American Institute for Packaging and the Environment set priorities for 2011-2012 on representing packaging industry, communicating value of packaging, recovery of used packaging, producer responsibility

Liling Tan

EAST LANSING, Michigan , July 6, 2011 (press release) – The board of directors of AMERIPEN, the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment, today announced its three organizational priorities for 2011-2012. These priorities, designed to guide the organization in its efforts to effectively represent the interests of the packaging industry, include increasing the understanding and communicate the value of packaging; increasing the recovery of used packaging; and analyzing varied approaches and alternatives to extended producer responsibility for packaging.

Modeled after EUROPEN and INCPEN, the European and British counterparts respectively, AMERIPEN was founded by several leading U.S. corporations in 2011 to advocate packaging policy developments in North America, focusing on measures that are environmentally and economically sound, as well as socially responsible. The Institute, with a material neutral and full packaging value chain approach, encourages data and science-based decision-making on sustainable packaging initiatives, with the intent to provide a point-of-view and guidance to policy makers and thought leaders on the value and role of packaging.

The Institute developed its 2011-2012 Priorities during a roundtable discussion at AMERIPEN's first annual Members meeting in Chicago on June 22, 2011. Prior to the meeting, 14 potential priority activities -- as identified by AMERIPEN's 22 members -- were pared down to 5 critical priorities. These five were discussed thoroughly and refined to three definitive priorities for the year. In developing this framework, AMERIPEN also sought input from its Technical Advisory Group (TAG), which is made up of thought leaders from industry trade associations, government and non-government organizations and academic institutions. For a full list of TAG affiliates, please see the AMERIPEN website at www.ameripen.org.

During the meeting, AMERIPEN members began organizing project teams tasked with putting the organization’s priorities into actionable programs in the upcoming months.

"In deciding priorities for the coming year, the Board focused on actions where AMERIPEN is uniquely positioned to drive results and represent the views of our membership," said Joan L. Pierce, AMERIPEN president. "We look forward to developing our blueprint based on these priorities and effecting positive change for packaging and the environment."

AMERIPEN is now calling for more corporate members to join the Institute in order to expertly represent the different elements of the packaging value chain. For more information on AMERIPEN and its initiatives, visit www.ameripen.org.

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