The Pack Green Coalition initiative to replace single use plastic from supply chains has been launched in the US.

Pack Green says its mission will focus on renewable and more sustainable alternatives, including paper and other bio-based solutions, with an emphasis on protective packaging and other short-term uses, such as food service items.

The initiative says it will perform three primary functions:

1) Increase public awareness of the existence of the plastics crisis and demonstrate that paper and other bio-based substrates represent sustainable, reliable, and cost-effective solutions in the context of delivery packaging;

2) Serve as a research hub to study and collect data on packaging and food service material, recycling, and consumer attitudes;

3) Engage with government officials—federal, state, and local—to advance the argument that unnecessary plastic should be removed from commerce and that paper is the premier sustainable solution in packaging.

James Asali, Pack Green’s President and Chief Executive Officer, says, “Last year in the US alone, consumers received more than 20 billion packages. Many of those packages contained unnecessary single-use plastic products—air pillows, bubble wrap, or Styrofoam—that can be easily replaced by renewable paper packaging. Whether it’s packaging, food service, or countless other single-use applications, there are solutions that exist today to reduce single-use plastic waste.”

The Pack Green Board of Advisors include:

Myles Cohen – Former President of Pratt Recycling
Scott Cassel – Founder and CEO, Product Stewardship Institute
Missy Owens – Former Director of Government Relations, Federal and Diplomatic, at The Coca-Cola Company
Ben Packard – Executive Director of EarthLab at the University of Washington and former vice president, Global Responsibility at Starbucks Coffee Company and Global Managing Director of Corporate Engagement at The Nature Conservancy