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Evaluation of sustainable packaging in the norwegian shopping basket 2001–2007
Author(s) -
Møller Hanne,
Rubach Synnøve,
Hanssen Ole Jørgen
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
packaging technology and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.365
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1099-1522
pISSN - 0894-3214
DOI - 10.1002/pts.885
Subject(s) - european union , sustainability , directive , business , standardization , product (mathematics) , resource (disambiguation) , market share , resource efficiency , packaging and labeling , index (typography) , environmental economics , marketing , computer science , mathematics , economics , ecology , computer network , geometry , world wide web , biology , programming language , operating system , economic policy
The main purpose of the Norwegian Shopping Basket Survey (referred to here as the Survey) is to document development in packaging optimization and generation of packaging waste in the Norwegian packaging sector over time. As the environmental and resource efficiency of packaging systems depends to a large extent on the prevention of product loss, material intensity of the packaging and closing of the material loops, these factors are important elements in the characterization of sustainability of packaging systems. In this project we calculate indicators for material intensity and material recycling, based on the European Union (EU) directive on packaging and packaging waste (EC 64/92) and the corresponding European Committee for Standardization (CEN)‐standards EN 13427‐13432. The survey consists of 22 product categories that have a significant economic contribution to the retail sector. In each product category the three products with the highest turnover (market leaders) and the three products with the most rapid increase in turnover each year (market winners) are chosen. The survey result shows that the weighted packaging material intensity for the market leaders has been reduced but that the net material intensity has been rather constant. Data for the market winners indicate a much larger variation throughout the period, which is expected because many of the products change from year to year. The numbers of packaging changes are counted. Market changes are found to be the most important factor affecting the differences in material intensity. Changes in the packaging system of the individual products are less important. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.