We’re continuing our 75th anniversary celebration for the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) with a focus on the 2000s. At the start of the 21st century, concerns about plastic pollution, climate change, and excess waste increased demand for sustainable alternatives, driving the push for more eco-friendly product packaging, even though it was still in its early stages compared to today. This decade laid the foundation for the modern sustainable packaging movement, as rising consumer awareness, corporate responsibility, and government policies began influencing industry practices.
While sustainable packaging was not yet commonplace, the early 2000s witnessed significant strides toward its adoption. The groundwork established in this decade—bioplastics, corporate responsibility, regulatory shifts, and consumer demand—would pave the way for rapid advancements in the 2010s and beyond.
World Events
- 2001 – On September 11, terrorists crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York; Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod.
- 2004 – Facebook is launched; the Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1918; the Boxing Day Tsunami hits the Indian Ocean.
- 2005 – YouTube is founded by Jawed Karim, Chad Hurley, and Steve Chen.
- 2006 – Twitter is launched.
- 2007 – Nancy Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the first iPhone was introduced.
- 2008 – Barack Obama is elected the first African American President of the United States.
FPA Milestones
2000s – SPMC’s standards formed the basis for eventual ASTM standards. Shortly after its founding, SPMC developed its first standard for the peel strength of medical packaging. This standard was later incorporated into ASTM F88 Standard Test Method for Seal Strength of Flexible Barrier Materials.
2000 – Marla Donahue became FPA’s President & CEO. The same year, Joyce Dickerson of RJR Packaging became the first woman FPA Chair.
2001 – FPA moved its location from Washington, D.C., to Linthicum, Maryland.
2004 – FPA introduced the Student Flexible Packaging Design Challenge, which recognizes innovative packaging solutions created by students. This competition provides packaging students with a valuable opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge in developing real-world, flexible packaging solutions while contributing to the growth of the fastest-evolving sector within the packaging industry.
2006 – Walmart made a groundbreaking announcement that significantly influenced the packaging industry: the creation of its Packaging Sustainability Scorecard. This tool was designed to assess the environmental impact of a product’s packaging and drive reductions in packaging waste. It marked the first effort of its kind by a major retailer to hold its suppliers accountable for the sustainability of their packaging practices.
2008 – SPMC develops a searchable online database of its FAQs to help users find key guidance on everything from package development to validation. The FAQs quickly became the most frequently visited section of SPMC’s website.
Want to see more milestones and industry innovations from the 2000s? Check out our interactive timeline here!
