Over Packaged

Food, electronic goods, furniture, plants, cosmetics…everything is packaged, double packaged and even in some cases triple packaged! Associated energy consumption during the production and disposal of packaging can contribute considerably to carbon emissions and increase any carbon footprint.

Companies and organisations have been given greater responsibility for the total environmental impact of their products and services including how they are packaged. These companies or organisations handling packaging are obliged to pay a proportion of the associated cost for recovery and recycling of their packaging [1]. As well as complying with regulation, those choosing to reduce and improve the quality (i.e. ability to be reused) of their packaging can benefit from reduced material usage, costs and energy consumption [2].

Packaging Regulations

Producers of packaging are regulated by:

The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2005 [3]
The Packaging (Essential Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 [4]

Who is responsible?

Under the packaging regulations those companies or organisations handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging per annum or with a turnover greater than £2 million are obliged to take responsibility for the final disposal of their packaging. Those ‘handling’ packaging include: raw material manufacturers, converters, packers/fillers, sellers and importers of packaging [5].

Responsibility also lies with consumers. When purchasing a product or service the consumer must be aware of the quantity of packaging and the correct method for disposal.

Packaging Obligations

Those who fall under the Packaging regulations are obliged to meet a proportion of the associated cost for recovery and recycling of their packaging [1]. Relinquishing this obligation can be achieved in a variety of ways:

Joining a packaging compliance scheme. The Environment Agency provides a comprehensive list of schemes [6].
Individual route.
Allocation method based on annual turnover.

As well as disposal obligations, the weight and volume of the packaging used must be minimal, and heavy metal content is also restricted [7].

It should be noted that non compliance is a criminal offence [8].

Packaging design for the environment

The best approach to packaging is a proactive approach. Incorporating end-of-life considerations (e.g. recycling and reuse) into the design and production of packaging can minimise energy consumption, materials and additional costs. For the most effective proactive approach the following should be considered during design and production of packaging: Reusability, Biodegradability, Recyclability, Sustainability and Reduction of Materials [7].

An example of packaging minimisation

Tesco were recently awarded the Green Retailer of the year for improvements to their alcoholic drinks packaging. By reducing the weight of wine bottles by 30%, 560 tonnes of glass are saved annually. Other packaging reductions have been implemented within the store by increasing the concentrations of products (e.g. squash) and removing secondary packaging where unnecessary [9] [10].

Why not take a look at our store for products that are all accredited to the highest environmental standards?

[1] www.valpak.co.uk (2010)

[2] www.businesslink.gov.uk(2010)

[3] http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20053468.htm (2005).

[4] http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20091504_en_1 (2009).

[5] www.netregs.gov.uk(2010)

[6] npwd.environment-agency.gov.uk (2010)

[7] www.businesslink.gov.uk (2010)

[8] www.berr.gov.uk (2006).

[9] www.energysavingtrust.org.uk (2010).

[10] www.tesco.com (2010)

Further information on relinquishing this responsibility and complying with packaging regulations can be found at the following: