Contributions to a Global Packaging Data Standard
The Situation
Packaging materials and corresponding data often move through global supply chains with little transparency or consistency, and small differences and irregularities make data exchange challenging and costly for business.
Meanwhile, regulatory reporting and compliance requirements for packaging are increasing globally, and while some bespoke and proprietary standards exist to meet these requirements, they are often context-specific and not universally applicable.
Members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) need to exchange packaging-related data with various stakeholders during the packaging life cycle, from the product’s development stage to its end-of-life. Throughout the process, members face challenges accessing and exchanging consistent, complete, comprehensive, and accurate packaging-related data.
Our Solutions
Working under the mandate of the WBCSD’s Packaging Data Exchange workstream, Anthesis worked closely with WBCSD members to conduct a comprehensive analysis of key regulatory frameworks, models, and standards relevant to packaging data across the global landscape, taking an important step toward developing a global packaging data standard.
The data sets selected for the sample were then segregated into natural sub-groupings to enable evaluation within their operationally comparable contexts. A set of key packaging-specific metrics was then compiled to frame the assessment, with individual metrics further grouped by type.
The metric groupings then provided the lens through which to compare the data requirements identified within the regulatory frameworks, data models, and standards selected for evaluation. The comprehensive review of the data points, taxonomies, and usage of the metrics within each group identified the context of each data set, and the commonalities and divergences among them.
Individual Metrics Assessed:
- General material metrics: types, subtypes, weight, size, and component-related information.
- Material-specific metrics: material sources, certifications, recycled content sources, end-of-life treatment.
- Environmental metrics: emissions, resource consumption, waste generation, and repairability.
- Component metrics: form, function, and additives.
- Product metrics: labelling and distribution channel.
Access the Full Report
Our analysis focused on regulations, standards, and data models currently in place around the world.
Impacts of the Project
Strong Foundations
Our review concluded that, while commonalities exist, packaging data sets varied according to the nuanced use of that data within its relevant context. Through detailed interrogation of the data standards landscape, the Open 3P open data standard was determined to be the most comprehensive standard available. Upon consideration by the WBCSD membership, it was agreed that the Open3P standard would form a strong foundation for further advocacy on standardised packaging data capture and exchange.
Actionable Next Steps
The insights gained from this project will feed into the WBCSD’s continued work on circularity data and will form an important pillar for further work to be undertaken through the WBCSD Circular Products and Materials (CPM) Pathway. As next steps, the organisation will explore the potential to use the open-source standard Open3P as an advanced point of departure to drive the refinement and adoption of a global standard for packaging data capture and for data sharing in the circular packaging value chain.
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