The 2008 Sustainable Packaging Forum has established a “reporting and certification” process that will help ensure the messages Forum hosts, sponsors and Expo participants are making are science-based (rather than marketing-based) and/or have independent third-party certifications to validate them.

“Just as the industry is being challenged to be transparent and responsible in its reporting practices and in substantiating sustainability claims, the 2008 Sustainable Packaging Forum will hold itself to same high standard,” explained David Luttenberger, CPP, director of Packaging Strategies, and the producer of the Forum.

“This process will ensure to the greatest extent possible that all information on sustainable business practices, technologies, processes, and services is void of greenwashing and unsubstantiated marketing claims,” said Luttenberger. “We believe this process will further distinguish the Forum as the pre-eminent sustainable packaging conference event in the world because attendees can be assured that what they hear and learn has been vetted, certified, and approved.”

The process, which will be monitored by the newly created Sustainable Packaging Forum Advisory Board, will lend objective, third-party credibility to those suppliers who will exhibit at the Expo and who desire to draw enhanced visibility to their technologies, processes, services, and/or promotional premiums. The reporting criteria for each Expo exhibitor and Forum host will be published and made publicly available, in an effort to further the industry education benefits associated with the Sustainable Packaging Forum.

The “Qualification” Process

• 2008 Sustainable Packaging Forum hosts, sponsors, and exhibitors will initially be accepted on a “tentative” basis. Hosts, sponsors, and exhibitors will be accepted as “verified” once they have provided information sufficient to prove the claims being made about a company, product, process, or service of focus can be validated.
• Hosts, sponsors, and/or exhibitors will use the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Definition and Criteria of Sustainable Packaging as their guidelines.
• Hosts, sponsors, and/or exhibitors must provide sufficient science-based data to support claims and/or provide third-party certifications (either approved or pending) relevant to as many of the Definition’s criteria as possible. A minimum of three criteria must be addressed/validated.
• Full acceptance of hosts, sponsors, & exhibitors is based solely on the approval of the Sustainable Packaging Forum’s Advisory Board and the Sustainable Packaging Forum’s producer, Packaging Strategies.

Preparation of Data/Third-party Certifications
There is no “official” reporting form. Applicants are asked to prepare Word documents that address numerically as many of the SPC Definition Criteria as are relevant to the specific company, technology, process, service, or premium promotional item to be distributed. Additional data sheets and certification award letters should be included.

Submission of Data/Third-Party Certifications
Parties must provide reporting/certification documentation electronically within 10 business days of their original submission for tentative approval if not provided at the time of the original inquiry or submission.

Final approval will be made, or a request for additional supporting documentation will be made within 10 business days of receipt of the report/certification documents.

Questions regarding the reporting/certification process can be directed to Karen Vaillancourt at 610-436-4220 (ext. 8511) or via email: orders@packstrat.com.

All submissions must include:

• Company Name
• Company Contact
• Phone/Fax/Email
• Name of technology, process, service, or premium promotional item
• Full and complete documentation

The SPC Definition can be viewed at: http://www.sustainablepackaging.org/pdf/Definition%20First%20Page.pdf

All submissions must be forward to: general@packstrat.com, with the Subject Line:
SPF Reporting/Certification Documents: [Company Name]

Questions regarding Reporting/Certification can be directed to Karen Vaillancourt at 610-436-4220 (ext. 8511) or via email to: orders@packstrat.com.