Overview

Overview & Plastic Film Case Study

“to determine the best methods for improving the sustainability of the

packaging industry”

• What is the best method for benchmarking current packaging options?

• Taking into consideration the current state of packaging, what is needed to make it more sustainable?

• Once assessed, how can the social, environmental, and economic aspects of packaging be improved upon?

Although there are many benefits associated with packaging, there are also a number of important issues that could benefit from more analysis. In particular, we are interested in answering the following questions:

• The State of the Packaging World

• Our Progress• Moving Forward

Packaging protects products during transport and can increase their lifespan. This decreases disposal due to spoilage or damage.

Packaging provides information and increases appeal of items to consumer resulting in less stock going unsold.

Natural Resource Depletion Scarcity of raw materials, many of which are used

in the production of plastics, such as oil, natural gas, coal, and agriculture.

Climate Change Associated with the green house

gas intensity of product manufacturing

Waste Creation Issues of capacity for garbage disposal

Dangers to Human Health Concerns over the toxicity of

different source materials

Pollution With decreasing capacity for waste

disposal, trash ends up contaminating ecosystems, such as waterways.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Generation, with Recycling (2006)• 32% of the weight

& 50% of the volume of MSW is containers and packaging

• The amount of containers and packaging consumed equates to 300 pounds per American per year.

• 30% of all non-energy resources are consumed for packaging

• Complicated supply chains• Many stakeholders• Complex policy environment

Packaging Manufacturing

Product Manufacturing

Distribution ConsumerRaw Materials

Packaging Materials




Repair

Refurbish

Service

Recycling

Remanufacturing

Packaging Materials

Disassembly

Disposal

Inspection/Sorting

Unused Packaging

Used Packaging




Packaging Materials

Material Suppliers Converters Fillers Brand Owners Retailers Consumers

End-of-life handlersRecyclers

GovernmentsIndustry Associations

NGOs, Research

Bodies

= ban= levy

• A lack of information• Missing infrastructure• Insufficient incentives,

conflicting policies and standards

Primary challenges for government, industry and individuals center around:

• Sustainable Packaging• Industry Guidelines• Green Supply Chains• Supportive Regulatory Environment

• Survey of current sustainable packaging environment

– Conceptions of sustainability– Assessment techniques/methodologies– Existing metrics– Applicability to plastic film

Society

Environment Economics

Objectives

Metrics

Assessment Methodologies

Scorecards, Checklists & Criteria:

Used to check progress; Hard to

compare tradeoffs; Implicit assumptions

Regulations & Standards:

Top-down; Specific goal(s); Gives directions or

targets for industry

Analytical Methods:

Used to track improvements

based on chosen criteria

Design Guidelines: Simple; Oriented

around sustainability

objectives


Objectives

Metrics


Scorecards, Checklists & Criteria:

Used to check progress; Hard to

compare tradeoffs; Implicit assumptions

Regulations & Standards:

Top-down; Specific goal(s); Gives directions or

targets for industry

Analytical Methods:

Used to track improvements

based on chosen criteria

Design Guidelines: Simple; Oriented

around sustainability

objectives


• Ecological Footprints

• Life Cycle Analysis

• Green Supply Chain Management

Green Operations Green Design

Green Supply Chain Management

Life Cycle Analysis

Environmentally Conscious Design

Waste Management

Network Design & Reverse Logistics

Green Manufacturing & Remanufacturing

Pol

lutio

n Pr

even

tion

Dis

posa

l

Sour

ce R

educ

tion

Pre

-pro

cess

ing

Colle

cting

Loca

tion

& D

istr

ibuti

on

(Net

wor

k D

esig

n)

Insp

ectio

n/

Sorti

ng

Inve

ntor

y M

anag

emen

t

Redu

cing

Prod

uctio

n Pl

anni

ng &

Sc

hedu

ling

Recy

clin

g Remanufacturing

Product/ Material Recovery

Reuse

Repair/ Refurbish

Disassembly

Disassembly Levelling

Disassembly Process Planning

Source: Srivastava SK. Green supply chain management: a state-ofthe-art literature review. International Journal of ManagementReviews 2007;9(1):53–80.

Objectives

Metrics

Design Guidelines

Scorecards, Checklists & Criteria

Regulations & Standards

Analytical methods


Objectives

Metrics

Design Guidelines



Analytical methods


Environmental:•Material traits:

•Virgin, Renewable, Degradable, or Recycled content

•Packaging traits: •Quantity, Weight, Space utilization (Volume & Pallet use), Transport•Number of parts, Ease of separation

•Environmental impacts:• Resource Use: Land, Water, Energy, Fossil Fuels•Emissions and Pollution: GHG, Water, Air, Eutrophication•Toxicity and Risks

•End of life•Recycling and Reuse Possibilities and Rates•Energy Recovery Options•Clear Labeling for Customers •Waste creation, Litter

•Innovations

Environmental:•Material traits:

•Virgin, Renewable, Degradable, or Recycled content

•Packaging traits: •Quantity, Weight, Space utilization (Volume & Pallet use), Transport•Number of parts, Ease of separation

•Environmental impacts:• Resource Use: Land, Water, Energy, Fossil Fuels•Emissions and Pollution: GHG, Water, Air, Eutrophication•Toxicity and Risks

•End of life•Recycling and Reuse Possibilities and Rates•Energy Recovery Options•Clear Labeling for Customers •Waste creation, Litter

•Innovations

Objectives

Metrics

Design Guidelines



Analytical methods


Business Advantage:•Increased competitiveness: Market differentiation, Image/ Reputation, Quality, Price/Possible profits•Reduce risk: Regulation compliance

Business Advantage:•Increased competitiveness: Market differentiation, Image/ Reputation, Quality, Price/Possible profits•Reduce risk: Regulation compliance

Objectives

Metrics

Design Guidelines



Analytical methods


Social:•Impact on people/community•Social right•Equality•Education/Training

Social:•Impact on people/community•Social right•Equality•Education/Training

•Regulation compliance•Market differentiation•Image/ Reputation of material•Price/ Possible profits•Quality

•Recycled/ Raw material content• (Non)Renewable resource use•Fossil Fuel Consumption

• Reusable•Recyclable

•GHG Emissions•Type of material•Amount of material

•Clear labeling for customers•Portion variability, refill packs •Weight

•Transport•Volume•Land use•Water Use•Energy Use•Void space•Innovation•Litter

•Environmental impact•Risk of eco-accidents•Degradable material•Production Waste•Water pollution

•Social right•Impact on people/ community•Equality•Education/ Training

•Material Toxicity

•Raw Material

Consumption

•Energy recovery•Supplier

•Air pollution •Eutrophication

Society

Environment Economics

Strategic business advantage

Permanent waste creation

Natural resource consumption

Pollution (including GHG emissions across different lifecycle phases)

Oil Refinery

Extraction Raw Material Cracking Feedstock

Energy Sources•Natural Gas•Petroleum•Coal•Agriculture

Feedstock•Ethane•Propane•Benzene•Naphtha•Butene

Process

Material

Examples

Transportation

Polymerization Polymer

Chemical Plant Plastic Processor

Processing Aid Additives•Curing agents•Blowing agents•Heat stabilizers

•antimicrobials•Fillers•Plasticizers•Antioxidants•Coupling agents•Colorants•UV and other weathering stabilizers

•Polymeric impact modifiers•Anti-static agents•Flame retardants•Preservatives•Fragrances

•Lubricants•Viscosity aids

Plastic Film Packaging Manufacturing Processes•Extrusion

•Blown•Cast

•Extrusion coating •Co-extrusion•Calendaring

Compounding Plastic Fabrication Package

1

2 34

56

7

Regulation Compliance

Public Reputation

Non-Renewable Resource

Recycled Material Content

Reusability

Recyclability

Degradability

Regulation Compliance

Public Reputation

Non-Renewable Resource

Recycled Material Content

Reusability

Recyclability

Degradability

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Reduced Risk: Regulation compliance

• Improved Image & Reputation

Non Renewable resourcingDegradable material

Issues

Recycled material contentIncreased average reuse

RecyclableEnd of Life Options

Bio-plastics

PossibleSolutions Benefits

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

• Survey of the available sustainability metrics• Set of criteria to note the sustainability of packaging choices• Several immediate options for investigating the improvement of plastic

film:– Assess and improve the sustainability of supply chains– Explore analytical methodologies and metrics to guide and evaluate

production and manufacturing– Examine end-of-life impacts and options– Find regulatory tools to support stakeholders’ sustainability goals

• Potential Future Research:– Expand sustainability metrics – Draw lessons from other policies

• Indentify additional applications of our research to other work being done in the field

Documents

Overview