InterGroup International Joins the Sustainable Packaging Coalition

InterGroup International Ltd., Euclid, Ohio, has been accepted as a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), a project of GreenBlue, Charlottesville, Va.

According to the SPC’s website, it is “an industry working group dedicated to a more robust environmental vision for packaging. Through strong member support, an informed and science-based approach, visionary supply chain collaborations and continuous outreach, we endeavor to build packaging systems that encourage economic prosperity and a sustainable flow of materials.”

With a concentration in recycling packaging, InterGroup International says it is looking forward to making an impact on the sustainability of consumer packaging.

As part of the commitment, InterGroup, in partnership with CEI (Coating Excellence International), participated in the SPC’s first Packaging Stewardship Video Challenge. More than 100 SPC members were invited to submit videos highlighting their progress, innovation and commitment to sustainable packaging. The theme of 2012’s challenge was “How is your company making the SPC definition of sustainable packaging come to life?”

From the13 videos that premiered at the SPC spring meeting, the organization’s staff selected its three favorite videos, and the meeting attendees voted for their top video choices in three categories. The SPC Staff selected videos from CEI/InterGroup International, Schwak/Athem and REI, while SPC members selected The Coca Cola Co. as the winner in the Best Innovation category, Starbucks in the Best Implementation of the SPC Definition category and CEI/InterGroup in the Best Video category.  

In related news, InterGroup International CEO Neil Gloger also spoke about recycling and brand security for flexible packaging scrap at the CPP (Converting and Package Printing) Expo in Cleveland. Prior to the conference, attendees took part in a tour of InterGroup’s Euclid facility, which includes multi-layer film reclaim, sorting and repelletizing for various grades of plastic scrap.

The company recently opened a facility in southwestern Missouri. This facility, which opened in late 2011, recycles around 2 million pounds of plastic scrap per month.

InterGroup also plans to open a new distribution facility in Cleveland May 8, 2012. The 165,000-square-foot facility will presort and consolidate scrap collected from Toronto, Detroit, Baltimore and Louisville, Ky. It is designed to handle more than 10 million pounds per month. The distribution facility is designed to facilitate the addition of three repelletizing lines at InterGroup’s Euclid plant, according to the company.

InterGroup International also says it plans to open a plant in the Atlanta area in the third quarter of 2012.