Australian Packaging Covenant Action Plan Revised (Mar 2013) 2010-2015 Phoenix Manufacturing Services
Executive Summary In the past ten years, we have assessed our distribution packaging, improved our on-site waste management practices; developed a sustainability purchasing policy; provided training to our employees& strived to encourage customers& end users to implement polystyrene recycling programs. While minor opportunities are possible within Goal 1 Design, we believemostactionavailabletousatthistime,hasbeenachieved.we understand our responsibility to put our existing range through the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines. We have set a timetable to undertake this review which will be grouped by packaging type. We also are aware our products have the propensity to being littered. This is addressed in our Action Plan. Within Goal 2, almost half of our on-site recovery waste material is being diverted via recycling or reuse. This includes cardboard, paper, beverage containers, mixed plastics (types 1,2,3,4,5,7) & all of our waste production polystyrene that is slugged & sent for conversion into things such as picture frames& rulers. We aspire to further reduce our waste to landfill volumes & so set an action to audit the mixed waste component that is still being sent to landfill to identify recovery options. In 2009, we implemented our Sustainable Purchasing Policy covering all aspects of our operations. It now requires better incorporation to our daily activities. We recognise we have made many great steps forward & have some still to achieve. Goal 3, working our supply chain is perhaps where we see most opportunity. This is twofold. We will review all our supply contracts that impact on our packaging & environmental performances& look to our distributors & their customers to assist & encourage their participation in the APC process. Adam Hope, Australian Plant Manager 2
Table of Contents Executive Summary Company Details... About Phoenix Our People Products & Packaging... Packaging Review... Environmental Covenant Actions.. APC Commitment... Supply Chain Our Market... Action Plan Goal 1: Design Goal 2: Recycling.. Goal 3: Product Stewardship Product Stewardship. 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 19 3
Company Details Company: Phoenix Manufacturing (A Dart subsidiary) 118 Long St Smithfield NSW 2164 Business: Packaging Manufacturer of expanded polystyrene cups Web: www.factsonfoam.com.au www.dart.biz: Phone 02 97571488 4
About Phoenix Phoenix Manufacturing Services Pty Ltd is a packaging manufacturer & distributor within Australia & Asia, of single use polystyrene food cups, bowls & lids. A subsidiary of American firm Dart Container Corporation, Phoenix have been supporters of the Packaging Covenant since signing NPC Mk1 in March 2000 under the auspice of the Plastics & Chemical Industry Association (PACIA) & then from 2006 as an individual packaging manufacturer signatory. Our Australian operation consists of a small team & a small packaging range. This makes it simpler to monitor our actions & communicate to our employees & sub-contractors. 5
Our People Covenant Contact: David Bell david_bell@dart.biz Covenant Signatory Adam Hope Plant Manager Adam_hope@dart.biz APC Team Plant Manager Account Manager Sales Manager Quality Supervisor Shipping / Receiving Supervisor Production Supervisor APC Consultant 6
Products & Packaging Products Our standard range of product is a variety of sized EPS foam cups for drinks such as juice, coffee;cupsforhotchips;foodbowlsforsoup &othermeals&suitablelids. Our products are available plain or printed. We now also have a very small range of Fusion composite polystyrene/ paper cups Packaging Our packaging is secondary & tertiary tiers for the purpose of protecting our products in storage & delivery. It includes: HDPE cup sleeves Cardboard shippers Labels Tape Plastic strapping Stretch& shrink wrap 7
Packaging Review Product Grouping Product Purpose Packaging Tier Reviewed (Y/N) Review Date Plastics Polystyrene Cups/ bowls/ lids Primary Y Dec 2011 HDPE Plastic sleeves for holding stacked cups Secondary Y Dec 2011 LDPE Stretch wrap Tertiary N Dec 2012 Polyprop Strapping Tertiary N Dec 2012 Paper/ Cardboard Cardboard Shipper Tertiary N Dec 2013 Paper Picking slips Tertiary N Dec 2013 Other Composite Polystyrene/ paper cup Primary N Dec 2014 Labels Tertiary N Dec 2014 8
Environmental Our parent company, Dart have produced a range of publications about polystyrene & its place within the environment. Environmental Facts About Foam Cups Green Care: Dart's Environmental Efforts Green Care: Foodservice Packaging Life Cycle Inventory Green Care: General Information on Biobased Products Facts on Foam Recycling Brochure Green Care: Dart's Environmental Ethic Green Care: Putting Stewardship into Practice Consumers' Research: Is Paper Better Than Plastic? We hope to use in Australia some of the environmental advances Dart is making internationally. Phoenix APC Action Plan 2010-2015 9
Covenant Actions Testing use of the new Green Purchasing Guide by buying second hand shipping containers Recycle all unsaleable post-operative polystyrene Recycle all plastics from production related activities Cupstobeprintedarenotstoredsealeduntilafter printing Comingled beverage container recycling in lunch room Reuse imported Dart pallets for storage in warehouse& production areas Sell imported large cardboard pallecon boxes for resale to other users Reuse some cardboard for archive storage Only use shippers once within production, preprinting, printing& distribution processes Recycle excess used cardboard Recycle all scrap metal including old line parts, tags from raw material bags etc Recycle any scrap timber Phoenix still imports lids from Dart packaged in recycled-content corrugated cartons. Supporting polystyrene recycling at Greenslopes Private Hospital(Brisbane). Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) programs (See www.factsonfoam.com.au& www.dart.biz for current & future reports.) 10
APC Commitment Phoenix believes the APC format to be a positive step forward in terms of environmental outcomes. 11
Supply Chain We look to our distributors & their customersforwaystoassistthemto&/ or encourage their participation in the APC process. Some of our medical customers have incorporated recycling collection of polystyrene cups however other significant opportunity still exists with retail, education & other outlets via our distributors. We provide our product to distributors & wholesalers for on-selling to hospitals, hotels, cafeterias, take away food outlets, catering companies, clubs, sporting outlets, pharmacies, offices&brandssuchasboostjuice&subway. Our distributors include MPM, Bunzl & the Interfresh Group In doing this we are also reviewing & assessing other recycling options for suitability for Australia. 12
Our Market We currently operate in an extremely competitive market. Our competitors paper cups are really composite paper / plastic cups perceived as being environmentally preferred as a single layer paper product. This remains a contentious issue for us. We would ideally like these products to be more clearly promoted as composite items that create recyclability challenges. While our product range is >99% EPS cups, we have recently imported a small percentage(<1%) of cups that are polystyrene /paper composite called Fusion to compete against the so called paper cup. 13
Action Plan Goal 1: Design KPI Actions Timeline Responsibility Target / Goal Baseline data KPI1: Sustainable Packaging Guidelines (SPG) incorporated into processes for the design or procurement of all new packaging Capacity Building 1. APC team to be formed 2. Product grouping determined 3. Existing packaging review timeline to be set 4. Conduct training on APC for employees 5. Build APC component into National Sales Meeting 6. Relevant SPG questions incorporated into existing packaging design process to ensure all new packaging is assessed against APC requirements 7. Review/s existing packaging 8. Develop ongoing Actions for implementing any required changes resulting from packaging review Apr 2011 Mar 2011 Plant Mgr / Account Mgr/APCConsult Mar 2011 APC Consultant Dec 2011 Sales Mgr / Apr 2011 Annually Dec 2011 International Sales Mgr/ APC Consultant APC Team Dec 2011, APC Team 2012, 2013 APC Team 2014 Mar 2012 a. Avoid or minimise the use of materials (quantity, layers or material content) b. Avoid or minimise resource use (energy, water) c. Ensure all our existing & new packaging is designed with due consideration for its overall use & fully optimises its recyclability potential d. Ensure our packaging is designed to reduce any potential litter impacts 2010 Data 222 tonnes polystyrene product produced 14
Action Plan Goal 2: Recycling KPI Actions Timeline Responsibility Target / Goal Baseline data KPI3: Maintain & where relevant improve our on-site recovery systems for reuse or recycling of used packaging Workplace Recycling 1. Conduct waste audit to determine general waste content 2. Review existing on-site recovery systems Data Management 3. Ensure the data for diverting on-site materials is provided in our Annual Reports a.maintain at least current 2010 Data Mar 2011 APC Consultant performance levels of onsite recovery Items Landfilled 197 x 3m3bins pa of Dec 2011 Plant Mgr / APC b. Improve onsite recovery of general waste Team packaging Items Recycled c. Improve qualitative data on 31 Mar-12,13,14,15 recyclables & items disposed APC Team d. Clear systems & 17tonnesofEPS 101 x 3m3bins pa of communication processes are cardboard in place for maximising 3.2 tonnes mixed recovery or recycling of all possible items plastic Lunch room items taken to local dropoff no data at this time 15
Action Plan Goal 2: Recycling KPI Actions Timeline Responsibility Target / Goal Baseline data Market Development & Procurement Increase our support for While a trial of the KPI4: Establish a buy recycled policy 1. Review Sustainable Purchasing Policy & implementation processes October 2011 APC Team recycled packaging materials being used in Australian product manufacture. purchasing policy has been undertaken, full implementation is still to occur & implement it acrossallofour business 16
6. Review & assess other recycling options for Phoenix APC Action Plan 2010 Jun-13-2015 Action Plan Goal 3: Product Stewardship KPI Actions Timeline Responsibility Target / Goal Baseline data KPI 6: Incorporate APC goals & requirements into our existing formal processes for working with others to improve design & recycling of packaging Collaboration 1. Ensure our purchasing agreements contain review options incorporating the SPG to divert packaging from landfill either via design, reuse, take back or recycling with appropriate data that assists us to measure & report. 2. At annual sales meetings, develop a list of end users/user types from the service area of recyclers who we work with 3. In conjunction with recyclers develop an information sheet outlining steps & costs for recovering & recycling used cups. 4. Identify & contact recyclers in Sydney & Adelaide to recover & recycle used cups & other EPS packaging from users sites 5. Promote recovery & recycling service to/through distributors that are APC signatories and others that service large volume users & directly to those users using the materials developed in 4 above. Collaborate with these distributors to identify potential user partners EPS cup for suitability in Australia Dec-11 Feb/ Mar-13, 14, 15 May Jul 13 May-13 Annual review Jan-14 Dec -13 Annual Review Review annually APC Team / Plant Mgr Nat Sales Mgr/ Sales Team Account Mgr Corporate Counsel; Govt Affairs & Environment Purchasing agreements are still to be reviewed.we have decided to include this in the packaging review process List of end users / user types Annual Sales Priority Plan Information sheet /price guide Recyclers details / or list of barriers List of distributors / others Minutes / outcomes of discussions with distributors & other users. Identification of details of major end users to enable recover & litter prevention programs Project development is in progress 0% of packaging reviewed No suppliers involved in review processes todate 3 hospitals recycling post consumer cups No universities recycling post consumer cups No retail outlets recycling post consumer cups No other end users known to be recycling post consumer cups 17
Action Plan Goal 3: Product Stewardship KPI Actions Timeline Responsibility Target / Goal Baseline data KPI 7: Demonstration of other product stewardship outcomes. KPI8. Reduction in the number of packaging items in the litter stream. 1.Review existing waste management contracts that wherever possible ensure our on-site packaging is collected for reuse or recycling with qualitative data provided to enable us to measure & report. 1. Ensure our on-site operations produce no litter 2. Incorporate into the sustainable packaging review process questions that address the products propensity to being littered. 4.Work with KABC to modify the NLI to more clearly measure EPS cups 5. Work with organisations egend users, government programs, AFGC, KABC etcto reduce littering of our products Annually Plant Mgr a. Reduce packaging in the market & to landfill b. Use stewardship to promote good will within the supply chain Daily Plant Mgr Ensure all our assessment actions do not APC Team negatively impact on Dec-11 the litter stream Minimise litter from APC Consultant our products Jun-13 Account Mgr/ APC Dec-11 Consultant Review annually Currently no litter program activity KABC s National LitterIndex doesn t separate EPS cups from other items so current data is not available 18
Product Stewardship Recognising litter prevention is a partnership approach. In this Action Plan, we look to the APC, the AFGC, KABC, Government programs, event managers & end users for ways we can assist. 19