In the first half of the 1990s, P-O-P Times covered the occasional recycling effort, mostly from environmentally friendly brands such as Patagonia and Earth Station. Activity picked up in the mid- to late '90s, with more mainstream products getting involved. (Our favorite is a 1996 display from Freestyle watches manufactured from old aluminum cans.)

But the trend seems to have waned in the early part of this decade, most likely because the more pressing trend in display manufacturing was the reduction of overall costs -- and probably in part because "recycling" had no single influential champion to lead the charge: For all its noble goals about protecting the environment, the current "sustainability" drive wouldn't be happening right now if Wal-Mart hadn't made it an imperative. (Three cheers for the conversion of business profitability, public image enhancement and environmental best practices!)

Of course, the corporate commitment for sustainability goes a whole lot deeper than it ever did with recycling. To address the recycling issue, P-O-P producers didn't have to investigate the feasibility of converting methane gas from nearby landfills into the energy needed to run their plants. Brand marketers never had to verify that the suppliers to their P-O-P vendors' suppliers were practicing green harvesting methods. Basically, all anyone had to do was provide materials that could go straight into the appropriate dumpster.

"Marketers don't usually think in terms of utilizing the cubic space in a semi-trailer. Nor do they care about the amount of plastic resin that goes into a package. But this math is going to become fundamental to product and package development," said James Peters, education director for the Institute of Packaging Professionals, in an article we posted in January.

Assuming that sustainability is not a short-term trend but the business model for the future, there is a lot of work needed in the years ahead to meet the demands of Wal-Mart and other forward-thinking companies. Some organizations are farther down the path than others (see recent activity from Gerber and Coppertone among the case studies highlighted in the sustainability gallery), but all will be learning through a gradual process of trial and error.

"Can I make things 100% recycled, sustainable, reusable? Absolutely, but that comes at a price -- a price we can't afford because the materials have not come down to the level where they can be widely used," said David Curtis of The Timberland Co. in a "People to Watch" feature from the November 2006 edition of P-O-P Times. "Can I make it 30%, 40%, even 20% eco-friendly? Every little bit helps, and we do the best we can."

That will be our goal here at the Institute as well. We'll track the ongoing evolution of sustainability as comprehensively as possible, and present innovative case studies and best practices whenever we can find them. As always, our efforts will be greatly enhanced by contributions from you, our members. Every little bit will help.

Peter Breen
Managing Director, Content
In-Store Marketing Institute