Over the years I have been fortunate to meet many interesting people in packaging and sustainability but few are as unique as Rich Cohen and his company, Distant Village Packaging. Rich’s passion and commitment are infectious and we had no trouble convincing Rich to share his extraordinary story with our readers.

DS: Rich, for the benefit of our readers can you give us a brief overview of what Distant Village Packaging does.

RC: We create Handmade Packaging using sustainable and exotic materials such as tree-free papers, cacao leaves, and coconut buttons. However, by far, the most critical success factor in our work is close creative design collaboration with brand owners to produce packaging designs that reinforce the exact brand experience they desire.

DS: Please give us an idea of some of your most popular products and the industries or markets you serve.

RC: Distant Village packaging is extremely sustainable and highly attractive, ideal for gift giving. For example, bath and body gift sets, jewelry boxes, fine artisan chocolates, organic baby clothes, and most every industry which desires an impressive handmade packaging experience.

DS: How can sustainable packaging drive profits and sales?

RC: Our most successful clients internalize our sustainability initiatives and promote this as part of the packaging. When end consumers are seeking an engaging and compelling packaging experience, this is our sweet spot. Handmade designed packaging along with communication about the sustainability mission is incomparable to any other packaging solution out there. This drives clients’ competitors crazy – they simply beat up on their competition in this category!

DS: I know that what you are doing today was really impacted by some traveling you did years ago. Can you please explain that to our readers?

RC: Learning about other places and people has been enlightening. In my case, I was fortunate to develop relationships with hard-working and talented artisans in very remote economically-dislocated communities. In getting to know them personally, I learned about their skill and craft; it is amazing and I felt an obligation to facilitate the recognition of their talent and innovative sustainable materials. Since our very beginning in 2000, sustainability has been at the core of our mission. It is the purpose for our existence.

DS: With handmade products manufactured overseas, how do you maintain traditional domestic requirements such as quality and consistency?

RC: Our success is in large part to how well we manage quality and customer satisfaction. To ensure quality and consistency, we have a three step approach. Perhaps the most important and time-consuming step is our careful due diligence during the supplier selection and review process. Qualifying a new supplier quite often takes nearly 2 years. It is absolutely critical the supplier is a leader in sustainability, quality, reliability, and novel workmanship. The second step demands close client involvement and review in developing detailed specifications. And, the third step in our process is constant and on-going communication – daily and nightly – with our suppliers before, during, and after developing prototypes, samples and full production. It is certainly a lot of work, but the results we deliver our clients is amazing.

DS: I know I encounter “carbon footprint” concerns on some of my product manufactured in the Midwest when I am shipping it to either coast. How do you address those issues when you run into them?

RC: In regard to sustainability, there are various “footprints” to consider, as well as “offset alternatives” to those footprints. The packaging created by Distant Village is produced in third-world communities which are very needy and remote. As fair trade practitioners, their staff is ensured to receive fair pay, safe and good working conditions, and benefits that are often unheard of in their country, including a scholarship program which funds children education, text books, school supplies, and school uniforms. The entire community also experiences economic benefits that would otherwise be impossible – such as new job opportunities that never existed in small towns where there is no industry and no work. The value of infusing fresh capital into these communities, preserving their time-honored artisan craft, and opening new opportunity to workers and education to children is immeasurable.

DS: Your approach to sustainability includes of course, the environment, and economics but you seem particularly focused on the social aspect of sustainability. Can you please give us some background on that and why you feel it is so important?

RC: That’s correct – our product is inherently environmentally-conscious as materials are natural and the mostly handmade processes don’t demand machines, power, and waste.  It is an extremely clean production model.

These days there is justified concern for exploitation of labor and resources overseas. We should have similar levels of responsibility to environmental, social, and community concerns overseas as we do in our own country. Instead of pulling the plug on trade from these economically – which amounts to starving communities – fair labor with mutual respect is a more reasonable answer. And it is working.  As we send more projects and more work to these communities, we’re able to improve working condition and educational opportunities.

DS: Rich, your company is doing a lot of really great things to help the artisans who make your product, and their families. One of the most unique efforts is your scholarship program. Please tell us about that.

RC: We’ve partnered with our suppliers, customers, and generous individuals to establish educational scholarship programs within the communities we operate. For less than $200 a student’s education can be covered, including books, supplies, and uniform. Our scholarship programs include over 100 children who may not have pursued education without our assistance. Education of the youth is a long term approach to uplifting these communities and building an infrastructure of educated minds to reinvent the future of the community. I have realized through our Distant Village experience that there are many businesses and individuals that want to make a difference; they simply need a vehicle to participate.

DS: Thank you Rich. I hope you and Distant Village Packaging have a tremendous 2009!

RC: Thank you Dennis, it is always a pleasure to talk with you.
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