BillerudKorsnäs has developed a new tool that evaluates the environmental impact of different packaging solutions. The company says this tool could help brands and retailers reduce the climate impact of their packaging by up to 50 percent.
 
“There is a knowledge gap in the market,” says Johan Tegell, business development director at BillerudKorsnäs. “Companies don’t realize how much they can reduce their carbon and fresh water footprint from packaging. It’s about optimizing the packaging to the supply chain and choosing suitable raw materials. Normally just small adjustments are needed to get great environmental savings. This was the reason why we introduced a life cycle assessment tool, to provide our customers with environmental insights about their packaging.”
 
What is Life Cycle Assessment?
 
Life cycle assessment measures the environmental impact associated with all the stages of a product’s life, from the extraction of raw materials through to processing, manufacturing, transportation and end-of-life treatment. Traditionally, performing one single life cycle assessment could take months of work due to the large amount of data that needs to be collected from the value chain.
 
BillerudKorsnäs’ digital tool contains an extensive database on different packaging materials, including data from the company’s own production. By selecting a number of parameters related to the packaging, such as material, size, production location, transport and disposal method, it will show the total life cycle impact for carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption. The tool is mainly used to improve supply chain efficiency and environmental performance.
 
The tool is third party reviewed and used on all projects within the Business Unit Managed Packaging. During the year, BillerudKorsnäs will further develop the tool to include more data points on different materials.