A sustainable product is one which… “…meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs…”
World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) 1987
“Our Common Future“

Sustainability requires a system where Social, Economic and Environmental needs can be met on an on-going bases.

Social and Economic factors are generally met by a combination of legislation and Ethical Trading.

Within developed countries these factors are more readily met and so the main focus is on Environmental Sustainability.

It is not possible to have materials which can be re-used or re-generated ad-infinitum with no losses BUT:

• Sensible limits should be set for what can be achieved.
• These should be based on available technology and use of Best Practice.

To claim sustainability a product should satisfy BOTH the following two criteria

• At least 50% of the pack (by weight) should be renewable materials.
• The entire pack should be capable of being re-used or converted to a form where it can be re-used.

For future availability of materials renewability must be maximised:

• 100% renewable is practically impossible.
• But for anything to claim to "be" something, this must be true for the majority of the item.
• A minimum of 50% is therefore a reasonable, ethical requirement.
• This is already the accepted industry approach for recycled materials.

To avoid impact on the environment, land fill should be avoided.

• It should be as easy as possible for the end user to dispose of the pack via its sustainable route(s).
• Re-use, re-cycling or composting should be considered sustainable routes.
• Partially re-useable packs are potentially confusing and could lead to contaminated waste streams.

For a material to be considered renewable it should come from a source which:

• Is generated from other sources.
• Which can reasonably be expected to be replenished on an ongoing bases for the foreseeable future.

This includes both:

• "Natural" routes (from plants or bio-organisms)"
• Artificial" routes (From by products, waste etc)
• Such routes are generally considered "Cyclic": A -> B -> C -> A

Paper and Board is made from wood pulp which comes from trees or paper/board waste.

• Trees can be grown to replace the resource.
• Recycled material allows waste to be re-used and the process re-generates more re-usable waste.
• But this is not NECESSARILY sustainable!

Unless forests are managed, trees levels can drop, soil systems be eroded and diversity and eco-systems lost.

So it is important wood pulp comes from suitably managed forests.

There are many internationally recognised Forest Management Schemes.

Although the exact merits and weaknesses of each scheme will vary, ALL recognised schemes offer a level of sustainability which would otherwise be missing.

The four most widely adopted and recognised schemes worldwide (over 90% of certified forests) are:

• PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes)
• FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
• SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative)
• CSA (Canadian Standards Association)

Rapid Action Packaging does not judge Internationally Recognised Sustainable Forest Management schemes... ...We Support them.

In simple terms, recycled board is any board which contains a

"significant" amount of recycled content.

Pre-Consumer:

Board mills, Printers.

Post-Consumer:

Council and Private recycling schemes.

Recycled Board can carry the legally controlled Recycled Logo.

Defining a Recycled material is less obvious than might be thought:

• Most packaging materials contain some level of recycled material.
• Most packaging contains recyclable components.
• The law does not exactly define the % of recycled or recyclable material required.

Although the law does not fully define this:

• There are "Industry Standards".
• They are acknowledged within the trade.
• They are required by many major retailers.
• To be called "Recycled" a board should contain more than 50% recycled material.

Generally produced from mineral oils there are however alternatives (in order of renewability):

• Biodegradable Plastics, made from renewable materials.

• PLA (Corn Starch)
• Natureflex (Cellulose from Wood Fibre)

• Bio-plastics, containing natural resins.
• Recycled.

Coatings, Inks, Varnish & Adhesives present in all packaging and containing non-renewable components they should:

• Minimise quantity and solvents (UV, WB, Solid).
• Utilise renewable components where possible.
• Be non-toxic, environmentally safe and in full compliance with Packaging Waste Regulations.

So far we have considered the renewability of the materials used in the pack.

But to be sustainable the pack should maximise the alternatives to land fill.

• Re-use.
• Recyclable
• Biodegradable, Degradable, Compostable.

Re-use both reduces the burden on land fill and removes the need to make a second product from new resources.

• Re-use for the same purpose.

• Storage for refills.
• Wash balls.

• Reuse for a new purpose

• Children's toy.
• Storage for new items.

Recycling reduces burden on land fill and can yield a new product or more of the same product.

A single recycling route is preferred.

Consumer separation can be confusing and potentially contaminate waste streams.

Items which prevent recyclability should be avoided.

Can depend on facilities available eg. Laminates.

The conversion of organic materials to basic chemicals (Generally Gases) by microbes or other organisms.

Degradability:

The breaking down, under natural conditions, of an item into smaller pieces.

Compostability is a combined process:

Combination of Biodegrading and Degrading.

Uses an enhanced environment (composter) with increased temperature and controlled conditions.

Produces a new product: Compost.

Land Fill:

• Disposes of resources without gaining further value.
• Requires further resources to be used.
• Uses increasing space, time and energy for no return.

Compostable products:

• Opportunity to produce compost which has value.
• Compost reduces need for chemical fertilizers.
• Uses some space and time for a commercial product.

• Composting "closes the loop" for renewable sources.

Everything will eventually biodegrade, compost or degrade, given enough time and the right conditions.

Practically nothing will breakdown by any of these processes "100%" to leave "nothing"

So the following need to be defined:

• What do these terms mean?
• What amount of breakdown is expected?
• What time and conditions are required?

There are several standards but the European standard is the most well defined and known.

EN13432 - "Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation"

There are two ways to meet the standard:

• Use of 95% compostable/biodegradable materials.
• Testing of final pack to confirm 90% compostable/biodegradeable under controlled conditions.

Products can comply with EN13432 without specific testing, provided:

• 95% or more of the packs components can be proven to be Biodegradeable/Compostable.

• All components are non-toxic.
• Heavy metal levels are below the levels set by the packaging waste regulations.
• Other components have no known environmental hazard.

• The remaining 5% would typically be inks, varnishes and adhesives.

EN13432 is the

"benchmark" requirement but testing (and therefore certification) is carried out to various international standards, the most common being:

• ISEGA
• RAL
• Din Certo

A Pack cannot be considered compostable if:

• Less than 95% known compostable.
• KNOWN non-compostable components.

• Eg. Non-biodegradable plastic laminates.

• Harmful for the Environment.

• Toxic.
• Environmentally Harmful.
• Heavy Metals.

Boards can be considered Compostable if:

95% or more of the board is wood pulp.

The wood pulp is unbleached or bleached using a "Chlorine Free" method.

Less than 95% of the board is wood pulp but the finished board has passed Compost Testing.

Boards meeting the criteria are:

• Kraft (unbleached) Boards.
• SBS (Sulphate Bleached) Boards.
• "Chlorine Free" FBB Grades.
• Recycled Boards.
• Composite or Coated Boards (for Barrier Properties) with Certified Compostability.

Laminated Boards:

• Biodegradable laminates WITHOUT specific testing.

• PLA (Corn Starch).
• Natureflex (Cellulose from Wood Pulp).
• Degradable laminates could be potentially certified.

• Recycled, degradable, PE.
• Barrier Coated Boards:

• "Tecta" grades are only currently certified boards. "Tecta" Base, Oven and Vapour from Stromsdal Mill.
• Other Boards are being assessed but not yet available.

Need to be PROVEN to be Compostable.

Current Commercial, Food Grade, Plastics are:

• PLA (Poly Lactic Acid), manufactured from corn starch.
• Natureflex (Cellulose), manufactured from wood pulp.

Other materials (know but not technically/commercially suitable):

• PCL (Polycaprolactone).
• PGA (Polyglycolide).
• PHB (Poly Hydroxy Butyrate), made from sugar cane by bacteria.
• "Zein", from corn starch.
• "Plastarch", from corn starch plus other biodegradable components.

Plastics made from natural oils and resins.

Not well defined.

Includes Biodegradable Plastics (PLA etc) but much wider base.

May also contain non-natural components.

Biodegradable but may need testing.

Coatings, Inks, Varnish, Adhesives

Present in all packaging and generally not proven to be compostable they should:

• Comprise less than 5% of the pack.
• Not be KNOWN non-compostables.
• Be non-toxic, environmentally safe and in full compliance with Packaging Waste Regulations.