2008 Sustainable Packaging Alliance Lca Wine Industy Forum

Sustainable Packaging AllianceTowards Packaging Sustainability

SPA is supported by:SPA is supported by:

Wine Industry forumAugust 7 2008

Glenn Di-Mauro HayesRMIT – Centre for Design

Towards Packaging Sustainability

• Informal arrangement since 2002- RMIT Centre for design- Birubi Innovation- VU Packaging & Polymer research unit

• Not for profit company established Nov 07- Provider and developer of PIQET- Capabilities provided through contracts

• Focal point to facilitate continuous improvement in packaging sustainability

• www.sustainablepack.org

The Sustainable Packaging Alliance


The Sustainable Packaging Alliance

Research, Development & Innovation

Impact

Technology TransferDemonstrationEducation

CREATE the Vision

STRATEGY for Change

BUILD Capability & FACILITATE Innovation

Develop & Design TOOLS

Continuous Improvement in Packaging Sustainability

Technical & Innovation Support


The Centre for Design provides research, services and

products to help achieve positive design for

sustainability outcomes.

www.cfd.rmit.edu.au4 main project areas:•Sustainable Built Environments•Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)•Sustainable Products and Packaging•Climate change and social context

CfD activities:Sustainability/Eco-design decision support

Research & product developmentTraining & professional development

Publications & toolsLife cycle assessments

Social context, change, behaviour, evaluation


CfD Objectives

• Conduct new research into design and social context for ecologically sustainable outcomes

• Develop and demonstrate new design strategies, decision support tools and processes aimed at improving the environmental performance of products, built environments and services

• Assist industry to design and use greener products, buildings and services and to develop more strategic environmental directions

• Advise government agencies on policy and programs to reduce environmental impacts through design

• Explore new concepts, scenarios, actions, strategies and policies for a sustainable future; and

• Maintain a national and international network of research and information exchange in environmental assessment and design.


Various deliverables 2002-7

– Consulting reports for various clients– 25 Peer-reviewed conference papers– 19 Peer-reviewed journal articles– 16 Books and chapters– 43 other scholarly works and significant

research reports– 5 PhD scholarships


Sustainability issues

• Fluctuation in product demand• Cost/availability of raw materials (flow on

effect to customers)• Changes in climate/water• Mandatory regulations or changes to• Packaging availability, pricing & substitution


Sustainable practices

• Alternative energy sources (eg. solar)• Cover crops/green manure crops• The right time to harvest• Recycled bottles & eco-friendly inks• Pulp instead of styrofoam shippers


Important….

• There is far more environmental impact in the product than the packaging

• The quality of the product is paramount


Life cycle perspective


Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)

Raw materials

Fuels

Energy

Products

By-products

Waste

Emissions to water/soil

Emissions to air

For each step in the life cycle (unit process)


Raw materials (tonnes)

Fuels (tonnes + GJ)

Energy (GJ)

Products (tonnes)

By-products (tonnes)

Waste (tonnes)

Emissions to water/soil (tonnes)

Emissions to air (tonnes)

Suppliers

Transport

Customers

Transport

Waste treatment

Transport

For each step in the life cycle (unit process)

Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)


Benefits of LCA

• The largest benefit of undertaking any LCA is ultimately revealing what is behind the product.

• Life cycle thinking is the only rational approach for evaluating environmental decisions –including only parts of the product system risks shifting problems rather than solving them


Drivers for life cycle thinking

• Increasing environmental awareness

• To consume less and be more efficient with resources

• To reduce pollution (emissions and waste)

• To move beyond compliance and to innovate

• A tool to help is life cycle assessment (LCA)

• A tool to help streamline the process and give clear outcomes is…


PIQET

PIQETPackaging Impact

Quick Evaluation Tool


What is PIQET?

Rapid tool for environmental impact assessment of packaging systems

Business readyInternationally accepted Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies Easy to usePackaging specific


Development of PIQET

• Commenced in October 2004, • Excel version 2006, Web version 2007

• Developed by the Sustainable Packaging Alliance (www.sustainablepack.org)

– Centre for Design, RMIT University– Birubi Innovation– Packaging and Polymer Research Unit, Victoria

University• Web programming by WSP Environmental


Development of PIQET

• Company sponsors

• Government grants


Business ready

Web-accessedIntegrates into existing NPD and Packaging Design processes15-30 minute turnaroundSimple reports

Idea generation

Idea screening

Concept development& testing

Business analysis

Beta testing &marketing testing

Technical implementation

Commercialisation


What is PIQET?

• An independent and scientifically based tool for undertaking rapid, high quality, environmental impact assessments of packaging

• Allows conversion of complex life cycle and environmental data into simple reporting outputs

• Analyses new packaging systems • Explores improvement options on current designs• Capacity to benchmark packaging designs over time• Builds awareness and training within organisations• Helps support NPC and ECoPP reporting


Indicators of environmental impact (from life cycle assessment)

(kg)Solid waste

(kL)Water use

(Ha)Land use

(kg PO4 equivalent)Eutrophication

(kg C2H2 equivalent)Photo-oxidation

(MJ surplus)Depletion of mineral resources and fossil fuels

(MJ low heat value)Cumulative energy demand

(kg CO2 equivalent)Climate change


Business ready

Comparison graphic reports


Business ready

Comparison graphic reports


Life Cycle Assessment

Mimics the life cycles of packagingDeveloped using case studiesValidated with SimaProCurrently Australian inventory data

System boundary

1. Raw material extraction

2. Packaging material manufacture

3. Packaging material converting

4. Empty packaging transport to filler

6. Packaging transport from filler to retailer

5. Filling of packaging

7. Disposal of packaging

Landfill Recycling

Fossil fuels extraction and refining

Electrcity generation

CompostingWaste to energy

(incineration)


Easy to use

Menu drivenLimited data to be enteredDefault data generationOn-line help Rapid generation of new scenariosEasy copy function


Packaging specific

Reports specific packaging environmental indicatorsLinks to ACOR to check compatibilityAustralian National Packaging Covenant data provision and captureAssists ECOPP compliance


Packaging specific

KPI numbers

1 Packaging material by type, product/packaging ratio2 Energy and water consumption3 Improvements in design, manufacturing etc

- in design brief section4 Report changes to protection, shelf life etc)

- in tables and graphs in report5 Average annual % of PCR in material types19 Improvements in consumer knowledge

- labelling section


Using PIQET

Puts environmental data alongside market and financial data in business decision-makingAllows continuous assessment of packaging designs – concept to launchIdentifies strategies to improve sustainability along the supply chainEnables continuous auditing and benchmarking of existing designsProvides an easy tool for training, communication and change management


Brief examples

• Glass bottle v. PET bottle v. HDPE bottle- raw material, energy, transport, eol- size, packing efficiency - transport specifics, product protection

• Glass jar v. pet jar- corrugated tray with overwrap- single wrap around carton


Future Developments

• Ongoing material and converting data updates • Bridging packaging design and PIQET• Returnable packaging• Shelf life• Filling Operation• Country/Region specific requirements


Using PIQET in your business

• Who will use PIQET?• When will PIQET be used?• How will it be implemented?


Heinz – sustainability targets

The eight specific goals set by Heinz for 2008-2015:

• Reducing energy consumption by 20% through the use of alternative sources

• Reducing packaging by 15% through introduction of alternative packaging materials and reduction of existing packaging materials

• A 10% transport reduction through improved efficiency of the distribution network

• A commitment to source at least 15% of energy requirements through renewables


Heinz – sustainability targets

• In agriculture, a 15% carbon footprint reduction, a 15% water usage for crops reduction, an improvement of yields by 5% through using hybrid tomato seeds that require less water, pesticide, fertilizer & fuel to harvest

• A 20% reduction in total water use through improved sanitation techniques & reuse

• A 20% reduction in solid waste through increased recycling & waste reuse

• A commitment to educate employees about the benefits of living &working in a more sustainable manner.


PIQET – Further information

Access via:• Subscriptions (turnover based)• SPA services (project based)• SPA workshops (one-off)

Contact:Dr Leanne Fitzpatricktel: (03) 9791 5888email: [email protected]

Sustainable Packaging AllianceTowards Packaging Sustainability

SPA is supported by:SPA is supported by:

Wine Industry forumAugust 7 2008

Glenn Di-Mauro HayesRMIT – Centre for Design