Packaging evaluation

Packaging evaluation metrics

PIQET includes a full set of LCA, packaging and Material and Circular Economy indicators to help you comprehensively evaluate different packaging formats.

Environmental indicators used in PIQET are chosen from the Product Environmental Footprint guidance which has been developed by the European Union. This has been used as it represents a comprehensive set of environmental impact categories but is still based on relatively mature science. It also enables users of PIQET to develop reports that are relevant for use in the European Union’s Product Environmental Footprint program.

Packaging evaluation

PIQET brings together a wide variety of sustainability impact categories to help you evaluate your packaging portfolio.

 
 

Understanding Impact Categories

 
  • Packaging evaluation tool

    Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) indicators

    + Carbon footprints
    + Water footprints
    + Product environmental footprint from the European Union
    + Marine and terrestrial litter

  • PIQET Packaging indicators

    + Global Packaging Protocol indicators
    + Packaging Level Metrics

  • Packaging evaluation metrics

    Material circularity index indicators

    + Renewable content
    + Material Circularity Index

LCA indicators

PIQET assesses the packaging environmental impact using LCA indicators aligned with PEF method by the European Commission. Furthermore, the indicators follow guidance from the PEF Category Rules (PEFCRs) and the ISO 140 40/44/46/67/71 standards.

LCA indicators are expressed in varying units, making direct comparison challenging. A weighted score addresses this challenge by assigning relative importance to different impact categories based on societal values, environmental priorities, and regulatory frameworks. This enables the transformation of diverse LCA indicators into a single, comparable value, facilitating more straightforward interpretation and decision-making across businesses, policymakers and consumers.

The choice of weighing factors involves subjectivity, which can lead to varying results. PIQET uses the PEF methodology, a harmonized procedure developed by the European Commission. Upon calculating individual results for each LCA indicator, PEF weighted score is calculated by:

  • Normalization

  • Weighted Factors

  • Weighted scores calculation

  • Aggregation

To present the impact of toxicity LCA indicators, two distinct PEF-weighted scores are generated, one encompassing toxicity-related LCA indicators, and the other excluding them.

Packaging indicators

PIQET calculates a range of packaging specific sustainability metrics as well as metrics outlined in the Global Protocol on Packaging Sustainability. These metrics are calculated using packaging materials and production data added into PIQET.

  • Global Packaging Protocol Metrics: Comprehensive set of standardised measures used to evaluate the environmental impact of packaging across different industries and sectors. These metrics provide a consistent framework for assessing various aspects of packaging, including materials, design, production, transportation, and end-of-life considerations.

  • Packaging Level Metrics: provide a nuanced understanding of how different packaging levels (sub-retail, retail, merchandising, and traded) contribute to the composition of pallet shipments. Organizations can optimize packaging efficiency, minimize waste, and enhance supply chain management by examining the various levels and their proportional representation on pallets.

Material and Circular Economy indicators

Material and circular economy indicators empower companies to measure circularity within their products and materials. Additionally, they provide users with the capability to assess and evaluate various environmental, regulatory, and supply chain risks associated with their designs and products.

The material and circular economy indicators included in PIQET can be categorized as:

  • Material types: refers to the percentage material composition of the packaging (plastics & resins, paper & board, metals, glass, other).

  • Recyclability: refers to the extent to which the packaging can be collected, processed, and used as a raw material to create new products or materials through recycling processes. A material with high recyclability is designed to facilitate its efficient separation from waste streams, effective processing into reusable components, and incorporation into the production of new items without significant loss of quality or performance.

  • Combustibility: refers to the property of a material that allows it to undergo combustion, a chemical reaction involving the rapid combination of the material with oxygen, often accompanied by the release of heat, light, and various combustion products such as gases and ashes.

  • Compostability: refers to the property of a material to undergo decomposition and transformation into nutrient-rich organic matter when subjected to controlled composting conditions. Composting is a natural process that breaks down organic materials into compost, a valuable soil amendment that enriches soil fertility and structure

  • Recycled/Virgin Input: The ratio of recycled materials to the virgin materials used in the packaging. This ratio can provide insights into a product or process’s sustainability and resource efficiency. A higher proportion of recycled material signifies a reduced reliance on raw resources and a commitment to circular economy principles. In contrast, a higher proportion of virgin material may indicate a higher environmental impact on resource extraction and processing.

  • Recycled material refers to materials that have been previously used, collected, and processed through recycling methods to be re-introduced into the production cycle. Recycled materials are obtained from post-consumer or post-industrial waste streams and contribute to reducing the demand for new raw materials, conserving resources, and minimizing waste.

  • Virgin materials are those sourced directly from natural resources without any previous use or processing. These materials have not been recycled or reprocessed and are in their original state. Virgin materials may have environmental impacts associated with resource extraction, energy consumption, and waste generation.

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