Could we be living in the dawn of a compostable age? From the look of things so far this year, it seems so. We’ve seen compostable potato chip bags from a major manufacturer, compostable coffee cups, meat trays, produce bags and more. Even the largest retailer in the world is composting these days.

So why now? Well, after years and years of not being quite good enough, the technology to make solid, cost-efficient compostable packaging has arrived. And driving that technology is increasing consumer consciousness about the massive amount of waste we produce. Can you blame them? They don’t want this world to end up like the one depicted in Wall-E — a depopulated wasteland filled with skyscraper-high piles of trash.

Companies that aren’t assessing their packaging right now should beware. It’s their embracing of “green” marketing and sustainability that has led many consumers to look more closely at every aspect of what they’re buying. Any backlash manufacturers and retailers feel would be a somewhat self-inflicted.

And yet, there are questions about compostable and biodegradable packaging. Do consumers actually do it? Do they know it doesn’t mean simply throwing something in the trash and letting it magically melt away? Composting is not a very glamorous process. It involves soil and worms, and usually attracts unwanted company. My parents’ compost pile in Kentucky gets everything from raccoons to deer, who sidle up to the tall wooden box like it’s a drive-thru window. MORE…

Packaging matters. If the explosion in reusable grocery totes hasn’t convinced you of that, maybe this research will. According to our own MamboTrack Quick Poll, taken just last month, four in 10 (40%) consumers recently tried a new brand or switched products, specifically because it had more earth-friendly packaging.

This issue is trending right now in a very public way, thanks to a media blitz for SunChips new compostable chip bag. The bag is made from plants and will reportedly break down in 14 weeks in an active compost pile.

But it’s not just compostable and/or biodegradable packaging that’s winning consumer affection. They also prefer packaging that can be recycled or is made from recyclable materials.

That’s an issue Whole Foods Market has taken to heart with the Gimme 5 recycling program. It’s for #5 plastics like those typically found in yogurt, cottage cheese, and other tub-style containers. Most communities don’t collect those plastics for recycling. MORE…

Plastic has slowly, but steadily been gaining acceptance as a wine vessel as more people understand that plastic — PET bottles, screw caps and corks, and bag-in-box containers — can be better for the environment. And when it comes to the discerning palette of a wine drinker, and their strong affinity for lush orchards and fields of grape arbors, the environment is an important element of the business.

The statistics I read vary, but all the numbers point to reduced costs in both manufacturing and transportation (which lessens the impact on the environment). On average, wine makers can lower shipping costs up to 33% less by using plastic; conversely, they can load about 67% more wine on a truck.

“Lighter bottles mean less fuel used in the shipping process,” reads a post on Mother Nature Network. “This is where the environmental benefits come in. The plastic bottles weigh 1/8th as much as glass bottles, which usually weigh about 14 ounces. Less fuel used to ship these lighter bottles means a smaller carbon footprint during the shipping process.” MORE…

Earth Month, Earth Week, Earth Day: Take your pick but they’re all good ways for retailers to showcase their environmental initiatives during a time when awareness is highest.

Minneapolis-based mass merchandiser Target toyed with the wording a bit and announced a month-long celebration of Earth Day. As part of the plan, the retailer has installed permanent recycling stations in all 1,740 stores.

What’s truly interesting about this is that these centers will be accepting much more than the bottles, cans and paper that are the traditional drop-offs at such places. The Target center is also taking in cell phones, ink printer cartridges and MP3 players.

Think about it. This is the detritus of the disposable age, and it’s critical that we figure out what to do with all of it. The problem is, while bottles and cans are basically composed of a single element (aluminum or plastic), these new disposables include batteries, wires, plastic and composite materials that are neither plastic nor metal.

As such, they require further processing offsite — whether they’re broken down into components or refurbished for resale. At least consumers — and the outlets that sell these products— are beginning to realize that these devices just don’t disappear, and that, indeed, some parts are toxic to the environment as they degrade.

A new report out from Mintel shows that green living is very much on the mind of Americans. More than one-third (35%) of survey respondents said they would pay more for “environmentally friendly” products. MORE…

One company makes toothbrushes and other conveniences from old yogurt cups. Another offers bowls made from old LPs. As more companies get creative with modern civilization’s discards, it’s only a matter of time before someone creates art for art’s sake.

I’ll admit, when I look at my weekly supermarket circulars, the last thing I think of is a cheekbone, or a swirl of brunette… but that’s exactly what Sandi Schimmel Gold has been envisioning as she collects circulars, catalogs and other direct-mail pieces from the mailbox and turns them into portraits like “Smoulder,” a 30”x36” close up (left) of a strikingly blue-eyed (and toned) woman with red hair. In her description of the art, Schimmel Gold points out there are icebergs, Hannukah candles and clouds in the woman’s face; and perfume bottles and Macy’s ads in the hair.

Everything came from junk mail.

“I create without waste,” Schimmel Gold writes on her website. “I upcycle junk mail, calendars, post cards, photos, old greeting cards, tags, etc… it’s all paper waste I collect. I use only water-based, acid-free, non-toxic materials to create my work. It is completely eco-friendly. I reuse and repurpose canvas, frames, etc. whenever possible.” MORE…

Supermarkets have been quick to embrace the idea of bag recycling. Many stores even award shoppers who pull out reusable cloth or recycled plastic bags a few cents off their bill for making the effort.

Of course, the more bags that get used again, the fewer the retailer has to order, so they save some bucks. Untold thousands get removed from the solid waste stream and stay out of landfills. It’s a group effort everyone — retailer and consumer alike — can feel good about. “Hands across the aisle” and all that.

So, it’s difficult to tell what Pick ‘n Save was thinking when they tried a new policy that limited the bag rebates to customers using Roundy’s bags only. One store was unfortunate enough to try and pull this on a green living contributor to www.examiner.com. Check out her story, and what happened, here.

As you can see, this little story has a happy ending. Pick ‘n Save does care about the environment and the common good; and it wasn’t trying to enforce shopper loyalty or limiting its generosity to those who use only Roundy’s bags. The whole thing was just a little misunderstanding, right?

Roundy’s just needed a little reminder. Lesson learned.

(Photo courtesy of Redcherryhill, Flickr)

McCaffrey’s Market in Princeton, N.J., was really green today. Not only was a bagpiper roaming the aisles in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the three-store retailer launched a unique organic waste recycling program that turns fresh food waste and anything not metal, plastic or glass into all-natural fertilizer.

“We’ve always been actively involved in anything that benefits the community, and this is really an extension of that belief,” Jim McCaffrey, the chain’s affable president, told me during a demonstration of how the program works. Indeed, it’s truly unique to see how thorough the process is, right down to the large rubber bands used to secure the compost bin liners used in the receptacles.

The receptacles are everywhere, along with posters reminding employees to separate any waste that’s recyclable. It required a significant effort to educate everyone in the store, according to Rocco D’Antonio, a principal in Organic Diversion, the firm coordinating the initiative.

“McCaffrey’s is an ideal candidate for this type of program because they already have a corporate culture that emphasizes recycling,” he said to me as we toured the back room, where an existing cardboard compactor has been joined by a new green waste device. And D’Antonio should know, since he also happens to be business development manager for Penn Jersey Paper Company, which supplies McCaffrey’s with all its bags and packaging. MORE…

We had a chance to escape the office yesterday and attend the one-day Green Products Expo at the Marriott Marquis hotel in midtown, where more than 70 companies exhibited a wide spectrum of products and services.

Granted, not all were suitable for the supermarket channel (we skipped the displays for formaldehyde-free plywood and recycled flip-flop animal sculptures), but several categories were well-represented.

The first was bottled water — rather, stainless steel water bottles. The containers came in all shapes and sizes, and one even sported its own portable filter. There was also a focus on eco-cleaners for both home and laundry (a company highlighted an environmentally friendly car wax). MORE…

Can’t afford to accessorize with a new cellphone or color-coordinated netbook? Then how about a reusable lunch bag?

A&P is taking the next step into eco-chic by introducing a line of five lunch totes made of post-consumer waste materials, to debut in February at all A&P banners, including The Food Emporium, Pathmark, and Waldbaum’s.

The chain, based in Montvale, N.J., was among the first to come out with reusable shopping bags a couple of years ago. I recall they had pretty bold graphics. These lunch bags must have the same designer.

The color combos include bright blue and yellow, red and white check, and orange, brown and yellow (shown). What’s not depicted here is the related verbiage on the other side of the bags, described in the press release as “clever”: “Hugs & Knishes,” “I’m On My Munch Break” and “Don’t Give Up the Chip.”

Umm… Suggestion. As a guy who often brings his own lunch to work I’d like to see A&P offer one that looks like a wrinkled, reused brown bag — to replace the actual wrinkled, reused brown bag I currently use. And if they have to add a saying, how about “Caution: Leftovers — Consume At Your Own Risk.”