Developed in partnership with the Packaging School, the Knowledge Library aims to deliver the fundamental knowledge needed to make packaging more sustainable, covering both the basics of sustainability as well as deeper dives in specific issues. The library is divided into a separate topics. Topics can be explored and experienced at your own pace, so choose your own adventure on the way to becoming a more knowledgable sustainable packaging professional.
The SPC Knowledge Library is free to SPC members, and available for purchase by non-members. To access courses for free, please follow the link below to sign in on the member dashboard.
AVAILABLE NOW
Below are our courses that are available now. If you are a member, make sure to sign up through your member dashboard to receive your discount.
Packaging and Sustainability
This topic examines big questions related to sustainability such as systems thinking and circular economy. It also examines how to optimize packaging to be more sustainable, how to design for packaging recovery, and sourcing considerations for sustainable packaging.
Setting Sustainability Goals
This topic will explore the most important considerations around what makes a good goal, the different kinds of corporate sustainability goals related to packaging that companies are setting, and examine the process for crafting meaningful goals that can help drive change internally and with supply chain partners.
Mechanical Recycling
Explore recycling from a bird’s-eye view in this topic. The intention here is to provide enough information about the recycling system and its different components so that packaging designers and brand holders can better navigate the complexities of designing for recycling and from recycling.
Bioplastics
Bioplastics dives into the diverse family of bio-based and biodegradable plastics and cover sourcing and end-of-life considerations. It also explores the standards and certifications that are relevant to bioplastics marketing claims.
Life Cycle Assessments
Life Cycle Assessment explores how LCA is being used to better understand the environmental impacts of products and packaging, examines the important underlying assumption and limitations of LCA, and shares best practices for communicating and using LCA results.
COMING SOON
Below is a preview of classes that will be available later this year. Check back for updates!
E-Commerce Packaging
E-Commerce Packaging explores what E-commerce is and how to think about retail channels in the context of sustainable packaging. The topic is a comprehensive exploration of packaging for E-commerce focusing on definitions, concepts, considerations, and examples.
Chemical Recycling
Chemical Recycling provides an introductory overview on the technologies that enable re-building virgin quality material from pre-existing plastics. The topic covers basics of polymer science, the different types of chemical recycling processes, and what materials are good fits for chemical recycling.
Sourcing Fiber
Sourcing Fiber provides an introduction to Responsible Forest Management strategies and the most important considerations for sourcing both virgin and recycled content responsibly. The topic highlights the environmental and social considerations for healthy working forests and gives a birds-eye view of the challenges facing fiber procurement today.
Reusable Packaging
Reusable Packaging discusses the drivers for reusable packaging, examines the important life cycle considerations for reuse, shares case studies of new models, and provides tools for teams wanting to develop reusable packaging.
Compostable Packaging
Compostable Packaging explores the basics of composting, the current state of composting infrastructure, residential and commercial access, as well as best practices for compostable packaging design, labeling, testing, and certification
Material Health
Material Health is an overview of how the materials used in packaging can affect human health and the environment, with an emphasis on how companies can take action to choose safer materials. The topic highlights public perceptions of material health in packaging and examines how some companies are making changes in response to consumer awareness.
Food Waste
The topic provides an overview to the problem of food waste and how packaging is a part of the solution. This topic explores how packaging can be a tool to reduce and prevent food waste, and how packaging alone may not be enough to solve the food waste problem.