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Drivers for PIQET
Packaging design is the domain of packaging technologists who are responsible for developing packaging for new products or variations of existing products (line extensions). Packaging technologists work with: packaging suppliers to screen and develop new packaging formats; marketers to ensure the packaging portrays the right marketing message; logistics and supply chain managers to ensure it is robust and efficient within the distribution chains; and, product developers to ensure product preservation, shelf-life and function. They must also consider internal and external environmental policies and regulations.
Environmental analysis of packaging design has largely been neglected in business decision making. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a scientific and internationally recognised methodology that has been used for several decades to improve understanding of the enviornmental life cycle impacts of material production, selection, use and disposal. Most companies, however, have limited access to available information on the life cycle impacts of their packaging and no straightforward scientific way of strategically addressing packaging system sustainability.
In Australia there is an urgent need to develop an environmental assessment tool that signatories to the National Packaging Covenant (NPC) can use in their packaging development process. Existing tools are either; too advanced and prohibitive in terms of cost and turnaround time (especially for products in the fast moving consumer goods category), not packaging specific or are too simplistic. This need is now rapidly growing internationally.
To demonstrate that credible, rapid, life-cycle based assessments of packaging design are possible, SPA joined forces with sponsors Cadbury Schweppes, Lion Nathan, Nestle Australia, MasterFoods Australia and New Zealand, and Simplot Australia to develop PIQET. Financial support was also provided by Sustainability Victoria, and the Australian government through the Department of the Environment and Water Resources and, Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.
Development of PIQET
The PIQET project began in November 2004 with the aim of demonstrating, through direct application to sponsoring company case studies, that rapid and credible environmental assessment can be performed for food packaging systems within the Australian context.
A prototype tool was developed to confirm the algorithms, data requirements and road-test the functionality. Following successful development of the prototype, a web-based tool was commissioned and is now undergoing its final stages of validation.
The web-based tool will be more widely available through subscriptions in mid 2007 and a pipeline of future tool enhancements and improvements have been identified to expand its application.
Criteria for success
At the commencement of the project, a number of features were identified for a successful and useful tool some of which are summarised in Table 1. The project has met or exceeded these requirements in the first version of the web-based tool.
Table 1 Critical success factors for PIQET's development
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Criterion |
Features |
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On line access and use |
· Web based
· Security/protection of company information
· Ability to import archived files/data |
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Quick turn around |
· Up to 20 minutes per assessment
· Default data for non-available specific data |
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Easy to use |
· Limit information input by operator
· Menu driven
· Help function |
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Quick scan vs detailed evaluation |
· Ability to short cut and input specific data |
|
Environmental focus |
· Integrate with company environmental management strategy (menu choice list to select company objectives/indicators)
· Integrate with National Packaging Covenant key performance indicators (KPI’s), targets and reporting
· Demonstrates use of the Environmental Code of Practice for Packaging (ECoPP)
· Benchmarking ability on total packaging system and individual components |
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Scientific credentials |
· Life Cycle assessment based
· Case study validation against Life Cycle assessment studies |
For further information contact SPA on: +61(0) 3 9791 5888 | 
