presentation mr. pease

A call for an International definition of

‘Environmentally Sustainable Industrial Packaging’

A proposal to the 15th International Conference on Industrial Packaging in Vancouver, Canada on 4th June 2015

Phil Pease C.Env

A call for an International definition of ‘Environmentally Sustainable Industrial

Packaging’

• What is “sustainable”?• Why do we need this?• What have we got already?• The Future…

What is ‘sustainable’ ?... The term, “sustainable development”, was

popularised in ‘Our Common Future’, a report published by the World Commission on

Environment and Development in 1987. Also known as ‘The Brundtland Report’, it included

the “classic” definition of sustainable development:

“development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of

future generations to meet their own needs.”

At first, everything we made wassustainable…..

What is ‘sustainable ?..’

For any item we produce to betruly ‘sustainable’, the raw materials must be replaceableat the same rate as used, the energy used must be providedthrough renewable sourcesand any waste products mustbe reused or recycled back into the production system… This is far from easy – so how can we get near to the ideal?..

Back in ‘the good old days’Industrial Packaging Manufacture was typically localised, low-volume & less specialised...


.. but our products have always been capable of being repaired & repeatedly reused


Although they used BIG hammers and welding torches then..

(no gym memberships needed!)

… as our trade has become increasingly global, we have developed new, specialised industrial packaging, designed to meet changing product demands and higher corporate standards across growing international markets.


Naturally..

as a global population, have recognised that we must take care of how we use energy & natural resources

simply to ensure we do not deplete or pollute our planet and leave a legacy of problems for our own future generations.

Why do we need this?

“Yada Yada…Protect the

Planet…We’ve heard this

all before….”



Obviously we all acknowledge our ethical & moral duty to our planet and future generations, but let’s take a hard-edged, commercial look at it…

Our customers: Want to be seen as responsible - sourcing safe, responsible raw materials,with global coverage, maximum safety, zero wastage and minimal costs !

Our regulators:Want to apply more stringent rules - to minimise energy use, reduce pollution, cut wastage (and increase government revenues !)… making life more difficult for the manufacturing industry… who are tasked to comply with it all, whilst still trying to make some profit of course.

Why do we need this? Understood - but we CAN turn this to our advantage...Industrial Packaging has maintained its proven environmental benefits, compared to retail packaging, for many years: Internationally standardised design-types & materials Established global / UN model rules covering manufacture, test &

reuse Multi-Modal frameworks for all transport systems & product types Ability to repeatedly recover, reuse, remanufacture, recondition,

recycle Widest range of use: Food to Pharmaceutical, Chemicals to

Cosmetics Worldwide infrastructure for collection, reconditioning,

remanufacture & reuse

BUT!.....We need to shout about these real-world benefits to both Customers & Regulators

IndustrialPackagin

gis

GREAT !!!


Establishing clearly defined ISO standards, to demonstrate that Industrial Packaging IS Sustainable, will provide powerful assistance when lobbying toprove how our packaging is different to retail - with benefits for transport safety AND protection of our environment & resources.

Our packaging should be given every opportunity to be understood as having very different dynamics to other packaging types, presenting real environmentally benefits. We need to argue that industrial packaging should remain, wherever possible, outside any retail & waste stream definitions – and associated costs.

Our work on ISO Packaging & Environment is already proving to have real benefit – we should strive to add to this with clear definitions of sustainability. ✓

What have we got already?

The EU Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulations establish legally binding targets on amount of packaging to be recycled / scrapped.

These rules are widely accepted as critically flawed in that their definitions are all based on WASTE, RECYCLING and RETAIL Packaging (despite the best efforts of our industry).

‘Reuse’ is only now just starting to be properly considered as outside the boundary of ‘waste’ and typically only if ‘designed for reuse’….

This is a case that needs to be argued, as our packaging Dynamics are very different from retail packaging.

NOT THE SAME !


NOT THE SAME !

Used Container Collection


NOT THE SAME !

Container Cleaning


NOT THE SAME !

Materials Recycling


NOT THE SAME !

Materials separation


Our work on the ISO Packaging & Environment Standards included amending the definition of ‘reuse’ to read:

“packaging or packaging component which has been designed to accomplish or prove its ability to accomplish a minimum number of trips or rotations in a system for reuse.”

This change immediately enables our industry to argue that used industrial packaging is reusable and has an established reuse infrastructure. Therefore it should not be classed as waste until it becomes no longer fit for purpose.

- This argument has already helped to achieve huge cost savings in the UK for transporting empty, uncleaned drums & IBCs within the hazardous waste rules.

What have we got already? ISO 14040 ‘Life Cycle Assessment’

“consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system, from raw material acquisition or generation from natural resources to final disposal.”

Our products can achieve incredible efficiencies throughout their life cycle, from first use of the raw material during manufacture, through reuse, reconditioning, remanufacture, and final disposal / recycling– which is most likely simply the start of another new cycle for the raw materials.

Adding clear definitions of Industrial Packaging Sustainability can enhance our products’ standing, especially when considered alongside existing international standards such as this.


In a publication entitled “The Global Protocol on Packaging and Sustainability”. The Consumer Goods Forum reviewed the retail supply chain and, although not specific to industrial packaging, it did reference the CEN and ISO Packaging & Environment suite of standards – which are intended for all packaging types.

This can be downloaded from: http://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/download-global-protocol-on-packaging-sustainability-gpps

http://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/

http://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/


A British Standards publication BS8905: 2011 entitled “Framework for the assessment of the sustainable use of materials. Guidance”contains useful information on what the standard terms a “sustainability assessment”.

Whilst not written with Packaging specifically in-mind, it does contain some useful, up-to-date information on what is considered “sustainable”.

There is also a published report byPEC Partnership Ltd:“Assessing how BS 8905 can be applied in the packaging sector”


There are a great deal more articles & publications relating to sustainability:

Such as EUROPEN’s (European Packaging Organization) - metrics for measuring the sustainability of packaging.

Despite the generations of work across our industry - all the focus on the environmental impact of packaging, has been carried out for retail packaging, there is still no definition of ‘sustainable’

in relation to Industrial Packaging.

The future…

Ideally, we should make a proposal to ISO for a new set of standards, to establish definitions for “Sustainable Industrial Packaging”.

Even if we decide to not try for an ISO Standard – we should try to establish, within our own industry, a set of definitions that we can reference when discussing how our industrial packaging is beneficial to international trade and environmental care.

With so many considerations, such a definition may never be perfect…but then, for any manufactured product to be truly sustainable, it would require renewable energy sources, replenishable process machinery, and natural, continually replenishable raw materials -ie; back to wooden barrels made with stone mallets!...

The future… A couple of ideas to start:

RIPA definition of sustainable steel drum and plastic drumA sustainable steel or plastic 220 L drum has the following physical

attributes:

(a) Constructed in accordance with a recognized international standard (e.g. ANSI – MH 2; JIS Z-1601; ISO 20848 – 2, etc.)

(b) Capable of withstanding the reconditioning process and accomplishing more than one use-rotation after the initial rotation (i.e. filled and refilled) for the same purpose for which

it was produced.

(c) Designed to be capable of transporting both hazardous and non-hazardous materials initially and in each reuse rotation.

(d) Capable of withstanding anticipated global storage and handling processes.

(e) Capable of being cleaned and safely recycled after its useful life.

The future… Proposed draft to define a sustainable fibre drum

A sustainable fibreboard drum has the following physical attributes:

(a) Constructed in accordance with a recognised international standard (e.g. BS EN 12710: 2006 / BS EN 14768: 2005 / EN 14053: 2003)

(b) Manufactured from natural or recycled raw materials, such as Kraft Fibre, obtained

from either managed forests, capable of being replenished without displacement of naturally occurring hardwoods, or as recycled material from approved reprocessors.

(c) Designed to ensure optimal environmental performance as defined by ISO 18602: 2013

(d) Capable of withstanding anticipated global storage and handling processes.

(e) Capable of being cleaned and safely reused or recycled after its useful life.

and finally…

For those of you that may still be under the illusion that our political leaders and regulators, holding positions of ‘expertise’ for environmental care, actually know their craft… and think they can be trusted to ensure the correct regulations are in place for us..

During the recent UK General Elections for our new Government, a leading head of a key Environmental Department was heard to ask: “So – what

happens when the renewable energy runs out?......”

Proposals to ISO ? - I’ll look into it!

“Thank

you!” Phil PeaseBoval Consulting Ltd. UKTel: +44 (0) 7770 [email protected]

presentation mr. pease

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