When Refill Recycling Works for Your Brand

popsop.com, February 2013

With the launch of The Source by Thierry Mugler refill recycling just got sexy. But is it really recycling or just a brand-building gimmick?

Theirry Mugler hired environmental specialist firm EVEA to conduct an analysis of the ecological benefits of The Source. EVEA estimates that the fountain will save about 1,515 tones of empty, discarded fragrance bottles and the production of 1.35m new bottles around the world in a year.

How many of us will take our empty bottles for refilling to The Source? … Continue Reading

Comrades! Embrace the future of engineering recycling targets

Packaging News, 5th January 2012

Welcome to the New Year in all its revivalist socialist splendour. I don’t know about you but the more masochistic part of me has missed the Brezhnev era and is pleased to see the return of its entertaining mix of incomprehensible rhetoric and frankly barmy methods.

I am so motivated by the recent revival of unreal-politik that I am going to put myself forward as a candidate for the Soviet Sustainability Planning Department, Notting Hill branch, and look forward to your support as we march on towards a truly socialist future full of jolly targets and state intervention. … Continue Reading

Shoppers “unaware” of packaging industry, easyFairs debate told

Packaging News, February 2011

Consumers are not aware that a packaging industry exists and more needs to be done by retailers, the government and industry to communicate the role that packaging plays in society, according to industry experts.

The views of the packaging industry were communicated at a BBC Question Time–style debate called ‘The Big Packaging Debate’ at the easyFairs packaging show in Birmingham. … Continue Reading

An imagined conversation in the Defra office

Packaging News, 01 July 2010

Steve Kelsey’s vision of an exchange between Defra environment secretary Caroline Spelman and her advisor.

One morning last month at Defra, the new Conservative environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, is meeting her advisor, Sir Humphrey.

“Good morning minister, and may I be the first to congratulate you in your new role as environment secretary.” … Continue Reading

The Environment in Your Pocket

From the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs comes a handy PDF booklet of statistics…

“… The thirteenth edition of the environment in your pocket annual publication focuses strongly on the themes of waste, recycling and sustainable consumption. It is a handy, free of charge, pocket-sized distillation of around 60 key data series. Through it we aim to make environment statistics accessible to wider and different audiences …” … Continue Reading