Issue 1 Spring 2013

Repak Update

Prevent & Save

Repak Update

Welcome to the new Repak Update.

Throughout the year, this short magazine will give Repak members and stakeholders the inside track on new developments in packaging, courses & seminars which may be of interest and information on upcoming Repak events.

The information is provided in digest form, with links to the full stories online. This means that if a story is of particular interest, simply click the link provided in this document and be taken to the source, where you can read the article in full or obtain further details where required.

If there are any issues or topics that you would like to see raised in future editions, or if you wish to supply any content, please contact the Repak Membership Services Department at the email address below.

Prevent & Save

Repak Ltd.Red Cow Interchange Estate1 Ballymount Rd.ClondalkinDublin 22

Tel: 01 - 467 0190membershipservices@repak.iewww.repak.iewww.preventandsave.iewww.recyclemore.ie

Speaking after WRAP’s annual conference, Wrap chief executive Liz Goodwin stated that packaging is playing an important role in the resource efficiency loop. “For example, packaging...[helps] to make sure that food gets to the householder in a state that means there is no food waste”

Realising the full value of materials through resource management could drive sustainable growth, with a recent McKinsey report showing 30% of global demand for resources in 2030 could be met through improved management. Resulting global economic benefits could be as high as $3.7 trillion a year.

Marks & Spencer head of sustainable business Mike Barry told the audience that all businesses have to change and focus.

“We have simplified. We have made sure that we are not using complicated laminates and we are using materials that can be easily recycled. We have started to create a closed loop around our packaging. We have reduced carrier bag usage in our food halls by 78% by charging 5p for them.”

For more information on Marks & Spencers Plan A initiative, you can follow this link.

While we await the report of the PRI consultants on proposals for a packaging tax in Ireland, a London councillor’s idea for a further packaging levy has been slammed by the packaging industry.

Clyde Loakes, a Labour councillor, floated the idea earlier this month.

Loakes believes that a packaging levy could help raise income for waste services. He said that the government needed to “get a grip on packaging” stating that “multinational companies are burdening local authorities with excess costs from excess packaging”.

Last year, the Environmental Services Association also proposed an idea for a packaging levy to operate alongside the PRN system in its ‘Beyond landfill’ report.Story in Full

wrap emphasise importance of packaging efficiency

calls for Uk packaging tax

Repak MeMbeRship news

Coffee specialist Bewley’s has turned to Seda UK to provide paper cups for its Beeco programme.Carol Geary, marketing manager at Bewley’s said: “There has been growing interest among coffee operators for greener solutions that help to decrease the waste and energy costs associated with doing business. Our Beeco programme was developed to tap into this trend.

The new cups are compostable and coated in bio-based material. They are available in 12oz double wall insulated format and feature the Beeco design and logo.Read the full story on preventandsave.ie

the Bewleys Beeco programme

Repak will shortly be able to provide member companies with information on the CO2 equivalent savings resulting from their recycling and recovery operations. The information will be calculated from a combination of the statistical returns provided by member companies and a database that is being constructed by 25 packaging compliance schemes across Europe in line with LCA methodology.

In 2012 a number of European packaging recovery initiatives (PRIs) came together to quantify the benefit resulting from the recycling and recovery activities that their members were carrying out. Repak became involved in the project as the Irish representative of the European Scheme PRO Europe.

The result was to create a calculation tool enabling compliance schemes to calculate reductions in CO2 equivalent emissions resulting from recycling and recovery compared to the production of virgin material.

The calculated emissions can also be used to provide individual member companies with their contribution to the environmental benefits from recycling and/or recovery of the packaging they put on the market. The methodology used in the tool to calculate the reduction of CO2 equivalent emissions is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, in accordance with standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.

The database and background specification for the tool are being prepared at the moment and it is hoped that trials will begin on the tool in April. Once testing is completed, the tool will be issued to each of the European compliance schemes. The schemes will then be able to input their annual tonnage data and investigate the effect on CO2 emissions. Further details on the progress of the project will be provided as they arise.

The Coca-Cola Company has announced that it has distributed more than 10 billion recyclable PlantBottle packages across the globe.

The fully recyclable PlantBottle packages were distributed across 24 countries, eliminating the need for the equivalent of more than 200,000 barrels of oil since its debut in 2009.

Coca-Cola Company chairman and chief executive Muhtar Kent said that the firm had teamed up with major companies like Ford Motor, HJ Heinz, Nike, and Procter & Gamble (P&G) to boost the development of 100% plant-based PET materials in their products.

To support the partnership, JBF Industries will build the world’s largest facility to produce bioglycol – the key ingredient used to make PlantBottle packaging.

The firm also took the opportunity to state that there would be a delay in launching its packaging management system.

Two years ago, the firm announced a planned implementation of a new package management system that would have allowed it to better track packaging over its lifespan, enabling it to improve efficiency and better share successful packaging designs among multiple markets and multiple bottlers.

However, the firm said it delayed its launch because of “our main obstacle is data collection”. It added: “Gathering information from our bottling partners around the world is taking more time than we expected”.

The full story is available here

co2 reporting By pro eUrope memBer organisations

coca-cola worldwide plantBottle campaign

Repak MeMbeRship news

Andrew Smith of Tetra Pak predicts what lies ahead for the packaging industry this year:

• optimising shelf space is high on retailers’ agendas, both to maximise sales and allow room for new product development as non-food migrates online.

• Retailers are looking for packs that provide great functionality while being as space-efficient as possible to maximise shelf efficiencies.

• We should expect to see this drive influencing packaging design and selection this year - success will be measured in shelf inches rather than square feet.

packaging trends

The Irish Centre of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, in association with the Irish Packaging

Society, will be holding a seminar on February 28th 2013 at the offices of Ballymun Regeneration Limited, Civic Plaza, Ballymun, Dublin 9, followed by lunch in the nearby Metzo restaurant (all for €35).

The seminar will focus upon the highly topical issues of waste prevention, resource efficiency and clean technologies and will have speakers from the Electronics Industry, Ballymun Rediscovery Centre, ESB ecars and rx3, amongst others.

The seminar is focused at businesses, local authorities & educational establishments. If you would like to attend please follow this link.

ciwm / irish packaging society seminar

packaging developMents

Completing the Repak statistical return form for the first time can be a daunting experience. For this reason, Repak provides comprehensive training for all members required to complete the form.

These training days are run by the Repak Membership Services and Statistical Returns departments. During the training morning, you will meet your Repak account manager and have the opportunity to go through your form on an individual basis with a member of the statistics department.

Whether you are new to the form, or would like to avail of a free refresher course, please call your account manager Fiona to set up a training morning. For a full list of training dates click here.

repak statistical training

Repak Ltd.Red Cow Interchange Estate1 Ballymount Rd.ClondalkinDublin 22

www.repak.iewww.preventandsave.iewww.recyclemore.ie

membershipservices@repak.ie01 4670190