Leading U.S. corporations announced on March 7 they are taking steps to create a new packaging trade organization. AMERIPEN will engage on public policies impacting the packaging value chain on topics related to packaging and the environment, and will represent the interests of the industry which includes raw material producers, packaging manufacturers, packaging users and fillers, retailers and material recovery organizations.  Corporate founders include The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, ConAgra Foods, The Dow Chemical Co., DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers, Kellogg Company, MeadWestvaco (MWV), Procter & Gamble, Sealed Air Corporation and Tetra Pak Inc.

Modeled after EUROPEN and INCPEN, the European and British counterparts, respectively, AMERIPEN will advocate packaging policy developments in North America focusing on measures that are environmentally and economically sound, as well as socially responsible.  AMERIPEN, with a material neutral approach, will encourage science-based decision-making on sustainable packaging initiatives and provide a point-of-view and guidance to policy makers and thought leaders on the value and role of packaging.

“AMERIPEN will further enhance the packaging value chain’s commitment to continuously improving its sustainability profile and reducing packaging waste,” said Joan Pierce, AMERIPEN President. “The organization will play an instrumental role in conveying this message to opinion leaders in North America and ensuring that participants in the packaging value chain have maximum scope to innovate, compete and operate in a resource-efficient way.”

AMERIPEN will engage with thought leaders in the packaging industry including trade associations, academic institutions, NGOs and government agencies to facilitate relevant research and identify key data and standards to advance AMERIPEN’S mission.