Summary and conclusions, Miljøstyrelsen

Brancheindsats inden for emballageindustrien, forprojektrapport

Summary and conclusions

The feasibility study on a possible industry-wide campaign by the packaging industry was carried out using the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) methodology, which involved a systematic analysis of stakeholders, problems, aims, objectives and alternative strategies. As a result, a project catalogue was issued, and the projects themselves were evaluated for relevance to the business community and the environment. The result was an action plan containing suggestions for three key projects in relation to the objectives set: to reduce packaging waste by optimising packaging within the individual packaging materials.

The project team (EiB, RAMBØLL and LOGISYS Ltd.) started out by producing an analysis of the stakeholders in the life cycle of packaging materials and of the authorities, organisations and collaborative partners. 21 stakeholders were identified, among them 11 stakeholders or groups of interested parties identified as central players. They include:

Packaging manufacturers

Packaging users

Retailers (wholesalers)

Consumers

Recyclers

Materials recycling plants

Refuse collection services

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries/The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration

The Danish Working Environment Service

Centre for Packaging and Transportation

Afterwards, in the spring of 2001, a series of workshops were held at two meetings for each of the two areas targeted for action:

Preventing packaging waste by optimising packaging within the individual packaging materials

Evaluating barriers and examining the options – including the advantages and the disadvantages – of establishing refill systems and reuse systems for packaging materials in companies and within transportation and trade

Attending these workshops were the project team and representatives from the packaging manufacturers, users of packaging materials, retailers, the restaurant and catering industry, the Centre for Packaging and Transportation at the Danish Technological Institute, and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.

The findings of the workshops included an examination of the problems, aims and objectives, and alternative solution strategies and concluded with a number of draft key project proposals which the consultants issued in the form of a project catalogue. These project proposals were subsequently prioritised and have resulted in the following three project proposals that are included in the action plan:

Remodelling the CEN prevention standard into a practical tool

Developing simple methods to optimise within the product chain

Preparing inspirational materials based on successes

All three projects address the optimisation of packaging throughout the entire product chain and thus follow the life cycle of the packaging. The primary direct effect would be an optimised utilisation of materials, whose environmental effect would be:

Reduced materials consumption in the manufacture of packaging materials

Savings in energy consumption at several stages of the life cycle of the packaging

Reduced waste volumes

Optimising packaging would mean that the packaging would continue to fulfil its function, and thereby not generating any product waste.

As things are, it was impossible to sketch out the proposals for new projects, including the budgets, so further details are necessary before the action plan can be implemented.