Some of the most impactful out-of-the-box sustainability ideas start inside the box.
For evidence, look no further than high-tech giant Dell's recent fiscal 2012 corporate responsibility report.
Over the past four years, Dell has reduced packaging sizes by 12 percent while simultaneously boosting the recyclable or renewable content by 40 percent.
That's good for the environment, of course. It has also helped Dell cut transportation costs, increase its local sourcing and procurement options and get more creative and efficient about delivering multi-product orders for business customers in just one box.
So what is Dell's secret?
Its success stems in part from the company's experiments with alternative materials including compostable bamboo, which it uses with tablet and notebook computers to replace plastic packaging and molded paper pulp; and compostable mushrooms (yes, mushrooms), which replaces the foam Dell uses to ship some server hardware.
"The final product looks and acts like Styrofoam -- only this is organic, biodegradable and can be used as compost or mulch, which makes for easier and more environmental-friendly disposal," Dell's sustainability team wrote in its latest report.
Ready to try some new in-the-box ideas?
Photo of EcoCradle Mushrooms Packaging provided by Ecovative Design.
Next page: Three companies developing plant-based packaging
The whole concept of
The whole concept of recyclable is that you are using a resource that is limited (wood) for paper products (oil) for plastic products which are not friendly and take a long time to decompose.
If you are starting with a product that is more easily renewable (much less land use/water use than wood/trees), then recyclable is not AS important. We started a whole new industry around recycling because we needed a stop gap for the problem of over use of wood/paper products. I think it's time to reconsider these new resources (bamboo/mushroom) and introduce a new value stream and dump these on farms instead of landfills. We could simultaneously solve for land erosion and poor soil quality from over farming and reduce waste in the landfills. For the Dell use, the customer only has to dump the mushroom fill in their garden or flower bed. It's not like they are buying a computer every week.
Is it possible to use this
Is it possible to use this live product as a building envelope insulation? Mycelium properties are the future!!!
Ah but the mushroom material
Ah but the mushroom material is compostable.
I agree it is compostable
I agree it is compostable ,Which means that it will end up in the landfill.It really needs to be RECYCLABLE.
Robin Tremblay
WWW.PulpPackaging.com
"boosting the recyclable"
"boosting the recyclable" This is a direct quote from your article.
Mushrooms Packaging and StarchTech are companies highlighted in this article.Neither company manufacturers recyclable product.Also mentioned was Bamboo and again this is not RECYCLABLE.
These products are not recyclable and in the case of Bamboo, it actually causes problems in our pulping process because people put it in the cardboard recycling stream.Alot of times we can't tell the difference.
We need to clearly limit products that look and act like recyclable products but are not.
Your article highlights some great products that may be better than plastic but without being RECYCLABLE in a standard recycling stream,they are one step up from plastic and a stop gap product at best.
Common sense will tell you these products will end up in the same place (landfill) as plastic and any other compostable product.
Robin