LINPAC Allibert, global expert in plastic returnable transit packaging for the food, retail and manufacturing sectors, is poised to help customers accurately measure the environmental performance of their supply chain after a carbon footprint assessment of its market-leading Maxinest distribution tray, was independently verified by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA).
LINPAC Allibert is the first organisation in the transit packaging and supply chain solution sector to have the full life cycle carbon footprint of a specific product determined and independently verified by a recognised certification body.
The initial carbon footprint analysis was carried out by Sustain Limited, the carbon reduction company, under Europe’s most authoritative product carbon footprinting specification PAS 2050.
The carbon footprint of the Maxinest distribution tray was determined at 26 kgCO2e in total, or 0.0082 kgCO2e per litre, per trip, based on each crate performing 92 return trips on a 20 day cycle over five years. The findings take into account the full life cycle of the trays, including raw material production, manufacturing, customer use (including transportation and crate washing) and disposal or recycling at the end of their working life.
Independent verification by LRQA, a member of the Lloyd’s Register Group and global leader in independent climate change validation, verification, training and certification, confirms the findings of the assessment and the methodology used and is the first to be carried out by LRQA against this standard.
During the consultation process, Sustain developed a software toolkit to calculate the footprint figure. By adjusting a number of parameters within this model LINPAC Allibert can now calculate the life cycle emissions (kg of CO2e) arising from the end user’s application, giving them an accurate carbon saving comparison against cardboard.
Danilo Oliynik, LINPAC Allibert’s commercial director, said: "We are delighted to be the first company to receive this certificate from LRQA. It provides tangible, independently verified data that will help our customers to reduce their carbon footprint by exploiting the lower carbon footprint of plastic returnable transit packaging.”
The PAS 2050 certificate was presented by LRQA’s managing director, Mike James, who added: “The importance of independently verified carbon footprint data will continue to grow, as future educated consumers begin to base their purchasing decisions on the transparency and credibility of environmental data from organisations and products.”
Looking forward, Paul Smith, LRQA’s climate change manager, said: "As more companies follow LINPAC Allibert's lead, environmental performance will be enhanced, and verified product carbon footprint data will become an increasingly important factor in both domestic and commercial purchasing decisions.”
Sustain’s Michael Hill commented: "It has been a pleasure to work with LINPAC Allibert because complete transparency was a requirement from the outset, leaving us to explore every component of the Maxinest tray's full life cycle carbon footprint. LRQA was recommended for verification because it’s a credible organisation with a world-wide reputation and has specific climate change expertise.”
Paul Smith, LRQA’s climate change manager, Mike James, managing director of LRQA, Danilo Oliynik, commercial director at LINPAC Allibert and Michael Hill, from Sustain Ltd celebrate LINPAC Allibert’s industry first
Notes to editors:
Published in October 2008, PAS 2050 provides a specification for the assessment of the life cycle Greenhouse Gas emissions of goods and services, allowing organisations to understand their total carbon impact throughout their supply chain. Both Sustain Ltd. and LRQA were consulted during the development of the PAS 2050 and LRQA is currently participating in the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) pilot programme for the accreditation of verifiers for PAS 2050.
LRQA, a member of the Lloyd’s Register Group, is a global leader in independent climate change validation, verification, training and certification services. LRQA’s Business Assurance approach uses a consistent methodology for providing business driven assessments based around an organisation’s most significant risks.
Sustain is a leader in carbon reduction, with a proven track record of delivering carbon and cost cutting measures within key industries including energy supply, construction, public sector and the built environment.
Part of the international LINPAC Group, LINPAC Allibert manufactures Europe’s largest range of reusable plastic containers and pallets for storage, handling and distribution. LINPAC Allibert’s products can be used again and again, helping their customers comply with packaging waste regulations, reduce their carbon footprint and save money.
LINPAC’s Maxinest product is a re-usable plastic tray employed in a wide range of industrial sectors, but probably best known for its role in transporting food products to point-of-sale by the UK's major grocery retailers.