Positive Packaging The Prevent & Save Newsletter: Spring 2010
Unpeeling the Apple
In This Issue
This edition explores the use of packaging on fresh produce
Packaging Optimisation At Green Isle
Current News
Prevent and Save Website
2 Repak would be delighted to hear of new packaging ideas that reduce waste and saves cost. We are also keen to promote examples of good packaging systems through this newsletter and through other media. Printed copy or e-mail version? Repak would love to hear your views on how we should publish this newsletter in future. If you have topics or issues you wish to share with Repak and the wider community please send them to:
Welcome to Positive Packaging I am delighted to present the Spring 2010 edition of Positive Packaging, which once again brings you news, information, current events and best practice examples of how Irish and international businesses are adopting innovative solutions to the prevention and reduction of packaging  
Positive Packaging Repak Limited, Red Cow Interchange Estate, 1, Ballymount Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. Telephone: 01 467 0190 Email: info@repak.ie Positive Packaging is produced and compiled by: Colm Munnelly, John Coleman and Niamh MacKenzie; Membership Services Department of Repak Ltd. Design: Baseline CS Printed on Freelife Symbol
In this edition, the focus is on the use of packaging on fresh produce. Once again, the concept of packaging optimisation is highlighted, and again raises the dilemma of how to reduce the amount of packaging used while preserving the integrity of the product. There are significant trade-offs, for example, between the avoidance of food waste and the amount of packaging used. Resource efficiency then becomes the key metric, with an emphasis on carbon reduction and the wider environmental impact. The focus for producers and retailers now is to produce smart packaging – minimising the content while enhancing the value of the product. Many of the other articles and news pieces in this edition show how this can be done on a case by case basis. We are grateful to our many members who have provided the best practice examples and content for this newsletter. Thanks also to our colleagues from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government for their support for this valuable service. Dr Andrew Hetherington Chief Executive, Repak
CurrentNews
The Packaging Optimisation Newsletter: Spring 2010
Packaging Site Surveys in 2010 As part of the many services offered to Repak Members we are now inviting companies to register their interest in having a packaging site survey carried out by one of our Packaging Technologists. These surveys are a useful aid in reducing the amount of packaging placed onto the Irish market. The surveys take approximately 2 hours to complete and then a report is compiled within two weeks containing all the observations from the survey for future reference. This report contains examples of on-site best practice, recommendations for ways to further optimise the remainder of packaging and other helpful external assistance links. If your company would like more information on this service please contact: Colm Munnelly - colm.munnelly@repak.ie John Coleman - john.coleman@repak.ie or telephone 014619237
Green Isle win Repak ‘Best Prevention Initiative 2009’ Award. Congratulations to Green Isle Foods Ltd. who won the ‘Best Prevention Initiative 2009’ award at the annual Repak Awards held in Croke Park last October. The company whose brands include Goodfellas, San Marco and La Bottega pizzas; Donegal Catch fish and Green Isle branded chips, waffles and vegetables was established in 1982 and has production plants in Naas, Portumna, Gurteen and Longford.
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of wood, plastic and carton board especially. This also led to a standardised packs for UK and Ire-
land thereby improving logistics planning and stock rotation. The initiative was so successful it also helped to increase the product’s quality levels. Packaging Optimisation Forum, November 2009. As part of the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), the announcement that over 4395 tonnes of packaging was prevented through Repak’s packaging optimisation scheme was made at the Packaging Optimisation Forum in Dublin. The forum also revealed that 17 of the 40 participating companies also achieved financial savings totalling in excess of €9 million through better management of their packaging systems. Colm Munnelly, Packaging Technologist, Repak commented: “These packaging prevention measures are great news for industry, the environment and consumers. Irish companies are making significant financial savings, less packaging is generated and placed on the market and consumers are receiving less packaging on their products. Together with our partners we have developed methodologies and tools to help companies analyse their packaging consumption and, with some re-engineering, minimise packaging appearing in the first place.
We are calling on all industries to participate - not just for the environment, but for the clear financial Throughout 2008 Green Isle introduced many savings.” packaging initiatives, which resulted in over 850 tonnes of packaging being removed from the market. These changes resulted in significant savings Pictured receiving the Repak “Best Prevention Initiative 2009” Award are: (from left) Andy Fanning (EPA), Ian Leslie (Green Isle Foods Ltd.), Minister John Gormley T.D. (Minister for Environment, Heritage & Local Government), Adrian Masterson, (Green Isle Foods Ltd.) and Dr. Andrew Hetherington, (CEO, Repak).
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Overpackaged? The Packaging Optimisation Newsletter: Spring 2010
Why are fruit & vegetables packaged? Why have packaging? Fruit & vegetables often have to travel many miles before their point of sale. Along the way they are susceptible to various ways in which they can be damaged or spoiled. These include pests, transport damage, temperature variation and moisture. Packaging helps protect against these types of threats and ensures the product reaches the public in a fit state. The life of a product can also be prolonged when stored in a consumer’s home. For instance, fruit or vegetables that contain a high level of moisture can dry out quickly when stored loose in the home. However, when the product is packaged it can more easily retain its moisture, thereby extending it’s life.
Food waste and packaging waste While it is important to minimise the amount of packaging on fruit and vegetables as much as possible, we cannot lose sight of the many positive effects that packaging can contribute to food. A recent report by the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) concluded that one third of all food purchased was thrown away. While there are many reasons for this, better packaging can contain, protect against bruising, prolong shelf life and avoid contamination, all of which prevent food waste. It is worth considering the best use of all resources before removing packaging as it can result in a greater amount of food waste. Packaging in Perspective The Advisory Committee on Packaging in the UK produced an excellent report in 2008 called ‘Packaging in Perspective’. The report provides facts about packaging recovery and recycling and provides the public with outline of what businesses are doing to: - - -
Design more efficient packaging Minimise environmental impact, and Increase the amount of used packaging that is recovered and recycled.
A full copy of the report can be downloaded from: http://www.incpen.org/pages/data/PackaginginPerspective.pdf The examples shown here are from the report and highlight the positive effects that packaging has on some shopping trolley contents
Prepared salads Prepared salads typically contain three or four varieties of washed, cut, ready-to-eat salad leaves in a bag specially designed to contain a modified atmosphere which keeps the leaves fresh and extends their shelf life. Without the bag and its modified atmosphere the edges and stalks would quickly go brown. If consumers bought individual lettuces to create the same mixture at home, eleven times the amount of salad would be produced at four times the cost and there would be five to ten times more waste. Modified atmosphere bags make a significant contribution to reducing food waste.
Overpackaged? The Packaging Optimisation Newsletter: Spring 2010
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Potatoes
Bananas
If potatoes are sold loose, on average 3% are wasted in store because of deterioration on exposure to light – they go green, and put out shoots. New potatoes are particularly prone because they have thin skins. Green potatoes contain glycoalkaloids which may cause food poisoning and which are not destroyed by cooking. If they are packed in a modified atmosphere plastic bag, their shelf life in store is extended by 3 days. A survey carried out with a large grower and major supermarket showed that in-store wastage reduced from 3% for potatoes sold loose to under 1% after modified atmosphere bags were introduced. Wastage of potatoes at home is generally due to
Bananas have their own natural packaging: their skins. However, large amounts of bananas overripen and are thrown away. WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), reports that British consumers throw away 1.6 million bananas a day. Wrapping in a modified atmosphere bag greatly reduces waste because the bag: 1. Absorbs the ripening substance, ethylene, that bananas give off, extending shelf life by 2-3 days so fewer fruits become waste. 2. Prevents the ethylene affecting other nearby fruit and vegetables, stopping them ripening too quickly and going to waste.
greening and sprouting, which is why they should be kept in the dark. WRAP estimates that 5.1 million potatoes are thrown away in the UK each day. As early new potatoes are typically expensive, and air freighted, there are cost and climate change benefits too (fewer replacement deliveries are needed if there is less waste).
3. Prevents shoppers breaking bunches up, which bruises the fruit and which leaves odd bananas that are unsold and get wasted.
Grapes Traditionally grapes were sold in loose bunches in an open tray from which the consumer selected and paid by weight at the checkout. Some of the grapes inevitably fell off and would be discarded by the shop. Any that fell on the floor were potentially hazardous if slipped on. Grapes are now sold either in bags or sealed trays so that the loose ones stay with the bunch and are sold and there’s no danger of slipping. This has reduced waste in store typically by over 20%.
Cucumber A cucumber is 96% water which it begins to lose as soon as it is picked. After 3 days, it has lost so much water that it becomes dull, limp and unsaleable. Wrapping it in just 1.5 grams of plastic film extends its shelf life to 14 days and it lasts longer at home.
Conclusions So, despite some public perceptions to the contrary, packaging on fruit and vegetables plays a vital role. Modified atmospheres, barrier layers, containment and moisture retention all help to reduce food waste and lead to a more sustainable use of resources overall.
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Case Study The Packaging Optimisation Newsletter: Spring 2010
Relaunch of www.preventandsave.ie website The www.preventandsave.ie website has been relaunched to better serve our members in the area of packaging optimisation and minimisation. The website was officially relaunched at the Packaging Optimisation Forum in Dublin last November Some of the features of the revamped website include: Self-Audit Tool The self-audit tool was designed to help member companies ensure their compliance with the various aspects of packaging legislation as outlined in the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2007. The tool takes the user through the legislation in a step-by-step process answering various questions limited to applicable sections of the regulations only. The first stage of the process highlights company processes related to packaging in general. Information specific to the packaging components is recorded in the next section and this, allied with trial information and other internal data, will help form a sturdy defence should any questions arise surrounding your company’s packaging. This feature is free to Repak Members.
Best Practice A depository for all Repak produced brochures relating to Member companies’ examples of packaging best practice. To date there are three such publications all available for download from the website. As future versions are published they will be available here also. It is intended that member companies will learn new ideas from these case studies helping them to further reduce their own packaging.
Positive Packaging All editions of Repak’s ‘Positive Packaging’ newsletter will be available here for download. The initial editions will be printed as hard copy and availOptimisation Toolkit able on download, but it’s intended to move to This toolkit which was published in October 2009, a download-only option once the newsletter has has proven to be a valuable aid for many smaller been sufficiently established amongst the packagcompanies who may not have the required exper- ing community. tise available to devote exclusively to their packaging. Instead, the toolkit has enabled them to Events design waste out of their packaging and has edu- Keep up to date with information about all the Upcated them in new ways of reducing packaging coming Events happening in the packaging world. and thereby saving on costs. Again, like the Self- In case you missed anything you can find details in Audit tool, this feature is free to Repak Members. the Past Events section. Discussion Forum A recent addition to the Website is that of the Member’s Discussion Forum. This is a platform to correspond with fellow packaging professionals regarding any related issues. It is an immediate means of exchanging shared learnings and methods of reducing packaging. Indeed, it’s also used for more general packaging ideas and a popular resource for gathering more information about latest trends & ideas in packaging.
Breaking News A regular update on packaging technology and initiatives will be available here so that all the important information is at the click of a button rather than having to trawl the internet. If your company has information they would like to add then please contact our team (Contact details are available on the back cover). So, why not check-out the site today and if you have any feedback please let us know.
Packaging Optimisation The Packaging Optimisation Newsletter: Spring 2010
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Best Practice at Green Isle Foods Green Isle Foods is part of Northern Foods plc, a large UK food manufacturer, and has grown to become Ireland’s leading manufacturer of frozen food products. Green Isle have manufacturing sites in Naas, Gurteen, Portumna and Longford. Through the years Green Isle have removed all corrugated board from their Goodfella’s frozen pizzas finished goods packaging, demonstrating a highly optimised packaging environment within Green Isle Foods. The finished carton height was reduced from 46mm to 44mm while the board grade used was also reduced by 29% (Old Board weight of 63.5g (350gsm) reduced to 45.4g (245gsm)). This was made possible by the baling of their pizza products in groups of eleven using stretchwrap. The amount of stretchwrap itself has been reduced by 50% per pizza.
Double Stacked Pallet loads
This new layout resulted in upto an extra 60 pizzas per pallet. This change has also led to a more efficient pallet stacking pattern which allows more product per container load, while at the same time increasing the strength of the cartons, thereby raising quality standards.
Maximising usable heights by doublestacking pallet loads has removed 26 wooden pallets per container load. This initiative has also helped to remove approx 850 Tonnes of material per annum from being placed onto the market and has resulted in 4.5% less containers on the road. For more information contact: Adrian Masterson, Environmental Manager, Green Isle Foods.
Old Pack Format
New Pack Format
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Contacts
Repak’s Packaging Technology Service
Prevent & Save Website
Repak now provide services to their members to help them improve their packaging. These can range from Packaging Optimisation Surveys, where a Packaging Technologist will visit the company and produce a report detailing where packaging can be optimised and savings can be made, to the provision of case-studies, reports and tools through our prevention website www.preventandsave.ie, or just a simple phone call, where advice and direction can be given in relation to packaging design, choices of packaging materials or how current and future packaging legislation can affect you.
Repak now have a website dedicated to packagaging optimisation and packaging waste prevention. On it you can find breaking news related to packaging, case studies and toolkits, previous editions of this newsletter and guidance on packaging waste regulation through the ‘Self-Audit’ tool.
To avail of any of these services please contact our Packaging Technologists Colm or John at:
Keep browsing www.preventandsave.ie for further details
Colm Munnelly Telephone: 01 461 9237 Email: colm.munnelly@repak.ie John Coleman Telephone: 01 461 9229 Email: john.coleman@repak.ie For enquiries or submissions to Positive Packaging please contact our editor Niamh at: Niamh MacKenzie Telephone: 01 461 9217 Email: niamh.mackenzie@repak.ie
Repak Limited Red Cow Interchange Estate 1 Ballymount Road Clondalkin Dublin 22 Tel: 00 353 1 467 0190 Fax: 00 353 1 467 0197
www.preventandsave.ie