LBP
were responsible for some sustainable packaging 1sts at the 2012 Olympics. Please answer the following on your blog (remember
to copy and paste the Q s first so it s clear
what you re answering!):
A. How many
take away meals were consumed over the course of the 2012 Olympic Games?
Answer: 14 million.
B. How much waste to landfill were Olympics
organisers expecting to have to go to landfill?
Answer: 8,500 tonnes.
C. How many pieces of packaging were needed for the games and by supplying these what did LBF help the games
achieve?
Answer: 120 million. This allowed them to achieve zero waste.
D. Take a moment to look around their site.
- How many stages are there in their closed loop
system?
Answer: 5
- What happens at each stage?
Stage 1: Supply, London Bio Packaging will ensure the disposable packaging is either compostable or recyclable. Allowing for renewable supplies.
Stage 2: Dispose, they will assist you in “closing the loop” on all of your packaging and food waste to ensure it is either composted or recycled by using 3 possible waste streams:
1) Recycling
2) Composting
3) General Waste
Stage 3: Collect, LBP arranges your waste collection using either your existing waste contractor or our waste contractor. Collections can be made as often as you require.
Stage 4: Process, the contractor ensures that all of the waste is taken to the correct facility where it is either composted or recycled.
Stage 5: Re-use, the compost created is used for agriculture to help grow new crops and the recycled material is reprocessed and made into new products.
- Is this appropriate
for this company? If yes then please explain why you
think
so.
Answer: This is appropriate because the step by step system makes it easy to understand and therefore can be followed in a straightforward manner.
E. Look even further around their site. LBP use a wide range of materials..
- What are bioplastics ? Is there anything that can explain further the oil and carbon savings?
Answer: Plastics that are made using polymers formed from plants. This process is a lot more sustainable because the plants needed can be renewed on an annual basis, compared to the millions of years for finite oil to form and be ready for use.
- Look at the other materials LBP use. Could you order these in terms of
most sustainable , explain why you've ordered them like this on your post.
Answer:
1: Bio Plastics. Because plants are very quickly re-grown and therefore there is a constant stream of renewable alternatives to finite oil-based plastics; one of the biggest environmental problems.
2: Recycled Plastic. Because it is a hugely produced material and is quickly draining the planet of carbon oils. By widely recycling these materials, we can prevent the necessity of re-producing plastics and potentially endangering our fossil-oil supplies.
3: Recycled Paper. Because of similar reasons to the recycled plastics. If we recycle already made and used paper, we can reduce the need to knock down more trees which can greatly endanger biodiversity.
4: Forest wood. Because whilst recycling paper is helpful, renewing trees for materials at a sustainable level is also important.
5: Plant Starch. Because once gain it is a crop and is therefore highly renewable. Another good thing about this material is it is heat resistant which means it can be applied to hot food containers.
6: Sugar Bagasse. Because the waste produced from the sugar making process can be used as a heat resistant material used in microwaveable material etc. by definition be saving carbon as it replaces what would otherwise be a requirement for some virgin material manufacture. However, there is not currently adequate information on the associated carbon emissions.
7: Palm Leaf. Because these products are natural, compostable and biodegradable. They are very stylish, tough and heat resistant. The leaves themselves can vary in thickness, colour and pattern. They are also heat-resistant and tough.
F. What is PSM and what are it's key properties? Why is this useful?
Answer: Plant Starch Material. It's a flexible bio based packaging material which has not been refined into a bio-plastic. It is highly renewable and versatile.
G. What is sugar bagasse and how might it be turned into packaging?
Answer: The waste material produced once sugar cane. Sugar bagasse is turned into packaging products from its raw form using a process of heating, pulping and then pressurised moulding. It could be used for microwave packaging.
H. Pick one other material listed and explain what it is and what it s key
properties and considerations are.
Answer: These products are natural, compostable and biodegradable. They are very stylish, tough and heat resistant. Wholeleaf products have no pulp, no starch, just a washed and pressed leaf. The palm leaf itself varies in thickness from 2 to 4mm, as well as in colour and pattern, so you will find that they vary in thickness, colour and pattern too.
I. If you haven't already, download LBF's .pdf catalogue.
-Look through it and keep it in a research folder either on your desktop or memory stick (some of you will probably have one of these already).
A. First
watch this short video from Wrap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XIDmiY ctUUg
B. Back to their website, who are Wrap? Describe what they do in a paragraph.
Answer: They are a recycling company. They are a none profit and are working with governments to implement their priorities on resource efficiency. They work at all points around the resource ‘loop’ – preventing and minimising waste, re-using, and recycling. They work with our funders to achieve their policies on waste prevention and resource efficiency.
C.
What commercial sectors do they deal with
and why ?
Answer: They work with,
- Food Services. Because their research indicates the cost of food being wasted in the UK from the UK hospitality and food service (HaFS) sector is estimated at £2.5 billion per year in 2011.
- Construction. The construction sector consumes more than 400 million tonnes of materials per year. Managing and disposing of waste costs the industry around 1% of turnover - 30%, or more, of pre-tax profit.
- Retail. Grocery waste at the manufacturing and retail levels amounts to 6.5 Mt. Some 4.9 Mt arises in manufacturing and some 1.6 Mt arises in retailing. The waste comprises 4.3 Mt of food, 1.6 Mt of packaging and 0.5 Mt ‘other’ material.
- Local Authorities. Consumers are throwing out almost one million tonnes of textiles, mainly clothes, shoes and linens like bedding and curtains, every year. They are raising awareness of this and providing means of changing this.
- Agriculture. A large number of agricultural colleges are directly involved, to provide both current and future farmers with the knowledge and skills to maximise the potential of quality digestate and compost to benefit their gross margins and the environment.
-SME. This is are crucial to the economic growth process and play an important role in the country's overall production network.
D. Do they deal with the idea of a circular economy? If yes how do they aim to tally with these ideas?
E. What are Wrap s 3x key priority areas and what do they aim to do in these?
G. Now take
10mins to look the guide through – there s LOADS of good background refs in here!
H.
Look at section 4: Design for Re7Use, Recycling and Recovery.
7 Describe
3 key considerations within design for re7use .
7 Describe 3 key considerations within design for recycling .
7 Describe
how effective Metal, Glass, Paper and Board and Plastics are and
which (in your eyes) of these may achieve
the most effective award for recyclability.
A. Who are incpen and what do they do?
B. Are they the same as WRAP? If no then what do you think the key differences are?
C.
Now watch this related video:
7 Where do you stand on packaging
in supermarkets? Is it a good thing or otherwise?
7 Are there ways in which it could be improved (if yes then how?).
E. Do you know what you can recycle domestically
after you ve eaten/drank all those goods you (or your family) buy from supermarkets?
7 Does your Council or university offer7up recycling
options? If yes then what
are they? Could they be improved upon at all in some way?
F.
See Library > Factsheets, browse through
these and pick one that you feel
has
the most bearing on the project that you re doing on this module.
7 Why do you feel this factsheet is appropriate for your main project? G. Now take a a moment to watch this related video:
H. After
watching the film, do you feel that better designed packaging that uses less resources etc is the only way to improve the way we consume
