Memorandum submitted by Alison Waterhouse
(Waste 46)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This response is given by Alison Waterhouse,
Sustainability Network Manager at Faraday Packaging Partnership.
All comments should be taken as being the opinion of Alison Waterhouse.
Faraday Packaging is a knowledge transfer network supporting innovations
in packaging by linking the industry with leading academic expertise
from a diverse range of disciplines. Faraday Packaging's current
activity in relation to sustainability is three fold: understanding
the issues, rationalising and optimising current practices, and
looking forward to the requirements of sustainable consumption
and production.
The structure of today's society from both household
and retail perspectives necessitates the continued use of packaging.
Although packaging remains a relatively small part of the waste
stream, the industry still has its role to play in contributing
to sustainable development and reducing sustainability related
impacts. Sustainability and packaging's contribution to sustainable
development should encompass an holistic view of issues and commitment
to reducing impacts throughout the supply chain rather than a
focus on single issues such as waste minimisation.
From a consumer perspective, packaging appears a
highly visible indicator of waste, a view which has been encouraged
by various campaigns highlighting perceptions of excess packaging.
However, often missing from this presentation is the value that
packaging can add to products. The functionality that packaging
provides includes its value in protecting products throughout
increasingly complex supply and consumption chains. Without this
protection, levels of product waste would further increase, leading
to greater losses of embedded energy from throughout product lifecycles.
MEMORANDUM
1. This response is provided by Alison Waterhouse,
Sustainability Network Manager at Faraday Packaging Partnership
(FPP). All comments should be taken as being the opinion of Alison
Waterhouse. FPP is a knowledge transfer network part funded through
BERR and part of the Materials Knowledge Transfer Network (MATKTN).
Established through DTI funding in 1997 and with a current membership
base of some 40 leading global brand owners and packaging companies,
Faraday Packaging has established a strong foundation of linking
the membership base with over 100 world leading academics from
a range of disciplines spanning consumer behaviour & psychology
to design, and engineering and materials and waste management
to sustainable consumption. Since inception the partnership has
facilitated over £12 million of research work between university
partners and companies in the packaging industry and impacting
on a total annual turnover in excess of £500 million. Research
activity is structured around expertise in design, materials and
sustainability. Activity related to sustainability is currently
focussed around supporting members to develop their understanding
of packaging's contribution to sustainable development, options
for optimisation of current formats and developing understanding
of approaches to sustainable consumption and production. This
paper is given specifically in relation to packaging and in response
to the issue of:
"The Government's approach to waste minimisation,
for example consideration of responsible packaging, including
examination of the different materials used and the potential
for reusable packaging and return schemes."
2. The term "sustainable packaging"
is in itself, a misnomer. In common with all business functions,
packaging has environmental and social impacts. Reducing these
impacts for a specific pack will alter its sustainable profile
but is unlikely to make the pack sustainable as some impacts will
remain. However, by minimising impacts where possible, packaging
can make a contribution to the sustainable development of its
supply chain.
3. Waste minimisation is only one aspect
of responsible packaging. An holistic approach to minimising the
impacts of packaging, encompassing other issues such as reductions
in energy, transport, resources and product waste is preferable
and will ultimately enable a greater contribution to sustainable
development than will a focus solely on single issues such as
packaging weight reduction.
4. Campaigns such as those run by the Women's
Institute and The Independent newspaper have helped focus consumer
attention on perceived examples of excess packaging and have in
turn added to the pressures felt by the packaging industry. As
these campaigns have focussed on perceived excess, limited or
no consideration has been given to the positive contribution that
packaging makes to today's society, particularly as a enabler
of the current retailing structure. As with other industry sectors,
the packaging industry is able to make a contribution to sustainable
development. Spurred by a range of business drivers, the industry
is making changes to both business processes and pack formats
in order to improve its sustainable profile. However, these changes
must be made whilst retaining pack functionality and in particular,
in ensuring products are protected throughout their passage through
the supply chain and up to the point of consumption.
5. Recent drives from the retail sector
have seen a multitude of commitments intended to reduce impacts
associated with both packaging and food waste. These initiatives
range from packaging reduction to carbon labelling and from bio-compostability
to energy savings. The lack of common approach is understandable
for such a competitive industry and the differing approaches will
undoubtedly deliver a range of improvements to the sustainable
profiles of the sector. However, this approach is likely to add
to the confusion experienced by consumers in understanding the
impacts of their retail choices as they are presented with differing
initiatives, all of which claim specific sustainability impacts.
6. Societal changes such as reduced time
for shopping and food preparation, fewer local high street shops,
demand for year round produce availability, contamination fears
and lower levels of domestic science skills have all contributed
to altering the structure of the retail and household environments
in recent years. This current structure necessitates the use of
packaging to ensure products remain fit for purpose throughout
longer supply chains and consumption periods.
7. Achieving reductions in CO2 levels is
likely to necessitate maximising production efficiencies. In the
majority of cases the embedded energy of a product is far greater
than the embedded energy of its packaging. Therefore using packaging
to minimise product waste can result in an overall energy saving.
With increasing levels of food waste from households, appropriate
use of packaging may be one solution to help make savings on embedded
energy use.
8. The intricacy of current product supply
chains and the differing functional properties of packaging materials
makes relative assessments of sustainability a complex and problematic
task. A more realistic option, at least in the short to medium
term and using current manufacturing capabilities, is to assess
the current environmental and social impacts related to the production
chain and then seek to achieve a reduction across the board.
Alison Waterhouse
November 2007
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