Waste Management A Packaging Perspective

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Waste Management (A Packaging Perspective)

• Colm Munnelly
• Packaging Technologist
• Irish Biscuits Ltd.
• December 2002

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Who are Irish Biscuits?

• IBL formed in 1966 by merger of Jacobs (1851) and
  Bolands Biscuits (1957)
• Employ over 600 people
• Manufacture over 50 types of biscuit
• Turnover circa 100,000,000 euro

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Packaging Waste legislation

• Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 1997
  (Designed to assist and promote the recycling of
  packaging waste -SDCC)
• Two Real Options
• 1. Comply with the legislation independently and
  report to the local authority.
• 2. Participate in a Waste recovery scheme
  operated by an approved body (Repak)

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1. Legislation Requirements

• Provide information on annual turnover
• Provide information on location of premises
• Provide information on weights of packaging
  materials
• Display notices
• Provide facilities to accept, collect packaging
  waste
• Return waste to suppliers
• Recover or make waste available for recovery
• Prepare, publish plans and reports
• Submit information monthly to local authority

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2. Obligations of Repak Membership

• Provide data on packaging material twice a year
  to Repak
• Pay invoices
• Join Green Dot scheme
• Deal responsibly with waste
• Inform Repak of changes to systems
• Allow system to be audited for Repak

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Advantages of Repak Membership

• Obligations complied with as a group
• Green Dot membership
• Approved Contractor Scheme (Rebates)
• Audit chain for each contractor

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Sources of Physical Waste at IBL

• Food Waste
• Dough
• Dry Biscuits
• Processed Biscuits
  (with Cream/Chocolate/Mallow)
• Packaging Waste
• Input Packaging
• Output Packaging
• WIP (Work in Progress)

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Sources of Packaging Waste

• Goods Inwards
• Bulk Material
• Palletised Ingredients
• Minor Ingredients
• Packaging
• Factory Produced
• Input Packaging
• Output Packaging
• Warehouse / Shipping
• Pallets
• Stretchwrap

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Packaging Material Types

• Cardboard Corrugate, Cartonboard etc.
• Paper Liners, Inserts, Menu Pads
• Flexible Plastic Film Wrapper Reels
• Other Plastic Tubs, Trays
• Metal Tins
• Glass Bottles
• Wood Pallets

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Waste Hierarchy

• Reduction /
• Minimisation
• Re-use
• Re-cycle
• Reclaim
• Landfill

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1. Reduction / Minimisation

• 1. Reduction of input packaging
• 2. Gauge reduction on film, trays, tins, tub
• 3. Reduction of outer case board grades
• 4. Increased number of packs per outer case
• 5. Pallet volume optimisation

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2. Re-use

• Returnable containers for trays, tubs
• Increased use of Recycled (Test) board in outer
  cases
• Maximum usage of pallets
  (Increased use of CHEP) (wooden for
  goods outward) (plastic on factory floor)

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3. Re-cycle

• Corrugated Cardboard Smurfit Re-cycling
• Cartonboard Smurfit Re-cycling
• Flexible film Dilloan Recycling
• Other plastic Re-Tech Processing/Dilloan
• Metal Hammond Lane
• Glass (Negligible amounts)
• Wood Pallet Services

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4. Reclaim

• Awaiting options for incineration
• Input packaging on colours/flavours
• Removal of pvc and pvdc material

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5. Landfill

• Compacted, unsegregated waste from the factory
  floor goes to landfill through Ipodec
• Any material left that does not have a re-cycling
  option is landfilled.
• Cost of landfill (Direct and Indirect)

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Internal Packaging Waste
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Repak Member of the Year

• Packaging waste considered at product design
  stage
• Emphasis on Reduction and Re-use
• Sourced re-cycling options for all of our
  packaging materials
• Encouraged contractors to join subsidy scheme
• Reduced tonnage to landfill by 10 in 2001

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Packaging Fees
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What winning has meant to IBL

• Turns Repak into something positive
• Recognition for past efforts
• Establishes momentum
• Helps overcome difficultareas
• Helps publicise re-cycling efforts throughout the
  company.

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Future plans in IBL

• Further investment in bailing/compacting
• Roll out of recycling to more difficult areas
• Design for recoverable/recyclable packaging
• Holistic projects
• Less input packaging
• Optimum product in packets
• Optimum packets in cases
• Optimum cases on pallets

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Challenges

• Options to recycle in Ireland and to market
  recycled product in Ireland.
• Current weight based system does not allow for
  mixes of virgin/recycled material.
• Recycled material does not mean cheaper material.
• Conflict between marketing concerns and
  environmental concerns.