The Sustainable Packaging Coalition Launches Online ‘Essentials of Sustainable Packaging’ Educational Training Courses

September 12, 2018

New online courses will be an extension of the successful in-person Essentials of Sustainable Packaging courses, taught by the SPC

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, SEPTEMBER 12 — The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) has officially launched the online Essentials of Sustainable Packaging training courses, the latest educational offering from the top sustainable packaging nonprofit. For over a decade, the SPC has taught over a 1,000 professionals the Essentials of Sustainable Packaging in-person, at the offices of companies all across the U.S.. Past Essentials of Sustainable Packaging attendees include: Kroger, McDonald’s, 3M, SC Johnson, Chick-fil-A, General Mills, Danone and more.

Online Courses

The 3-hour Essentials of Sustainable Packaging course starts with a 5-part ‘core content’ course that addresses all major packaging materials and a multitude of product sectors, diving into the sustainability considerations for a package’s entire life cycle: sourcing, design, use, recovery, and beyond.

The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging Core Content

Why Packaging?

  • Making sustainability part of your brand
  • Communicating sustainability through packaging
  • Case studies: from startups to green giants

Optimize the Design

  • Leveraging the product/package system
  • Avoiding product and transportation waste
  • Retail-ready v. e-commerce packaging

Design for Recovery

  • Psychology of recycling
  • What does recyclable even mean? Compostable?
  • Designing with an end market in mind

Source Sustainably

  • Certifications: when, how and where to use them
  • Primary concerns for virgin and recycled materials
  • Setting and reaching procurement goals

Planetary Boundaries

  • How packaging fits into “the whole”
  • Sourcing and manufacturing during the Great Acceleration
  • How to build resilience through packaging

 

Plus 2 additional courses:

The Essentials of Bioplastics
40 minute course

  • A family of different materials
  • Bioplastics myth busting
  • Sourcing and recovery considerations
  • Compare and contrast bio-based recyclable resins with compostable resins

 

The Essentials of Sourcing Fiber
60 minute course

  • Principles of Responsible Forest Management strategies
  • Sourcing and supply chain certifications for virgin fiber
  • How to integrate recovered fiber and recycled feedstock

The new online format is available for both individual or company-level annual subscriptions. The course subscription packages are offered for 1, 100, 250, and 1,000 learners so that many different professionals within a company, from marketing, to sales, to the C-Suite all can be brought up to a common level of understanding of this vital topic.

“The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging is the best way to get up to speed and bring your understanding of packaging sustainability to the next level,” said Charlotte Dreizen, Project Manager, Sustainable Packaging Coalition, and an instructor of the Essentials of Sustainable Packaging Course. “We’re so excited to be able to offer this dynamic content to more professionals than ever and provide an opportunity for both fundamental and advanced learning opportunities.”

Both the online and in-person formats are available to SPC and non-SPC members and discounts are available for SPC members.

Learn more about the Essentials of Sustainable Packaging here.

ABOUT THE SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING COALITION

The Sustainable Packaging Coalition is a membership-based collaborative led by an independent non-profit that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable. Using an objective life-cycle-based approach, we work in a constructive atmosphere to provide thought leadership and bring our members together to strengthen and advocate the business case for more sustainable packaging.


Media contact:
Anne Elsea
anne.elsea@greenblue.org