Calculating the Environmental Savings from Returnable Packaging Presented By: Chris Shepard
Calculating the Environmental Savings from Returnable Packaging Presented by: Chris Shepard
© 2018 MHI® Copyright claimed for audiovisual works and sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved. How Does Reusable Packaging Impact Environmental Sustainability? • Reusable packaging can improve the flow of product all along the supply chain to handle, store and move product in an environmentally sustainable way. • As companies drive sustainability and efficiency, they scrutinize their entire supply chain for opportunities to reduce their environmental impact, in terms of: – Solid waste – Energy usage – Greenhouse gas emissions • But, you need a way to quantify the data to justify new projects
Starts with a Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) • Analyze Your Application/Supply Chain – Product, trips, turns, etc. • Evaluate Packaging Options – Totes/boxes? Pallets? Bulk packaging? • Use the Data from Life-Cycle Analysis to Make Packaging Decisions – LCA takes into account the ENTIRE life cycle, from raw material extraction to make the product to its disposal or recycling at the end of its useful life.
Allows you to compare and evaluate single-use versus reusable packaging in a specific application
Why is Life-Cycle Assessment Important When Making Packaging Decisions? • Provides an unbiased comparison between single- use and reusable packaging.
• Enables businesses to receive fact-based, accurate environmental data that can be used to justify packaging programs
• Provides data that can be published in Corporate Social Responsibility Reports
• Provides data that is quantified using ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 process
• Presents consistent data that is easy to share with management and other internal stakeholders.
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What type of data needs to be captured?
• Easily accessible data, like: – Product information (shape, weight, etc.) – Trip distance, number of trips – Packaging information – Program information – End of life plan (recycling, etc.)
Getting Started: A Reusable Tote Example
REUSABLE REUSABLE PLASTIC PLASTIC SINGLE USE
CONTAINER CONTAINER CONTAINER/TRAY OR TRAY #1 OR TRAY #2
Application Information 1 Quantity of parts/product shipped per year 12000 2 Weight of parts/product per container 8.0 8.0 3 Quantity of parts/product per container 12 20 4 Container dimensions (L x W x H) 12 X 15 X 7 New Container Manufacturing, Packaging and Shipping Information 5 Container/tray weight. For plastic, please specify polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP). 2.20 0.69 6 Lid weight. For plastic, please specify polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP). 7 For black containers, should the container include recycled content? YES / NO 8 For all other containers, should the container include recycled content? YES / NO 9 Total number of containers per full shipment load (Please see ORBIS catalog for truckload quantities.) 3744 3744 10 Number of pallets of new containers shipped to user 26 26 11 Additional packaging used for shipping new containers Shrink wrap (lbs per pallet load) 1.0 1.0 Corrugated slip sheets (lbs per load) Masonite panel (lbs per load) Weight of one shipping pallet used (Default weight for wood pallet is 43.0 lbs) 43.0 12 Distance from ORBIS plant to user, in miles, by TRUCK 1000 50 OR Distance from ORBIS plant to user, in miles, by RAIL Container Usage Information
(For outgoing shipments, please enter trips per container per year. For a 13 Trips per container/tray per year 24 1 captive use applications, please enter 1.) 14 Expected life of plastic container/tray (in years) 10 1 15 % of plastic containers replaced annually due to theft/damage .04% 0% 16 Number of uses between washings (if applicable) 17 Number of filled containers/trays per pallet (Please leave blank for captive use application) 60 36 18 Number of pallets/outgoing shipments 52 52 19 Weight of product per filled container (Used to calculate fuel consumption.) 8 8 20 Additional packaging used when shipping containers Shrink wrap (lbs per pallet load) 0 2.0 Corrugated slip sheets (lbs per load) Masonite panel (lbs per load) Weight of one shipping pallet used (Default weight for wood pallet is 43.0 lbs) 62.0 45.0 21 Shipping distance, in miles, by TRUCK 500 500 OR Shipping distance, in miles, by RAIL 22 # of empty containers backhauled EACH time a shipment of filled containers is delivered. 3120 0 OR # of empty containers per load for PERIODIC backhaul of accumulated empties. End-of-Life Plan 23 % of packaging that is recycled 95% 24 % of plastic film that is recycled 95%
Calculated Results
Meaningful Equivalencies
Energy Equivalencies
How to be Successful – The accuracy of the analysis is dependent on the quality of the inputs
– Decision to convert to reusable packaging should consider all aspects (environmental impact, economic justification, system efficiency, etc.)
– Collaborate with other stakeholders to see how it affects their metrics (Logistics, materials managers, etc.)
– Be open to results
– Leverage the data to make supply chain changes (Pack more parts per box, make fewer trips, etc.)
Data Sources
– Calculators are proprietary.
– Data supplied by 3rd party research agency, Franklin and Associates.
– Models/calculators have been enhanced to meet the needs of the current marketplace.
– Generally, to calculate process and transportation energy, they used data from the United States Life Cycle Inventory database on the production of plastic resins, lumber, and fuels and electricity. For corrugated materials, they used their own proprietary life cycle model based on paperboard industry statistics. For most other calculations, they use their unique U.S. databases of both life cycle assessment and solid waste management information.
– This agency has nearly 35+ years of life cycle analysis and research experience and their life cycle studies are conducted following ISO standards 14040 and 14044.
For More Information:
Speaker email: [email protected] Website: www.orbiscorporation.com
Or visit MODEX Booth 3735