaining that 100% recycled paperboard packaging will make a better future for their children. Most importantly, almost three-quarters of the women said they were more inclined to buy products from companies using 100% recycled paperboard.
Women surveyed also expressed a desire for clearly labeled packages that would help them identify recycled packaged products quickly and easily.
Regarding the updated symbol, 87% of the survey participants said they wanted to see it on products packaged in 100% recycled paperboard. And 62% found it more understandable than the original chasing arrows symbol pioneered by the industry almost 30 years ago.
RPA-100% offers a turnkey, value-added marketing campaign making brands look even better, aimed at enhancing the sales and corporate reputations of companies that feature 100% recycled paperboard in their packaging or products. For packaging executives in the pharmaceutical arena, this may be the time to take another look at the benefits of using 100% recycled paperboard packaging and turn this increased awareness into sales.
The 100% Recycled Paperboard Alliance (RPA-100%) represents approximately two-thirds of this industry, who together turn more than seven million tons of old papers into 100% recycled paperboard each year. To find out more about RPA-100%, visit http://www.rpa100.com.
