DuPont Recognizes Breakthrough Achievements in its 21st Packaging Awards
Wilmington, Del., May 28, 2009 - A diverse group of businesses in multiple market segments are turning to sustainable packaging solutions to improve the environmental profile of their product offerings, according to DuPont as the company today announced the winners of the 21st DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation at the industry’s first online interactive exchange on sustainable packaging. Winners include well-known brands such as Estee Lauder, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Conagra for food, pharmaceutical, personal care and other packaging segments. For more information on the winners and their sustainable packaging innovations click here.
“Sustainable packaging is a growing and important focus area for DuPont and demand continues to grow across multiple sectors despite the economy,” said William F. Weber, vice president and general manager -- DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers. “At DuPont, we work with consumer goods companies to minimize packaging content and improve environmental performance, as well as to be more cost effective. This year’s award submissions also demonstrated a focus on source reduction, which provides the double benefit of an improved product environmental profile and cost reduction.”
During the event, members of the program’s independent jury panel provided their perspectives on the achievements of 10 winners from a diverse cross-section of food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and other packaging segments. Julian Carroll, managing director of the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN), led an interactive session on issues arising from lack of consensus on standards for reporting sustainability of packaging. Ronald Cotterman, executive director of sustainability for Sealed Air Corporation, led a session on future post-use solutions for packaging after it has fulfilled its primary purpose of protecting food and other products. The event has been archived and is available by registering at: this link.
“To reduce the event’s environmental footprint, DuPont is using web-based technology for the award ceremonies and related activities taking place at the DuPont Sustainable Packaging Exchange. This enables the entire industry to learn from winners of this year’s DuPont Awards, which focuses on breakthroughs in sustainable packaging and to interact with industry experts. This is aligned with DuPont’s commitment to help reduce the environmental footprint of the value chains where we participate,” added Weber.
The DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation is the industry’s longest running, independently judged global awards program honoring packaging materials, technology and service innovations. The program has a special emphasis on recognizing innovations that demonstrate sustainable packaging breakthroughs. This year’s panel was facilitated by Anne Johnson, director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. Over 120 entries were received from around the world.
DuPont – one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals 19 years ago – has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment. The goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new products for key global markets.
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
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