Packaging ‘designed for the dump’

Global – The ‘Make It, Take It’ campaign, launched by the US Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental groups, has shone a merciless spotlight on major drinks brand Capri Sun. The consortium declares that the pouches fusing aluminium with plastic are virtually ‘impossible’ to recycle.

According to the campaign, a little under 1.5 billion Capri Sun pouches become waste in the USA each year but only ′1 to 3%′ is collected for recycling. ′In this day and age, it is irresponsible to design your products for the dump,′ declares Robin Schneider, executive director of the Texas Campaign for the Environment. ′Capri Sun packages are wasteful, irresponsible and polluting.′

With the help of Capri Sun producer Kraft Foods, TerraCycle is collecting the pouches from across the country and shipping them in bulk to its recycling facilities. Ultimately, they are made into consumer products like backpacks and wallets by sewing the material together.

But supporters of the ′Make It, Take It′ campaign remain unimpressed. By targeting an established brand like Capri Sun, they hope to educate consumer product groups about the impact of packaging waste. Another goal is to ′broadly engage′ US citizens with regard to waste topics.

For more information, visit: www.terracycle.com