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Shrink: Paper Efficiency ProjectPEP Talk

Packaging

Mandy Haggith - hag@environmentalpaper.euJane Skelton - Jane.Skelton@sainsburys.co.uk

shrinkpaper.org

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European Environmental Paper Network

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Common Vision

The Environmental Paper Networks in Europe and North America (> 100 NGOs) have a shared Vision for Transforming the Pulp and Paper

Industry

• Reduce consumption• Reduce reliance on virgin forest fibre• Ensure social responsibility• Source fibre responsibly• Ensure clean production

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We want to protect this…

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from becoming this…

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…and minimise this.

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Main impacts of paper-making

Climate Change

Forest Destruction

Energy Use

Waste

Water Use

Pollution

Plantations

Illegal Logging

Human Rights Abuses

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The shrink project (2012-13)

60 UK organisations being assessed and urged to take action on paper efficiency, 10 each of

• Supermarkets• Catalogue retailers• Financial firms• Utilities (gas, phone etc)• Governmental bodies• Universities

The scorecard will be published in July 2013

New website, more paper saving case studies

Motivational seminars and PEP talks:

• Paper Utility, Paper vs Digital and Packaging • Paper Vapour (paper and climate change), 9 July, London

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Packaging – some starting points

Let’s make one thing clear from the start – the Shrink project is not advocating that companies should shift from paper to plastics or other materials, unless by doing so they can prove they have reduced their ecological footprint.

Packaging has many functions:

• it keeps good safe from breakages and contamination,

• it enables them to be more easily transported,

• it attracts customers to them

• it conveys information.

Smart design maintains these functions while maximising efficiency.

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Packaging – a big opportunity for paper efficiency

Almost half of Europe’s paper consumption is packaging.

Global annual sector CO2e emissions from paper are 2500 MTonnes - 8% of global emissions (from Climate for Ideas).

Reducing packaging could produce really substantial carbon emission reductions, helping to deliver the UK target of cuts of 34% by 2020.

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Case study 1: Patagonia

Used to pack their thermal baselayers (long johns and vests) in cellophane and paper packets.

They shifted to ‘sushi rolls’ with just a cardboard sash. They saved tonnes of waste and sales rocketed because customers could feel what they were buying.

The original packaging was getting between the customer and the product.

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Case study 2: Hewlett Packard

They redesigned printer transportation packaging, replacing cardboard boxes with heavy internal buffering by re-usable shelving units wrapped in thin see-through plastic.

Packaging volume was reduced by > 90%.

Breakages in transit reduced by 5%, because people handling them could see that what is inside is fragile.

By taking away the package, you can reduce damage to the contents.

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Case study 3: Duchy Originals

They redesigned their chocolate boxes, to reduce the weight of the packaging by 48%. This efficiency produced a sleeker, higher quality appearance product.

They saved 8.9 tonnes of packaging, saving 231 trees, 890,000 litres of water, 58 tonnes of carbon emissions and 10.7 tonnes of other air, water and solid pollution.

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Thanks for listening and for caring about your impact on the environment!

More information on packaging here:http://shrinkpaper.org/packaging/

The environmental paper calculator is here: http://c.environmentalpaper.org/home

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have.