UK – Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland has become the is the first packaging manufacturer in Northern Ireland to gain the Sustainably Sourced Plastics (SSP) Certification, and the first Greiner Packaging factory in the world to be awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody certification.
Developed in conjunction with the BSI Flex 6228 Standard, SSP Certification provides an overall validation of the plastics packaging supply chain.
This ensures that the required recycled content percentage can be traced and assured, from recyclers to manufacturers and retailers.
Andy Whyle, senior sustainability and commercial manager at Sustainable Certifications Group (SCG) said: “From recyclers to manufacturers and brand owners, more and more elements of the supply chain are demanding ethical procurement of recycled plastics to meet customer demand.
“SCG manages, measures and monitors the whole supply chain, creating an evidence portfolio, with checks being made to validate material testing and in-process quality controls.
“Flex 6228 tests are used, for the plastics included in the standard, to create a material fingerprint.
“The combined findings are assessed, and when all requirements are met, the SCG Team award SSP Certification, clearly demonstrating legislation and customer conformance, such as UK Plastic Packaging Tax and ESG ethical procurement reporting.”
Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland has also been awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody certification – the first to be awarded across Greiner Packaging’s 30 factories in 19 countries.
The Forest Stewardship Council is an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization established to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.
The SSP and FSC certifications come after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approved the decontamination process used at the factory to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials.
Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland sustainability & innovation manager Rachel Sheldon added: “Gaining FSC Chain of Custody certification means that our customers who wish to communicate their sustainable packaging choices can include the FSC logo on the pack.
“The FSC label provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products, enabling consumers and businesses to make purchasing decisions that benefit people and the environment as well as providing ongoing business value.
“Our K3 cardboard-plastic combination is one of the world’s most sustainable packaging solutions and having FSC Certification enables us to say: ‘This product has been made with wood from well-managed forests and we can prove it’.”
For all the latest packaging and printing industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
