CONCEPT WZ-0178

DECOMPOSE BY DATE
The idea is simple—add a date to packaging that shows when the package itself will decompose. It's similar to a USE BY DATE, but hopefully it will help consumers make choices that change not only their habits, but the way manufacturers package their products. DECOMPOSE BY doesn't need to begin as a government requirement. Any environmentally conscious company could choose to add the date to its packaging voluntarily. We don't need to wait for legislation to start.


GOT MILK?
Milk is an interesting product. You can buy some quantities of milk in either plastic jugs or paperboard cartons, and the difference in decomposition can be measured in centuries. If milk packagers added DECOMPOSE BY DATE information, would consumers gravitate toward the more environmentally wise choice? Why not? The product—the milk—is the same either way.

And if consumers change their habits, manufacturers might too. Maintaining two packaging options is likely more costly than one.