Keeping Score: Sustainable Packaging from the Outset

The goal of HAVI Global Solutions (HGS) is to minimize the environmental impacts of packaging by evaluating the design during the development phase. By establishing a framework for evaluating the environmental impacts, HGS and McDonald’s will be able to make more sustainable packaging for products. We can also prioritize opportunities for improvement across a market’s full packaging portfolio.

HGS partnered with McDonald’s to develop a framework for a packaging design evaluation tool, Eco-Filter 2.0, to provide better information about packaging decisions. HGS leveraged the expertise of Environmental Packaging International (EPI), a consulting firm that specializes in design for environment tools, to assist with building the tool. The tool builds on McDonald’s historic key packaging performance indicators, best practices from the European and North American markets, and advice from outside experts and NGOs, such as the Environmental Defense Fund.

The tool’s framework focuses on key environmental priorities for packaging, such as minimizing weight, maximizing use of recycled materials, preference for renewable and certified sustainably managed materials, minimizing the amount of harmful chemicals used in production, reducing CO₂ and other greenhouse gas emissions, and maximizing “end-of-life” options such as recycling. Leveraging the platform of the Eco-filter packaging design tool, HGS directed EPI in developing a portfolio tool, called the Eco-Filter Portfolio Assessment Tool (EFPAT), which incorporates sales volume to yield an environmental performance indicator of the packaging portfolio used in a market.

HAVI Global Solutions has deployed the Eco-Filter 2.0 tool globally, where it is used by product development leads when designing and developing new packaging at the market level. This environmental information can then be weighed against the cost, availability of materials, functionality and operations impact of any new proposed package. Furthermore, EFPAT provides the ability to evaluate impacts of packaging changes on the portfolio level and to prioritize opportunities for packaging improvements.