Today the SPC publicly released its Sustainable Packaging Indicators and Metrics Framework Version 1.0, designed to help companies measure progress toward the SPC Definition of Sustainable Packaging. The Metrics Framework is the result of nearly two years of extensive research and stakeholder engagement. More than 80 representatives from SPC member companies participated in this effort so this is truly a collaborative achievement. The Metrics Framework provides a wide-ranging palette of indicators
and metrics that are organized into eight categories related to material use, energy use, water use, material health, clean production and transport, cost and performance, community impact and worker impact.
Each Framework module explains why the measurements are relevant to sustainability efforts, defines each indicator as it relates to
packaging, specifies the metric to be used and provides recommendations for what to measure and what not to measure.
The SPC first realized the Metrics Framework to member companies in April 2009, and thanks to that feedback we have now made it publicly available. We hope you will share this document within your company and with other stakeholders.
Selected metrics from the Metrics Framework are also serving as the baseline for the Global Packaging Project, an initiative of the Consumer Goods Forum, that seeks to standardize packaging sustainability measurement by developing a globally recognized set of indicators and metrics with common data request and collection protocols. Pilot testing of the GPP metrics is expected to begin in the first half of 2010.
Press Release: SPC Releases Sustainable Packaging Metrics
If you have any questions about the Metrics Framework or would like to
discuss it in more detail, including support in tailoring its use for
your companies needs, please contact Project Lead Katherine O’Dea.