Tom Szaky

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Does Earth Day do a world of good?

Another Earth Day has passed us by, marking 42 years of celebrating our planet on April 22. Every Earth Day–and April as a whole–is full of green marketing. There are recycling initiatives, green pledge drives, awareness events and more. Some are awesome, like Honest Tea’s Great Recycle, but some are only half baked. As someone who has dedicated the last decade of his... More

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Compostable vs. recyclable: Which is better?

When I recently posted in a New York Times blog that biodegradability isn’t what it seems,  and on Packaging Digest that we should be careful with biodegradable plastics and incineration habits, I got a few reminders that some compostable plastics are not made of PLA (polylactic acid), which is the most common polymer used for biodegradable plastics. Some are made of... More

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Breaking down biodegradability and incineration

Part of the problem with landfill waste is that it takes up so much space. Waste solutions such as biodegradable plastic and incineration that are seemingly safe for the environment and make our “trash” disappear appear to be a great option. An item made of biodegradable plastic, or PLA (polylactic acid) is appealing because you can throw it away and it will (supposedly)... More

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Rigid container reincarnation

Designing packaging for second life implies reuse in a very permanent sense, rather than just refilling a plastic water bottle a few times before tossing it. This concept has the potential to entirely change the game for reusable packaging-as long as the trend can gain some momentum. Some concepts, explored as early as the 1970s, already have faded, but design for reuse is picking up steam... More

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The trials and triumphs of corporate transparency

Consumers are demanding more transparency in sustainability efforts; stakeholders and investors are doing the same. As corporate citizens we need to give it to them. Giving customers what they want is key to any business, and to keep investors and stakeholders on board, transparency is crucial to keeping them informed and happy. Packaging is at the front line of the sustainability battle,... More